Sailing with children

[CwhiteOT]

Greetings from Toronto, Ontario.  I read and enjoyed the article in Yachting.

I saw that your children have grown and that they have always been involved in sailing.  My children are 2 and 4.  We are still pretty nervous sailing with them although both thoroughly enjoy it.  I would appreciate any advice you can give in keeping the kids safe and us calm :)

Chris

[philip-m]

We always fellt that the secret of sailing with children was that they are sensible beings that cannot understand the point of being wet or cold - and are only interested in real sailing  for about 5 mts at a time.
Our solution to this was to do any passage making at night when they were asleep - and then keep the watch system going to take it in turns to play with them on the beach - or rock pool or other child friendly place.
We also built two little lug sail dinghies which we towed around - although until they were 12 or so they again only used them for a few minutes at a time . We got huge fun out of them ourselves though!
We frequently found that they would spend hours inside the cabin PLAYING at sailing - using kitchen utensils for masts and and tea towels for sails. When we were sailing one of us would be full time playing/colouring etc with them , and of course singing passed many an hour.
On one occaision after an admittedly rough passage , they played at "catching the ferry home"! We took the hint and  had a day off in a funfair!
i suppose that our boat was a Wendy house where we could all play happily in our own particular way - but it meant  we spent loads of time together.
Good luck with your kids - do it at their level - join them in their games and fantasies and you will have a huge amount of fun.

[CwhiteOT]

That is exactly the sort of advice I was looking for.  Thank you!

During two-person manouvres such as raising sails, mooring/docking or tacking, did you typically put the kids down below or did you have them well trained to stay still in the cockpit (at 2 or 4 years of age)?  

Your suggestions are brilliant.  I grew up around yacht club life in the 1970's where it wasn't exactly 'family fun'.  At our club, it was geared toward racing and boozing.  Kids weren't exactly unwelcome but...I certainly didn't have the greatest role models.  The times have changed a little but it still seems to be a lifestyle more geared toward childless couples or older folks.  At my yachtclub, there aren't many other members in their 30's.  Has that been your experience as well?  I wonder if it's the apparent incampatability of children and yachting that dissuade others with young children.  I can certainly understand the dilemma and hope to solve it for ourselves, anyway.  

Thanks again for your help, Dr. Meakins.

[philip-m]

Strangely , children les than a year old are easier to look after. We had a car seat strapped to a bunk - and when mooring or hoisting /dropping sails - which were the only manoevres we couldnt do single handed  - the kids were strapped in with some chocolate for company . 5 mts later the mess was indescribable - but the child still happy! We also had  one of those baby chairs that clip to a table - which fitted well onto the companionway hatch - so once the main was down , they could sit strapped in and see everything that was going on. I can remember locking into st malo with several boats and the inevitable conversations re how windy it had been ( like fishermans tales - exagerated!) came to a stop when our youngsters were seen gazing happily around from this perch!

Its when they are mobile , but insufficiently strong/co-ordinated to brace themselves that life can get difficult - ie 2 is v difficult , and not til they are 6 can they really be left to themselves in any sea. We used to have waterproof cushions in the cockpit and lodsa toys and colouring books etc . probably the most difficult thing was using a potty - - oilies, lifejackets , loadsa clothes - it took an age!

At this stage most of our sailing was in the sheltered waters of the Solent - now aged 22 and 19 they  have just sailed me back non stop 150 miles from France under spinnaker in 20 hours - and i didnt have to touch a sheet.

In Europe , kids sailing is quite a phenomenon. Most people have kids so there must be others in your situation. Start them in rowing boats , then dinghies and remember their attention span is shorter than a flea- so make everything short and snappy with plenty of time to play