We have been sailing for years on two boats, a Hunter 26 and now a Catalina 310. We now have a brand new sailor! She is 7 weeks old and has helped us do some of the spring commisioning work. But now we are looking for ideas on how to keep her safe on board this summer. I'm thinking of using a "LATCH" equipped car seat and putting two attach points for it in the cockpit somewhere(where?)and another down below. We also purchased an "infant" PFD that is rated for "under 30 pounds", but right now she is only 11 pounds and will slip right out of it until she grows some more. So, I'm just looking for ideas and suggestions. How have you done it? Any problems that you have learned from? -Jay
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Hi Jay, Congratulations - children are the most important part of life! Doing all kinds of different things with them from the start benefits them as they become adults and benefits you forever. We launched our new Bayfield 32 about 7 months after having our youngest child. He is now 24 years old. At the time our other children were 4 and 8 years. We had sailed a dinghy but not big boats. We did exactly what you are thinking of doing. We used a car seat with a strap from the back to the lower lifeline on the low side of the boat. If we tacked we moved the seat to the new lower side. He was strapped into the car seat. He enjoyed the experience. All of the family - adults included - always wore life jackets while the boat was underway. This was also the rule at anchor or in port up until the person could swim around the boat - the swim ladder was always down in port. The following year, the youngest was a toddler - as a result the situation became a bit more challenging but only at anchor or in port. Underway he understood that he was to be strapped in the seat. For the in-port situation we installed netting all around the life lines up to the bow but not around the pulpit. We had a piece that was tied back underway that we tied across aft of the bow pulpit (and bow cleats) in port. To get at the stern cleats we tied the netting up about 6" so we could manipulate the dock lines. The net stayed there for several years until the youngest could swim around the boat. (He was keen to do this as you can imagine) Life jackets continued to be worn underway until we sold our boat 7 years later (after almost 5000 nautical miles) and on boats which we have chartered since. We just purchased a new C36 and the same rules will apply for everyone including our grandchildren. Down below, we made a lee cloth (fastened under the bunk cushion and tied up to the grab rails directly above.) He was quite safe and comfortable underway - sleeping or playing. It was also useful for adults sleeping underway. Your daughter is 4 months younger than our son when we started but with an infant seat, depending on style, things should work OK. The life jacket not fitting is a bit of a concern - not because of accidently falling overboard as she will be in her car seat - but should you, heaven forbid, have to abandon ship. The likelyhood of this is very low I would think - but still exists. You might want to consider some way of fastening flotation in front of your daugther in front of the car seat so that it floats face up just in case. I think we would have taken our son sailing in the same situation but would advise having a plan for the unlikely event of having to abandon ship. We did have a liferaft. Of course I am sugesting this without consulting my wife - she might of had different ideas.
However, it was not a problem when the baby was of a size to fit the lifejacket. The boat is a lot of fun with young kids. Enjoy it while they still want to go with you - when they get girl or boy friends and summer jobs they want to stay home.... For us now, they are very interested once again...
Hi Jay, Congratulations - children are the most important part of life! Doing all kinds of different things with them from the start benefits them as they become adults and benefits you forever. We launched our new Bayfield 32 about 7 months after having our youngest child. He is now 24 years old. At the time our other children were 4 and 8 years. We had sailed a dinghy but not big boats. We did exactly what you are thinking of doing. We used a car seat with a strap from the back to the lower lifeline on the low side of the boat. If we tacked we moved the seat to the new lower side. He was strapped into the car seat. He enjoyed the experience. All of the family - adults included - always wore life jackets while the boat was underway. This was also the rule at anchor or in port up until the person could swim around the boat - the swim ladder was always down in port. The following year, the youngest was a toddler - as a result the situation became a bit more challenging but only at anchor or in port. Underway he understood that he was to be strapped in the seat. For the in-port situation we installed netting all around the life lines up to the bow but not around the pulpit. We had a piece that was tied back underway that we tied across aft of the bow pulpit (and bow cleats) in port. To get at the stern cleats we tied the netting up about 6" so we could manipulate the dock lines. The net stayed there for several years until the youngest could swim around the boat. (He was keen to do this as you can imagine) Life jackets continued to be worn underway until we sold our boat 7 years later (after almost 5000 nautical miles) and on boats which we have chartered since. We just purchased a new C36 and the same rules will apply for everyone including our grandchildren. Down below, we made a lee cloth (fastened under the bunk cushion and tied up to the grab rails directly above.) He was quite safe and comfortable underway - sleeping or playing. It was also useful for adults sleeping underway. Your daughter is 4 months younger than our son when we started but with an infant seat, depending on style, things should work OK. The life jacket not fitting is a bit of a concern - not because of accidently falling overboard as she will be in her car seat - but should you, heaven forbid, have to abandon ship. The likelyhood of this is very low I would think - but still exists. You might want to consider some way of fastening flotation in front of your daugther in front of the car seat so that it floats face up just in case. I think we would have taken our son sailing in the same situation but would advise having a plan for the unlikely event of having to abandon ship. We did have a liferaft. Of course I am sugesting this without consulting my wife - she might of had different ideas.
However, it was not a problem when the baby was of a size to fit the lifejacket. The boat is a lot of fun with young kids. Enjoy it while they still want to go with you - when they get girl or boy friends and summer jobs they want to stay home.... For us now, they are very interested once again...Twice as much fun
I have twins, 20 months old now, boy and girl.they have been sailing from 4 months. car seats worked well in the cabin, found them to be always in the way in the cockpit (H260) we held with life jackets on, with two we always needed extra crew. now that they are getting around they stay in the cabin during docking and getting underway, once sailing we let them into the cockpit. they nap in the rear berth underway ,we wedge pillows on eitherside to keep them from rolling around . Still have not overnited with them yet, will find out soon how much fun this will be.
I have twins, 20 months old now, boy and girl.they have been sailing from 4 months. car seats worked well in the cabin, found them to be always in the way in the cockpit (H260) we held with life jackets on, with two we always needed extra crew. now that they are getting around they stay in the cabin during docking and getting underway, once sailing we let them into the cockpit. they nap in the rear berth underway ,we wedge pillows on eitherside to keep them from rolling around . Still have not overnited with them yet, will find out soon how much fun this will be.
Should be over 18 pounds.
There are no USCG requirements for infant seating on any recreational boats, and the USCG does not have a policy regarding infant seating on recreational boats. There is no USCG approved infant seats that are especially made for boats where they will break away and float and keep the infant afloat face up if a boat capsizes. There is no such thing as an infant car seat with added flotation that will meet the requirements of a type II infant PFD. The USCG recommends that only infants weighting greater than 18 pounds and is able to stay secure in a type II infant PFD be allowed aboard recreational boats. It's not a law, it's just a recommendation. Unfortunately, the USCG recommendation is based on past experience. Check the USCG link. Fair Winds, Clyde
There are no USCG requirements for infant seating on any recreational boats, and the USCG does not have a policy regarding infant seating on recreational boats. There is no USCG approved infant seats that are especially made for boats where they will break away and float and keep the infant afloat face up if a boat capsizes. There is no such thing as an infant car seat with added flotation that will meet the requirements of a type II infant PFD. The USCG recommends that only infants weighting greater than 18 pounds and is able to stay secure in a type II infant PFD be allowed aboard recreational boats. It's not a law, it's just a recommendation. Unfortunately, the USCG recommendation is based on past experience. Check the USCG link. Fair Winds, Clyde
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