Granddaughter asked to go to the boat.

[Mister E]

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when the youngest one asked to go to the boat.
She wants to steer it but after further discussion with her sister it was decided that they want to go crabbing.

I felt guilty saying not now you have to go to bed. Wait until the weather is nice one weekend.
But they both want to sleep on it at anchor by a beach.

 

[oldgit]

Do you have the capability to charge their Ipads/ Smartphones on board.
You will need at least a good selection of the umpteen different types of charging leads to stand any chance at all.
This may determine the length of time before cabin fever and sibling rivalry erupts.
Remaining on your mooring with shore power and crabbing in the marina solves this problem.
If your hoping it will get better as time passes, my wife is still delights in squabbling with her brothers and sisters after 70 + years.
Tip. Leave filling grandchildren with sugar laden fizzy drinks and chocolate until just prior to returning their parents.
Tip. Tidying the boat can wait, the mess will still be there tomorrow.

 

[mjcoon]

Excessive romantic expectation is bound to lead to disillusionment...

 

[stranded]

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when the youngest one asked to go to the boat.
She wants to steer it but after further discussion with her sister it was decided that they want to go crabbing.

I felt guilty saying not now you have to go to bed. Wait until the weather is nice one weekend.
But they both want to sleep on it at anchor by a beach.

Our grandson used to love going out after it had rained, making sure not to miss a single puddle to jump in. When daughter dropped him off at Salcombe quay aged two for his first time on the boat we pointed her out on her mooring, his eyes widened: “PUDDLE!!!”

This summer, aged 5, he helmed the boat all the way from Vannes to an anchorage off the Ile aux Moines. Couldn’t see a thing from behind the binnacle, but was remarkably conscientious about following orders. On the return journey he surrendered the wheel and instead saluted every single boat we passed - and that’s a lot of salutes.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Nice one.

 

[oldgit]

Our grandson used to love going out after it had rained, making sure not to miss a single puddle to jump in. When daughter dropped him off at Salcombe quay aged two for his first time on the boat we pointed her out on her mooring, his eyes widened: “PUDDLE!!!”

This summer, aged 5, he helmed the boat all the way from Vannes to an anchorage off the Ile aux Moines. Couldn’t see a thing from behind the binnacle, but was remarkably conscientious about following orders. On the return journey he surrendered the wheel and instead saluted every single boat we passed - and that’s a lot of salutes.

An opportunity to remind ourselves about why we all boat ..with a brief fleeting chance to experience it again via a fresh pair of eyes ?

 

[LittleSister]

Excessive romantic expectation is bound to lead to disillusionment...

That is true, but then so does insufficient romantic expectation!

Disillusionments are bumps and potholes on the journey of life. One will inevitably encounter some, unless one goes nowhere. 'Romantic expectations' are the fuel that propels us forward on that journey.

Surely boat owners, of all people, will be prone to romantic expectations, and accepting of disillusionment?

 

[DanTribe]

Excessive romantic expectation is bound to lead to disillusionment...

Do you speak from personal experience?
Still, hope springs eternal.

 

[mjcoon]

Do you speak from personal experience?
Still, hope springs eternal.

Oh, quite possibly, and that spring has definitely dried up for this octogenarian!
I knew I should have gone to the thesaurus and looked up a more abstract alternative to "romantic"...

 

[Mister E]

The eldest is 7 and the youngest 6 so I hope that they are not thinking of romance yet.

 

[KevinV]

Excessive romantic expectation is bound to lead to disillusionment...

Ah, but love is the triumph of hope over experience.

If a love of boats and being on the water is introduced into the bloodstream early enough it is remarkably persistent. I spent a long time away from it, and my return felt like coming home.

Well done @Mister E you must be delighted to see your own enjoyment take hold in the next generation - and there's the sharing of quality time as icing on the cake

 

[Mister E]

They don't know it yet but they are going to really enjoy getting dad the walk the plank.
I just have to work out how to attach the plank.

 

[Egret]

At 6 and 7 nearly old enough to go to sailing club cadets, then you will have a reason/excuse to go sailing quite regularly until they are 18

 

[suffolklass]

Our children absolutely love going out on grandfather's boat (while we don't have one of our own - that's next year's project!). Top tip from us: get them doing stuff to keep them busy. We picked up some of the free Harwich harbour leaflets with a map inside, showing all the buoys from Ipswich down to Hamford Water, and they spent a few happy hours ticking off the buoys as we passed them. We then took the dinghy ashore to play on the beach. They did some steering and enjoyed spotting other boats. Many happy hours and hopefully the start of a lifelong love affair with the water. They're desperate for us to have a boat of our own again (we had a 19 footer but sold it so we can upsize!)