If wearing your sailing shorts and pants and boarding a sailboat is one of the things you enjoy doing, having a baby should not keep you from enjoying your hobby. As long as you are prepared to handle sailing with kids, you can have a great time while exploring the waters on a sailboat.
Embarking on kids sailing trip has its own challenges. In this article, you will get tips to help you deal with the challenges.
Why Would You Want to Try Kids Sailing?
Sailing activities, including reefing the sailboat, can be quite taxing. When you throw a baby into the mix, you end up dealing with more challenges. Sailing with kids is, however, worth the effort. Some of the benefits of trying kids sailing include:
Full-Time Parenting
When sailing with kids, your kids will have attentive and engaged full-time parents. You will always be there for the kid’s first words and first steps. The kids will get all the support they may need when they need it.
A Great Environment
A sailboat features a highly complex, stimulating and rich environment for a kid of any age. This environment is capable of offering a wide range of benefits.
Your kid will even come across numerous sailors during your sailing trip. He/she will start interacting with new cultures at a young age.
Greater Confidence
If you embark on kids sailing trips every now and then, there is a chance that your kid will have the ability to use the boat steering wheel competently at a young age. The trust you exhibit when you board the sailboat with your kid will help his or her abilities grow.
As the kid gets older, his or her responsibilities and roles will evolve. The knowledge that he/she can contribute to the operation of life aboard the sailboat will give him or her a sense of self-worth and satisfaction.
Preparing for the Kids Sailing Trip
When the Baby is Not Yet Mobile
If you will have a kid on board, you should focus on ensuring that the essentials for feeding, changing, carrying, and sleeping are taken care of. If you do not intend to breastfeed your baby, you should make sure that you have a way of sterilizing the feeding bottles.
To help with walking around the boat, getting on and off the sailboat, you should invest in a soft-structured or sling baby carrier. When getting aboard the sailboat, ensure that you have nappies. Ideally, to avoid contributing to the landfill, investing in cloth nappies is a much better idea.
In addition to the nappies, ensure that your sailing bags have wipes and even extra bits of clothing to ensure that the baby stays warm. To improve sailing safety, be sure to have a lifejacket for your kid.
When sailing with kids, it is crucial that you find an ideal place for your kid to nap. When finding a place for your baby to nap, you should take the sea lumpiness into account.
Learn how to change the nappies when you are underway. Anchoring the sailboat just to change the baby’s nappies may not be an ideal option.
Mobile Toddler
When your toddler becomes mobile, you will have issues with keeping the kid in your preferred location. The kid will always be on the move. This is one of the biggest challenges of sailing with kids. If you are not very careful, the baby could compromise boating safety.
If you notice that things are getting out of hand, which may happen if the toddler learns how to move around during the kids sailing trip, you can consider enlisting an extra crew member. The crew member can help with the kid.
Older Kids
As your kids continue to grow, you will need to continue giving them more freedom. Once the kids realize that they can have a greater level of independence, they will start loving their life aboard the sailboat. They will even start appreciating the magic that the waters can offer.
When sailing with older kids, investing in safety nets is always a good idea. The safety net will protect the kids when they are playing on the deck.
Similar to adults, kids can get affected by seasickness. Allowing your kids to sit out on the deck and breathe the fresh air is much more helpful when compared to forcing the kids to stay below deck.
Globo Surf Overview
If you do love spending your time on waters, on a sailboat, you can take your kid with you. When sailing with kids, ensure that you are well prepared. Be sure to pack the necessary clothing and also ensure that the kid will get a comfortable place to sleep. If you find that the baby is becoming too difficult to deal with, you can always get someone to help you with handling the baby when you are out at sea.
More Sail Reviews:
- Sailing Anchors
- Sailing Jacket
- Sailing Shorts
- Sailing Bags
- Marine Battery
- What To Look For When Buying A Used Boat
- How To Whip A Rope
- Tack And Jibe
- Sailing Rules Of The Road
- Safe Sailing
Source
- SAILING WITH KIDS, Navigare-yachting.com
