Kids on ocean passages - reckless or character building?

[JumbleDuck]

They arent "living the dream" - they are living someone's selfish obsession.Under financed and under insured as in "We lost our carbon wing mast, composite standing rigging, main sail, two head sails, deck hardware, radar & Sea-Me, and running rigging. We had no insurance nor have the funds (100,000 Euros) to make a complete replacement of our losses."

Insurance is a way of getting other people to pay for your losses, innit?

 

[JumbleDuck]

I see nothing wrong with taking kids on long trips but not more than a year or so. Children who have grown up with just their parents on cruising boats tend to be very open and generous but also quite naïve. I also think school is most important for children and home school whether on a boat or not is really a suitable alternative since they don't gain the social skills they would from mixing with a large group of people their own age.

I know a lot of home schooled children. Most of them have far better social skills than children who spend much of their time cooped up with others of the same age. Of course there are a few with terrible social skills, but then every school has its oddballs too.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Yes it is reckless and irresponsible. The father of those kids took on a responsibility when he caused them to appear. They take priority over his interests and its his job to provide properlky for them and not be self indulgent. Instead , rather than work for a living as most responsible people do, he has gone off round the worlkd on an uninsured shoe string.

Sell up and sail away appeals to many people, but most put their responsibilities to their families first and dont go

What an unemployed father of two who gave up his job and spends his time travelling round at other people's expense might look like:

 

[Cheery]

Far better to grow up having experienced the World than brought up in an ever increasingly crowded and fractious country like the UK. Different cultures visited, wild life to behold, problem solving (perhaps not to this extreme admittedly!) and analytical skills others of their own age could only dream of.

Gets my vote.

 

[Sybarite]

Around a third of children emerge from school without useful qualifications. I do know about you, but I don't define my peer group as "people born within a year of me".

On some of the cases which I have read about where the kids are properly home-schooled on board, as well as having an unbeatable education by visiting different peoples, places and cultures, the children often are streets ahead of their so-called peers when they reintegrate the system.

It is necessary though to have discipline about education on board. However as there is so much one to one tuition the school hours may be less leaving the children to satisfy their curiosity by doing their own study afterwards.

 

[AndrewfromFal]

Sell up and sail away appeals to many people, but most put their responsibilities to their families first and dont go

That's fine if you think ones 'responsibility' to ones' children is to conform to the Developed World's increasingly 'sausage factory' attitude to the development of children. If you think that this will equip them for a world where most of the Jobs people in their age group will do haven't even been invented yet, then who am I to criticise?

Personally I think that the opportunity to give your kids an incredible adventure, to learn skills way beyond those normally associated with people their age, and to experience a way of life few young people will get the chance to, will probably equip them better for life in the long run.

 

[AndrewfromFal]

What an unemployed father of two who gave up his job and spends his time travelling round at other people's expense might look like:

The apple didn't fall far from the Tree.....

 

[TQA]

I think taking kids on a well found boat on a trade wind navigation is OK. In fact a wonderful learning experience.

Not so sure about a passage involving higher latitudes.

Incidentally I am in Grenada WI just now and there are quite a few boat kids here. Well mannered well behaved and years ahead of their peers in how to deal with adults. There is a daily radio net that takes about 30 -40 minutes to run. On Tuesdays at the moment the net controller is often a kid. Listening to a 10 year old girl run the net, dealing with interruptions and poorly quality transmissions reminds one just how capable kids can be.

 

[Triassic]

We didn't have radio in my day, I had to keep in touch with my friends on the other boats with flag signals, semaphore and morse code. Can't remember much of it now unfortunately. ... .... .- -- . .-. . .- .-.. .-.. -.--

 

[Seajet]

I think they'll get much, much more out of it than just ending up a bit adventurous !

Self reliance, knowledge of the world, different peoples, languages, engineering fixes...I wouldn't mind betting it will be more use than the education I or most here got, unless one thinks ending up like Cameron is a good result...

 

[Boathook]

Character building in my view. I drive on the M25 each day. I think that it is more dangerous than sailing.

 

[Tintin]

Great that these folk are living the dream, but i am not comfortable at all with exposing such young kids to the dangers of long sea journeys. I do hope they get their mast sorted and continue, but maybe leave kids with grandparents while they do it then hopefully return!!
I make the decision not to take my kids to sea unless weather is spot on and the adult ratio to kid is 1 to 1. Even then it is a jolly jaunt down the coast for 20 miles.

http://anasaziracing.blogspot.co.uk/p/mast-project_2.html

What would we be saying if they lost the kids on knockdown into the sea never to be seen again. Would we be looking at a criminal prosecution in this blame culture world? Would that be right........or wrong ?

Wrap 'em in cotton wool and never let them out of your sight.

 

[jonic]

Having actually lived aboard for eight years and had two kids along the way I can categorically say that half of you posting here have no idea what you are talking about.

It was incredible for the whole family and were are blessed to have been given the privilege.

Our bond with our children is unique, the experiences we shared as a family were literally out of this world.

Society is controlled far more than you realise, it's only when you break free that you can really see the thought conditioning.

Society doesn't really want you to think about striking out on your own.

We swam with eagle rays, fed sharks, ate fruit from the trees in the rain forest, tuna as sushi straight from the ocean and watched a hundred sun rises and sun sets together, as well as making friends without prejudice of every race, religion and creed.

It was an almost indescribable experience.

We home schooled for the early years.

Now we are back my eldest passed his 11+ today and is an A student, both of them captain their school sports teams and my eldest plays football at town level and has more medals than I can fit in his cabinet.

They play saxophone, drums and piano and sing in the choir and have masses of friends.

I detest the violent outlook the XBOX, 24hr News and the Internet has now given them.

 

[Sybarite]

Great post Jonic.

 

[Tintin]

Having actually lived aboard for eight years and had two kids along the way I can categorically say that half of you posting here have no idea what you are talking about.

It was incredible for the whole family and were are blessed to have been given the privilege.

Our bond with our children is unique, the experiences we shared as a family were literally out of this world.

Society is controlled far more than you realise, it's only when you break free that you can really see the thought conditioning.

Society doesn't really want you to think about striking out on your own.

We swam with eagle rays, fed sharks, ate fruit from the trees in the rain forest, tuna as sushi straight from the ocean and watched a hundred sun rises and sun sets together, as well as making friends without prejudice of every race, religion and creed.

It was an almost indescribable experience.

We home schooled for the early years.

Now we are back my eldest passed his 11+ today and is an A student, both of them captain their school sports teams and my eldest plays football at town level and has more medals than I can fit in his cabinet.

They play saxophone, drums and piano and sing in the choir and have masses of friends.

I detest the violent outlook the XBOX, 24hr News and the Internet has now given them.

Jonic - I'm gonna have to report you to the child police 'cos you are guilty as hell.

How could you do that to them? What about health and safety and risk assesments?

No child should ever be exposed to the slightest bit of danger or chance of a scratch ever, and heaven bid have any form of fun that is not sanctioned and pre-authorised by the mamby pamby and fearful.

Your clearly irresponsible and abusive conduct is certainly worthy of a screaming headline in the daily wail, and I'm surprised the RNLI haven't yet done a sensationalist press release about it....

Back to the real world where kids and families are allowed to live and have adventures, great post chap.

Gotta go now - need to get the kids up as we are off to find conkers!! My son has no clue about this game thanks to the sort of attitude displayed by the cotton wool brigade (but his school play rugby?)

 

[robertj]

They arent "living the dream" - they are living someone's selfish obsession.Under financed and under insured as in "We lost our carbon wing mast, composite standing rigging, main sail, two head sails, deck hardware, radar & Sea-Me, and running rigging. We had no insurance nor have the funds (100,000 Euros) to make a complete replacement of our losses."

Or lets put it another way. Instead of being responsible, getting a job and providing properly for the family they go off half cock in an arguably unsuitable boat ( wing mast that far south?). Its self indulgence.

Howard

If every one adopted your attitude the world would be such a boring place.
If they don't have the finances to re equip then that's the end, until they do they will have to work again.
It's whatever is good for them (the family) not you a more conventional type
Working to live and not vice versa is more popular now than ever before.
I wish I the nerve and finances to have attempted that earlier in my life.
Oh by the way gas decanting all sorted now and works a treat.

 

[robertj]

What an unemployed father of two who gave up his job and spends his time travelling round at other people's expense might look like:

First class post old chap lol.

 

[robertj]

Having actually lived aboard for eight years and had two kids along the way I can categorically say that half of you posting here have no idea what you are talking about.

It was incredible for the whole family and were are blessed to have been given the privilege.

Our bond with our children is unique, the experiences we shared as a family were literally out of this world.

Society is controlled far more than you realise, it's only when you break free that you can really see the thought conditioning.

Society doesn't really want you to think about striking out on your own.

We swam with eagle rays, fed sharks, ate fruit from the trees in the rain forest, tuna as sushi straight from the ocean and watched a hundred sun rises and sun sets together, as well as making friends without prejudice of every race, religion and creed.

It was an almost indescribable experience.

We home schooled for the early years.

Now we are back my eldest passed his 11+ today and is an A student, both of them captain their school sports teams and my eldest plays football at town level and has more medals than I can fit in his cabinet.

They play saxophone, drums and piano and sing in the choir and have masses of friends.

I detest the violent outlook the XBOX, 24hr News and the Internet has now given them.

Well said!

 

[Triassic]

What an unemployed father of two who gave up his job and spends his time travelling round at other people's expense might look like:

Sorry, am I out of touch. Last I heard he was working as a pilot for an air ambulance? Seems like a responsible enough occupation to me.

 

[robertj]

Having actually lived aboard for eight years and had two kids along the way I can categorically say that half of you posting here have no idea what you are talking about.

It was incredible for the whole family and were are blessed to have been given the privilege.

Our bond with our children is unique, the experiences we shared as a family were literally out of this world.

Society is controlled far more than you realise, it's only when you break free that you can really see the thought conditioning.

Society doesn't really want you to think about striking out on your own.

We swam with eagle rays, fed sharks, ate fruit from the trees in the rain forest, tuna as sushi straight from the ocean and watched a hundred sun rises and sun sets together, as well as making friends without prejudice of every race, religion and creed.

It was an almost indescribable experience.

We home schooled for the early years.

Now we are back my eldest passed his 11+ today and is an A student, both of them captain their school sports teams and my eldest plays football at town level and has more medals than I can fit in his cabinet.

They play saxophone, drums and piano and sing in the choir and have masses of friends.

I detest the violent outlook the XBOX, 24hr News and the Internet has now given them.

Jonic

I hope you realise you are a threat to the Hive?
Having brought your children up in such a way releases them from conventional thinking and corporate attitudes, as no doubt they will at some stage replicate their fantastic experiences when young with their own children.
This is irrisponsible as you have polluted their minds by exposing them to views outside of what they are suppose to think. Their conditioning has been seriously eroded to such an extent, I doubt even over many years could be repaired.
I hope you're proud of yourself as out of your choice to expose your children to 'that' way of life will inevitably pollute future generations of your family to a rounded well informed non conditioned Hive threatening attitude!!