LymingtonPugwash
New member
Seeing DJE's posting about the adverse weather forcast for his 'Kids day out on Friday', got me thinking, "good, looks like perfect weather for kids to me!"
Having started sailing dinghies single handed at an extremely young age off the beach, I did the same for my daughter when she was small, even getting her to experience her first capsizes in a Laser with me when she was 3 years old, so that she would learn that she did not need to be scared..... then when she and her friends who were generally sailing with us in big boats were growing up, they only really enjoyed their days out in rough weather and the more we were on the edge of 'survival' conditions, the more they loved the challenge and would want more..... years later they would still speak excitedly of some of the worst possible storms we lived through, but never remembered the nice tranquil days! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Kids always rise to a challenge and love adventures and to feel that they've achieved something. And as long as one is sensible about lifejackets and harnesses and is confident of the boat and ones own abilities, then there is little to worry about, beyond what a parent would normally worry about letting kids cross the road alone! In fact, there is more chance of injury or death to a child crossing a road than taking them through an extreme storm!
Even have pictures of my daughter at around 14 yrs old in a force 7, gusting 8 with high seas, standing at the bows as waves break over her.... for the safety conscience (which I also am), she was wearing a lifejacket and had 2 harnesses clipped on to port and starboard and once she was in place we also clipped on a third harness which ran back to clip on behind her! But the important thing is, she did it and has never forgotten it and I believe is both a better sailor and person for the experience! Since then, she has done that many times since as well, as have all her friends who wanted to try it!
So my sailing philosophy is.... take them out.... let them enjoy the challenge of the storm... let them even go forward in the storm and let those who want to go up to the first spreaders in the midst of the storm do so!
Just keep them safety conscious without sounding neurotic about it yourself and get pics of them doing it so that they can share the experience with others!
How many of you agree and have done the same? Those of you who disagree, why?
Having started sailing dinghies single handed at an extremely young age off the beach, I did the same for my daughter when she was small, even getting her to experience her first capsizes in a Laser with me when she was 3 years old, so that she would learn that she did not need to be scared..... then when she and her friends who were generally sailing with us in big boats were growing up, they only really enjoyed their days out in rough weather and the more we were on the edge of 'survival' conditions, the more they loved the challenge and would want more..... years later they would still speak excitedly of some of the worst possible storms we lived through, but never remembered the nice tranquil days! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Kids always rise to a challenge and love adventures and to feel that they've achieved something. And as long as one is sensible about lifejackets and harnesses and is confident of the boat and ones own abilities, then there is little to worry about, beyond what a parent would normally worry about letting kids cross the road alone! In fact, there is more chance of injury or death to a child crossing a road than taking them through an extreme storm!
Even have pictures of my daughter at around 14 yrs old in a force 7, gusting 8 with high seas, standing at the bows as waves break over her.... for the safety conscience (which I also am), she was wearing a lifejacket and had 2 harnesses clipped on to port and starboard and once she was in place we also clipped on a third harness which ran back to clip on behind her! But the important thing is, she did it and has never forgotten it and I believe is both a better sailor and person for the experience! Since then, she has done that many times since as well, as have all her friends who wanted to try it!
So my sailing philosophy is.... take them out.... let them enjoy the challenge of the storm... let them even go forward in the storm and let those who want to go up to the first spreaders in the midst of the storm do so!
Just keep them safety conscious without sounding neurotic about it yourself and get pics of them doing it so that they can share the experience with others!
How many of you agree and have done the same? Those of you who disagree, why?
