Does anyone have experience/advice for having 4 children on board. Has anyone tried to "build" an extra berth (short size - along ship)in the aft cabin (inside the head)? Is it convenient for children to sleep in the salon, or will they tend to fall off? Any advice/experience is appreciated.
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Andy Howard
Sailing.....with children
Wow, 4 children, my first reaction is to sell off the two youngest to pay for the boat. Of course if that's not practical here's a few thoughts. We own a H34 and have two children ages 7 and 10, who often bring friends along for the weekend. When we have 4 for the weekend we put two forward and two in the stern berths. This leaves the Salon and cockpit for my wife and I to wind down and relax for a few hours after "bedtime". I'm assuming your salon table converts into a double berth. We also have lifeline netting which allows the kids to sleep on the foredeck, which they love, in the summer. Leftover lifeline netting makes great lee cloths. Sailing with children can be very demanding, we tend to sail a little flatter, (reefing earlier motoring more often than I'd like), carry alot of water toys, have two vcr/tv combos, and spend more time in marinas than I like but it's worth it. Last week my 10 year old got a letter from Sunsail about an essay contest they run every year for kids. This years subject is " Why I will always sail". My daughter thought for a moment and said, "When I grow up and have children, we're going to have a boat because it's the greatest thing we do."
Wow, 4 children, my first reaction is to sell off the two youngest to pay for the boat. Of course if that's not practical here's a few thoughts. We own a H34 and have two children ages 7 and 10, who often bring friends along for the weekend. When we have 4 for the weekend we put two forward and two in the stern berths. This leaves the Salon and cockpit for my wife and I to wind down and relax for a few hours after "bedtime". I'm assuming your salon table converts into a double berth. We also have lifeline netting which allows the kids to sleep on the foredeck, which they love, in the summer. Leftover lifeline netting makes great lee cloths. Sailing with children can be very demanding, we tend to sail a little flatter, (reefing earlier motoring more often than I'd like), carry alot of water toys, have two vcr/tv combos, and spend more time in marinas than I like but it's worth it. Last week my 10 year old got a letter from Sunsail about an essay contest they run every year for kids. This years subject is " Why I will always sail". My daughter thought for a moment and said, "When I grow up and have children, we're going to have a boat because it's the greatest thing we do."
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jim
4 kids
Long ago we sailed with 4 boys. Age 3,11,12 and 13. Am happy to report that everyone survived, and actually still like sailing. We were on Lake George in Upstate NY in a Cal 27. It had the standard V plus the cabin seats, which had backs that lifted up to make bunks--so 2 slept on either side of the main cabin. There was no aft. We use to tuck shoes under the edges of the cushions to make a lip. This little incline kept them from falling out. We cruised-raced-fished-swam and generally had a great time on the 27 for 14 years before we mooved up to a 34. Oldest one in now 38 and we're still married, and everyone is talking to eachother. SOOOOO-it can be done. Enjoy!
Long ago we sailed with 4 boys. Age 3,11,12 and 13. Am happy to report that everyone survived, and actually still like sailing. We were on Lake George in Upstate NY in a Cal 27. It had the standard V plus the cabin seats, which had backs that lifted up to make bunks--so 2 slept on either side of the main cabin. There was no aft. We use to tuck shoes under the edges of the cushions to make a lip. This little incline kept them from falling out. We cruised-raced-fished-swam and generally had a great time on the 27 for 14 years before we mooved up to a 34. Oldest one in now 38 and we're still married, and everyone is talking to eachother. SOOOOO-it can be done. Enjoy!
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Bob Knott
My 2 cents
I sail a 380 with two kids but often each bring a friend. While this crippled us on our 280 with the 380 it's doable without killing each other. In fact we've spent up to 8 days without touching land and that's quite a feat with kids! My kids 12 &10 have grown up on boats and love to sail. They each bring two videos when we cruise (TV has video only no TV reception) and they learn to play board & card games, and learn about new sea life and new places. They are old enough now to explore new places in the dighy and always bring back exciting tales of fish "this big" and other cool things they've discovered. The look on their faces and the quality of life we enjoy while cruising is unexplainable to those who haven't done it. We are in the process now of planning a 2 year cruise from Cape Cod to the Carribean in 2005. It won't be on our beloved 380 but it will certainly be the adventure of a lifetime. Sailing is ridiculously expensive, there's no way in the world to justify it, and it's worth every single penny!!! Enjoy the life, it's not a dress rehersal! PS: If you like red wine, it's a god send after the kids have gone to bed to sit in a cockpit on a starry night with your wife, boat swinging on the hook, no one in sight, and enjoy nature's fruits at their best! Bob Knott H380 s/v Serenity
I sail a 380 with two kids but often each bring a friend. While this crippled us on our 280 with the 380 it's doable without killing each other. In fact we've spent up to 8 days without touching land and that's quite a feat with kids! My kids 12 &10 have grown up on boats and love to sail. They each bring two videos when we cruise (TV has video only no TV reception) and they learn to play board & card games, and learn about new sea life and new places. They are old enough now to explore new places in the dighy and always bring back exciting tales of fish "this big" and other cool things they've discovered. The look on their faces and the quality of life we enjoy while cruising is unexplainable to those who haven't done it. We are in the process now of planning a 2 year cruise from Cape Cod to the Carribean in 2005. It won't be on our beloved 380 but it will certainly be the adventure of a lifetime. Sailing is ridiculously expensive, there's no way in the world to justify it, and it's worth every single penny!!! Enjoy the life, it's not a dress rehersal! PS: If you like red wine, it's a god send after the kids have gone to bed to sit in a cockpit on a starry night with your wife, boat swinging on the hook, no one in sight, and enjoy nature's fruits at their best! Bob Knott H380 s/v Serenity
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Bob O'Brien
Lessons Learned With 3 Kids
We have been sailing for a decade now with our three daughters, currently aged 11, 9 and 4. Here are a few things we have learned. ·Sleep – In our Hunter 37.5, it’s 1 to 2 kids in the V-Berth, 1-2 kids in the dinette, 1 kid in the starboard settee, with the aft cabin reserved for the adults. In the 340, I might put a couple kids in the aft berth and keep the salon for the parents. Naps while we are underway are generally taken in the salon. No lee cloths yet, the kids just change berths after a tack. ·Life Jackets – Life jackets at all times for all kids when underway. At the age of 9, we let our children sit in the cockpit at a marina or mooring without a life jacket, but require them to put one on if they leave the cockpit to go forward. Life jackets are typically taken off when they are down below. ·Netting. – we had netting on our first boat. We don’t yet have it on this boat yet but will add it shortly. The kids seem to do okay without the netting, but our dog is another story. ·Sailing – we try to keep the boat relatively flat. We reef early, and prefer destinations which can be reached on a reach. ·Activities – Swimming off the boat once we have anchored or moored is the favorite activity. We also have inflatble rafts, a dinghy and other swim toys for the kids. In the evenings and on rainy days, board games in the salon or in the cockpit are a favorite. I do recommend getting a cockpit awning that you can raise during a rainstorm. A 30 something foot boat can get pretty confining for kids during a 3 hour rainstorm, and there is a certain pleasure in watching the rain from the cockpit under the protection of a good dodger and awning. The kids have really taken to sailing, and the two older ones are taking more responsibility on the boat every season. The boat is used for slumber parties and trips with their friends. I hope your family takes to it as much as mine has. Have fun, Bob O’Brien S/V Friendly Confines
We have been sailing for a decade now with our three daughters, currently aged 11, 9 and 4. Here are a few things we have learned. ·Sleep – In our Hunter 37.5, it’s 1 to 2 kids in the V-Berth, 1-2 kids in the dinette, 1 kid in the starboard settee, with the aft cabin reserved for the adults. In the 340, I might put a couple kids in the aft berth and keep the salon for the parents. Naps while we are underway are generally taken in the salon. No lee cloths yet, the kids just change berths after a tack. ·Life Jackets – Life jackets at all times for all kids when underway. At the age of 9, we let our children sit in the cockpit at a marina or mooring without a life jacket, but require them to put one on if they leave the cockpit to go forward. Life jackets are typically taken off when they are down below. ·Netting. – we had netting on our first boat. We don’t yet have it on this boat yet but will add it shortly. The kids seem to do okay without the netting, but our dog is another story. ·Sailing – we try to keep the boat relatively flat. We reef early, and prefer destinations which can be reached on a reach. ·Activities – Swimming off the boat once we have anchored or moored is the favorite activity. We also have inflatble rafts, a dinghy and other swim toys for the kids. In the evenings and on rainy days, board games in the salon or in the cockpit are a favorite. I do recommend getting a cockpit awning that you can raise during a rainstorm. A 30 something foot boat can get pretty confining for kids during a 3 hour rainstorm, and there is a certain pleasure in watching the rain from the cockpit under the protection of a good dodger and awning. The kids have really taken to sailing, and the two older ones are taking more responsibility on the boat every season. The boat is used for slumber parties and trips with their friends. I hope your family takes to it as much as mine has. Have fun, Bob O’Brien S/V Friendly Confines
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Bob Fuller
Try 5!
We sail with our 5 kids on a regular basis and have done campouts at the dock. We have an 18, 15, 2-14s, and a 12 year old model(only one of our kids is a boy). On our 33.5 we sleep two in the v-berth, 2 on the table that breaksdown(still haven't figured out the cushion arrangement), 1 on the settee, and the Admiral and I get the aft berth. We haven't had any fall off yet, but then they're all pretty old. Our biggest issues seem to be who gets the penthouse seats in the cockpit, but those are usually reserved for the Admiral and I. Who says rank doesn't have its priveledges? For our family, sailing is something everyone really looks forward to. In fact, when the water is too low to get out of the slip, We're all unhappy. Sailing is a great family time for us. I hope it's the same for you!
We sail with our 5 kids on a regular basis and have done campouts at the dock. We have an 18, 15, 2-14s, and a 12 year old model(only one of our kids is a boy). On our 33.5 we sleep two in the v-berth, 2 on the table that breaksdown(still haven't figured out the cushion arrangement), 1 on the settee, and the Admiral and I get the aft berth. We haven't had any fall off yet, but then they're all pretty old. Our biggest issues seem to be who gets the penthouse seats in the cockpit, but those are usually reserved for the Admiral and I. Who says rank doesn't have its priveledges? For our family, sailing is something everyone really looks forward to. In fact, when the water is too low to get out of the slip, We're all unhappy. Sailing is a great family time for us. I hope it's the same for you!
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Stephen DePaola
Grandchildren
We were unable to sail very much with our children but are looking forward to sailing often with our four grandchildren. All this information will be very usefull. Thanks!
We were unable to sail very much with our children but are looking forward to sailing often with our four grandchildren. All this information will be very usefull. Thanks!
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