How to keep kids from sliding around in the cockpit & below deck

[rachelmackenzie]

We have a 1977 27' Hunter. We took our kids (4 and 3) out the other day in a solid 20 kt wind; the strongest wind we've ever taken them out in. The kids were fearless and I am very confident in my husband's sailing ability. However, the boat still heeled quite a bit and it was hard for the kids to sit in the cockpit without sliding around. They had to sit on the side of the boat tipping toward the water just to stay put since they are too short to brace against the opposite seat. I took them below-deck when we had to tack (Skipper's request) and we had the same problem sliding around, and then they both got seasick. A few Vanilla Wafers, fresh air, and sips of water remedied the seasickness and we ended up having a fun time back on the mooring.

How do you handle kids in a strong wind, or even worse, really rough weather? How do you keep them in place in the cockpit? What about in the cabin? Seasickness? Are we just supposed to sail in calm winds? We are planning on getting a larger boat so we can do some more serious cruising, but I am questioning that plan after this experience. The simple problem of how to keep small people in one place on a boat in a stiff breeze has thrown me for a loop!

I grew up sailing on a much smaller boat (21') and we sailed all over New England. I don't remember this being a problem since the cockpit was so small.

I would love to hear what other parents have done!

 

[jtm]

Kids are fearless as they don't know the risks/downside(corollary to "ignorance is bliss"). My daughter at about 3 used to love it when on my H28.5 I'd have her in her infants size lifejacket and she's wedged in the corner of the "T"- her head just clearing the coming. We'd heal over and she's look up at the sails and sky with a huge smile.I'd have my hand on her but it was controlled and not wildly up and over. Yours sounfd older and a bit more active in the cockpit.

I think that if you physically aren't able to secure them from harm then its not the place for them- as puffy winds can send them places that can mean serious injury- like hitting a winch or tailing flange and knocking out teeth or worse. Velcro on their butts aren't an option either. Can they reliably swim yet?

 

[Alan]

A few thoughts...

Had my son sailing with us at 5 weeks old. No he wasn't wandering around the boat but it did lay the groundwork for later. He was swimming before he could walk.

Sending anyone below deck who could get seasick will only compound the problem. Put a harness on them and adjust the tether length. Show them how to use it.

Sailing in 20+ winds on a 27ft boat means a reefed main. With a reef in and small jib the boat's heel and stability are under much better control. Tacking should not require sending everyone below. Sounds like you may have had too much sail up.

As for a bigger boat, the tenderness that you are experiencing in your 27 will go away as the boat gets bigger. Day sailers are more tender and bigger boats are stiffer and more forgiving.

Last, but very important. Have you held a MOB drill yet? I would STRONGLY urge you to do this at least a couple of times. This is the time to work out what and how not when your in trouble.

Cheers

 

[Paul356]

We always had our kids in harnesses at that age, just in case. They didn't really seem to mind, and sometimes were able to use the harness tether to help brace against the heeling.

 

[rachelmackenzie]

Our kids have taken swimming lessons, although we have not done a MOB drill yet. How do you do that so they aren't freaked out? Adult and one kid in the water at the same time?

They have floated around in their life jackets a bit and don't seem to mind it. We live right on the lake and they love to swim. We haven't tried tethering them, but I doubt that would keep them from sliding around, would it? I'm not afraid of them falling over---my husband does a drill of dropping a kitchen sponge in the water and sailing back to get it and I'm sure we could get them if they did fall over. I'm more frustrated that they can't sit in one spot without sliding around. We need velcro on their bottoms!

On this sail we did have the main reefed and were using the small jib. I'm wondering if my husband just needs to scale back the speed a bit....? Good to know that a larger boat would sail differently.

Thanks!

 

[Alan]

No, first MOB drill is done with a float like a seat cushion. Make a game of it with the kids. Do this on a relatively quiet day. Have them watch for the dropped cushion. Someone needs to be assigned the 'pointer'. This person (one of the kids) is responsible for keeping an eye on the MOB and pointing to it all the time while the crew drops sails. The engine needs to be started and the boat hook made ready for recovery. The more fun and interesting you make it the better the participation and absorption.
After a few of these you can move up to someone replacing the cushion.

Your kids will feed off your anxiety! This should be a fun stress free project. Small children are not born with fear, they learn it from their parents.

Have fun, enjoy.

 

[Deadline]

Rubber shelving at any department store is a cheap, effective way to keep most things from sliding around, including kids. Just roll it out flat and you're done.

 

[rachelmackenzie]

Rubber shelving...have you used it with kids?

 

[Cpt. Jon]

We have a 4.5 yr old and a 16 month old. In the cockpit for our youngest we have a kids foldable beach chair (the type that sits low in the sand) that we have set up on the cockpit floor, she's pretty comfortable in that and is low in the cockpit to reduce our stress. Below deck, if the wind is really blowing we sometimes set up the v-berth as a play area with something blocking her ability to get down. We have lifeline netting around the whole boat, and while not the end all be all safety device, with the use of lifejackets at all times outside of the cabin and no horsing around, we feel pretty good about the setup. My wife was just reading this over my shoulder and pointed out that our kids do really well below deck while under sail and the worse the weather or beating we might be taking, the more likely they are to take a nap (go figure). Our 4 year old has lots of sailing experience and she's very well behaved on the boat and setting a great example for her sister.

Lots of pillows and cushions in our boat though, so we can usually make a padded area if the weather picks up.