PhillM
Well-Known Member
Hmm, sorry, meant to say MAX 4-5 and dry ...
Cruising a racing boat... With children
- Thread starter Judders
- Start date
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
That's more like it. :encouragement:
Might be worth priming the kids with a bit of Arthur Ransome? Probably depends on what they prefer to read and whether their reading fuels their real-life adventuring.
Ransome's Peter Duck was one of my favourites...nothing at all to do with river-banks and quacking. More like all the thrills and fascinating detail of a sailing experience, with pirates and treasure thrown in. Although how kids of any age would, in real life, take to several weeks at sea on an extended ocean passage, I'd feel less sure about.
Might be worth priming the kids with a bit of Arthur Ransome? Probably depends on what they prefer to read and whether their reading fuels their real-life adventuring.
Ransome's Peter Duck was one of my favourites...nothing at all to do with river-banks and quacking. More like all the thrills and fascinating detail of a sailing experience, with pirates and treasure thrown in. Although how kids of any age would, in real life, take to several weeks at sea on an extended ocean passage, I'd feel less sure about.
Judders
Well-Known Member
Funny you should say that actually as we decided that the Sunday afternoon film this week was to be Swallows and Amazons. The children were persuaded but then the DVD player was broken. No matter says I, it'll be on Netflix... only it's not!
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
I agree with nearly all that's already been said.
We only did sort trips to start with. An hour or two and went ashore by dinghy to get fish and chips (big adventure)
We didn't cross the channel with then for the first four or five years. (No where to get off if it was rough!)
We started out in a 26' SCOD and they still have very happy memories and will always come sailing if they get a chance.
Even little children can steer given a chance and benign conditions. They feel VERY important but don't last long...
Sumner cruises were short passages between places with beaches and sand. They still remember when I threw the tin opener overboard saying it would force us to buy a new one.
BuzzFan
Well-Known Member
The Solent is a fabulous playground for kids - with imagination, there's much to do
Make it fun, don't have a fixed schedule
start with staying over only for a single night, not a entire week.
ensure their first weekend has sunny weather - abort if likely to be cold/wet & replan
a few off cuff ideas I loved from my childhood :
- borrow an outboard & tender to tow behind the Impala
- involve both as much as possible, rope handling, fenders, swinging compass, checking handheld v fixed vhf signal, ascending mast on bosuns chair, checking rigging
- practice man overboard, sailing up to dummy victim & rescuing
- teach rope skills,
- explore wootton creek & also the non-navigable creek just 1/4m to the west
- swim in shallow waters - take wetsuits to ward off the cold
- teach them to fish - mackerel trawling etc - and dipping - and then prepare/cook their prize
- approach fishing vessels & barter beer for any catch
- pack charcoal for a beach barbecue, cook spper then watch it extinguished in the dark as the tide comes in
- test survival skills - build a shelter & forage driftwood & make a bonfire
- beach games - kick the can etc
- shipwreck games : improvise & rig a simple sail for the tender to escape a deserted island
- pack a tent & inflatable mattress for sleeping on land
- also take signal flags for sending messages from beach camp HQ back to boat
- dig for clams with toes at low tide - try between the land & the sand bank at Priory Bay at low water springs
- dry out against wall at Bosham Quay, sup in their sailing club
- go through lock into Chichester Marina
- deliberately beach/dry out the impala on its side at Easthead
- if raining, walk up the needles
Make it fun, don't have a fixed schedule
start with staying over only for a single night, not a entire week.
ensure their first weekend has sunny weather - abort if likely to be cold/wet & replan
a few off cuff ideas I loved from my childhood :
- borrow an outboard & tender to tow behind the Impala
- involve both as much as possible, rope handling, fenders, swinging compass, checking handheld v fixed vhf signal, ascending mast on bosuns chair, checking rigging
- practice man overboard, sailing up to dummy victim & rescuing
- teach rope skills,
- explore wootton creek & also the non-navigable creek just 1/4m to the west
- swim in shallow waters - take wetsuits to ward off the cold
- teach them to fish - mackerel trawling etc - and dipping - and then prepare/cook their prize
- approach fishing vessels & barter beer for any catch
- pack charcoal for a beach barbecue, cook spper then watch it extinguished in the dark as the tide comes in
- test survival skills - build a shelter & forage driftwood & make a bonfire
- beach games - kick the can etc
- shipwreck games : improvise & rig a simple sail for the tender to escape a deserted island
- pack a tent & inflatable mattress for sleeping on land
- also take signal flags for sending messages from beach camp HQ back to boat
- dig for clams with toes at low tide - try between the land & the sand bank at Priory Bay at low water springs
- dry out against wall at Bosham Quay, sup in their sailing club
- go through lock into Chichester Marina
- deliberately beach/dry out the impala on its side at Easthead
- if raining, walk up the needles
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
I'm taking notes here, myself. 
That creek near Wooton...King's Quay, or a name like that? Is it okay to go in there and drop the hook or haul a dinghy up? I thought it was forbidden.
Bembridge Duver can't be beat I'm told, for anchoring and swimming in clear sheltered water. Newtown is top for flora & fauna.
Seaview, likewise, utterly charming and fabulous rock-pools full of life.
If anyone was thinking Bosham is a fair distance from the island for an unhurried daysail, I did it with a mate in a Topper 25 years ago. And sailed her back the following week.
That creek near Wooton...King's Quay, or a name like that? Is it okay to go in there and drop the hook or haul a dinghy up? I thought it was forbidden.
Bembridge Duver can't be beat I'm told, for anchoring and swimming in clear sheltered water. Newtown is top for flora & fauna.
Seaview, likewise, utterly charming and fabulous rock-pools full of life.
If anyone was thinking Bosham is a fair distance from the island for an unhurried daysail, I did it with a mate in a Topper 25 years ago. And sailed her back the following week.
DanTribe
Well-Known Member
When ours were little, we spent most weekends and fortnight hols on our Stella, 26ft leaky, unreliable petrol engine.
It's certainly better with a lively boat than a tub. Boredom and long slow passages is the biggest problem.
It's a good idea to have some water toys such as; small dinghy [oppie / topper], windsurfer, inflatable canoe etc.
It's certainly better with a lively boat than a tub. Boredom and long slow passages is the biggest problem.
It's a good idea to have some water toys such as; small dinghy [oppie / topper], windsurfer, inflatable canoe etc.
[70521]
Well-Known Member
I can't see much interest in a flippy floppy racing boat with a sparse interior that gets wet to interest kids. July in Devon is usually very wet.
MissIsle
Well-Known Member
Both ours grew up sailing in an Oceanis 281, so very similar size.
Keep day sails sensible, we used to aim for 3-4 hours, but tides usually interfered so 6 hours was an upper limit.
Many have said the Solent is ideal, & it is, but if you are heading for South Devon, the Salcombe estuary takes some beetling with young kids. Anchor up in South Sands bay during the day, swimming off the back, or let them take the tender ashore (alone is OK, as you watch from the yacht) for an ice cream in the old lifeboat station on the beach.
Loads of family friendly restaurants in Salcombe, crabbing at Whitestrand, etc, etc, ours loved it.
There will be many other cruising families with kids there, & the kids gravitate together, so it just kind of "happens".
Keep day sails sensible, we used to aim for 3-4 hours, but tides usually interfered so 6 hours was an upper limit.
Many have said the Solent is ideal, & it is, but if you are heading for South Devon, the Salcombe estuary takes some beetling with young kids. Anchor up in South Sands bay during the day, swimming off the back, or let them take the tender ashore (alone is OK, as you watch from the yacht) for an ice cream in the old lifeboat station on the beach.
Loads of family friendly restaurants in Salcombe, crabbing at Whitestrand, etc, etc, ours loved it.
There will be many other cruising families with kids there, & the kids gravitate together, so it just kind of "happens".
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
That reminds me of the East Head anchorage at Chichester entrance, and how very unsheltered the area often seemed to be. Fine if you decamp to the dunes as we always did (is one still allowed to climb over the dunes there?) but often too windy for relaxed picnics on the sandy beach. The West Country does the best coves and sheltered landing spots...
...that's Readymoney Cove, inside Fowey entrance. I don't know how close one may anchor - a boom appears to prevent anything other than swimmers from entering, but I'd happily go ashore by flippers in order to enjoy such a great spot.
...that's Readymoney Cove, inside Fowey entrance. I don't know how close one may anchor - a boom appears to prevent anything other than swimmers from entering, but I'd happily go ashore by flippers in order to enjoy such a great spot.
westhinder
Well-Known Member
Lots of good advice there, the most important of which is to involve the kids in the running of the boat, the navigation, pilotage, lookout, VHF, rope work, fenders etc.
Our kids grew up on a Rival 34, which by today's standards is tiny inside, and they loved it. By the age of 10 they were quite useful crew. They have both gone on as sailing instructors and racing sailors.
And with a bit of care about the weather, there is no need to restrict yourself to the Solent, however ideal that is as a starting ground. We managed to cruise both sides of the Channel, south Brittany and the Netherlands with the kids over a number of years, with typical three weeks' holidays.
Just go for it;
Our kids grew up on a Rival 34, which by today's standards is tiny inside, and they loved it. By the age of 10 they were quite useful crew. They have both gone on as sailing instructors and racing sailors.
And with a bit of care about the weather, there is no need to restrict yourself to the Solent, however ideal that is as a starting ground. We managed to cruise both sides of the Channel, south Brittany and the Netherlands with the kids over a number of years, with typical three weeks' holidays.
Just go for it;
