SAILING WITH BABY -advice please

We know a couple who sailed with their baby (a sweetie called Rosie) from very early on. They left the Canaries on Rosie's first bithday. If day sailing it should be no problem, a boat is just a mobile home with much the same facilities. An odd night at sea shouldn't be a problem either, if you do get little sleep for a short period it's fine.

As you say a lifejacket on deck and in the dinghy and a cot that you can jam in somewhere if its bumpy. Once the little one can crawl it would be worth putting netting around the guardrails, watching Rosie they like to explore.
 
Some friends took a baby bonuncer to hang of the boom (over the cockpit and not approaching Hamble :p) that was good fun. I keep threatening to bung the cockpit drains and fill it up as paddling pool :D

Other than that I have plans for a friends son involving the Bosuns Chair and a Spinnikar halyard (SWMBO will not let me do it :().
 
Thanks for all the advice. This has turned out to be a popular topic (not quite anchors, seahorses or ensigns but popular). I really need to dedicate a day/weekend to getting the set up right.
Thanks again.
 
We have a 2 year old and a 3 month old and a similar style of boat to you. Not been with both yet but with one sleeping was not a problem (travel cot in aft cabin then lee cloth berth) and she thought boat was a wendy house so great fun in harbour. Tesco do inflatable bath for bathtime. We used life jacket (Baltic) for dinghy only and safety line on board. Car seat down below strapped to mast where she could see us in cockpit. However we have done hardly any sailing but did do wonderful 2 week in Devon with boys delivery trip to and from which seemed best of both worlds. Key does seem to be to lower expectations. This will happen naturally. After 15 years of Solent sailing I was sick of it and always want to go further. Now even a Trip to Cowes seems like an adventure, let alone a huge voyage to Newtown Creek! I think the biggest barrier is Mum - it is no fun for her and much harder work than just staying at home so it all depends on how adventurous she is!
 
onesea said:
I keep threatening to bung the cockpit drains and fill it up as paddling pool :D
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Done that.

onesea said:
Other than that I have plans for a friends son involving the Bosuns Chair and a Spinnikar halyard (SWMBO will not let me do it :().
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Hoisted #1 child up to the spreaders (LJ lifting strop) and lowered to alongside dinghy (in mud at drying mooring) once - great fun.

#2 child (about 3 at the time) was *really* keen to join in and demanded a go - a yard off the deck, expression changed, so was rapidly lowered into dinghy to be caught by sibling.

(file under "Parents providing a safe environment for children to learn what happens when they push beyond their own limits", "Importance of teamwork" and "Don't *always* try to copy your big brother" ;-)
 
jinglesfield said:
its once they can walk the trouble starts!
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My lad hated the lifeline attached to the back of his LJ, but he wasn't allowed in the cockpit without it attached to a strong-point. He wasn't allowed anywhere else on deck unless it was with an adult.

Going to the loo once he was out of nappies was a bit of a challenge when underway in more boisterous conditions, so I was always ready to heave-to at the first cry of "I need a poo!" :D
 
mcframe said:
We didn't bother with lifejackets until they were about 2 yo - then LJ is required as soon as they can climb the companionway unaided.
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We're about to take our 7 month old on her first trip. After a fair bit of reflection, as things stand, we're not taking a LJ for her.

Does anyone think that's dangerously unwise?
 
onesea said:
Other than that I have plans for a friends son involving the Bosuns Chair and a Spinnikar halyard (SWMBO will not let me do it :().
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That has been a good ploy on flotilla regattas in the past. We adults could set it up easily on our boat, for just long enough to trigger pester power on other boats with youngsters!

Mike.
 
Mark-1 said:
We're about to take our 7 month old on her first trip. After a fair bit of reflection, as things stand, we're not taking a LJ for her.

Does anyone think that's dangerously unwise?
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No - I don't think I had a life-jacket until I was about 4 - couldn't get them any smaller in those days. I was first taken sailing in my carry-cot at about 2 or 3 months, apparently. I believe baby-reins were used on me until I was big enough for my first proper harness.
 
KellysEye said:
If you have to abandon ship any baby/child should have a flotation device. For babies there are inflatable cots.
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Rather depends on where you're sailing and what you're in ... but the "need" for an inflatable cot rather diminishes if you're sailing conservatively in a well maintained boat in "local waters" ... it might make you think about ensuring the liferaft is available though ...
 
Can someone help me?! in July we are talking our 8month old baby boy on a boating holiday and as i have never even done a boating holiday without my son I'm feeling very nervous, I'm very concerned about things like water supply etc in terms of doing his bottles as if we are at home i would always use freshly boiled tap water for his milk, and your not meant to u bottle water due to the sodium content! any and all advice welcome please help!!
 
Some bottled water is fine. They all list their sodium content so find one that suits and use that.

More details here: http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1945.aspx?CategoryID=62&SubCategoryID=64

Also note that as you ween your baby, the sodium content of the milk becomes less of an issue so one could argue that if he is already eating quite a lot of other stuff then using water that is close to the limit will be fine.

Finally, i'd have thought that any problems of using high-sodium water would only occur from prolonged exposure. As a temporary measure, i'd be surprised if it will have any ill effects.
 
You could always just use freshly boiled water from the boat's tanks. Or you can get ready prepared cartons of formula milk, which would be generally easier if stowage not an issue. By eight months you're probably beyond the need to sterilise everything, so that shouldn't be an issue. I'd stick to disposable nappies, take plenty of warm clothing, use some sort of leecloth arrangement on a berth to make a "cot", think about a baby sleeping bag ("Grobag" type thing) to stop him escaping the covers overnight, then relax and enjoy! All three of ours have been away for cruises of a week or two around that age and its been good fun for everyone. Nice to feel that "normal life" can continue, too!

Cheers
Patrick
 
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Thanks guys this has been very helpful! never even thought about buying the premade milk!
how would we fashion a bed safe enough for our boy? he is a major wriggler!
 
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