We plan to sail with our 12 year old son from Marblehead to Nantucket and MV for 2 weeks starting July 4. So far, it has been a struggle to get him on the boat because of the usual "I would rather be with my friends". Any one with kids heading that way? Suggestions for things to do and places to visit that may attract kids will be appreciated.
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Yes!
I'm sailing fro Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket from Westport, MA starting July 1. I'll be in Nantucket for five days. I got my 12 year old interested by putting him to work, and getting him into a Mass. safe boating course so he can get a license to legally drive the dinghy by himself (a RIB with a 15HP Merc).
I'm sailing fro Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket from Westport, MA starting July 1. I'll be in Nantucket for five days. I got my 12 year old interested by putting him to work, and getting him into a Mass. safe boating course so he can get a license to legally drive the dinghy by himself (a RIB with a 15HP Merc).
John,
I may be reaching Nantucket just after you leave. Too bad. I have my son taking the sailing courses on the Charles River but your idea of the Mass Safe Boating is brilliant. Thanks and hope to meet you out there. Our boat’s name is IPANEMA, a B361 JV
I may be reaching Nantucket just after you leave. Too bad. I have my son taking the sailing courses on the Charles River but your idea of the Mass Safe Boating is brilliant. Thanks and hope to meet you out there. Our boat’s name is IPANEMA, a B361 JV
Here's what we do
I sail with three kids and two dogs on our H380 and heres what works for us. 1st they have been sailing all their lives. 2nd they meet other kids while sailing and have a blast. 3rd bring brain teasers, uno, and cards games for nights and foul weather. Get him/her to get their license so they can legally drive the dinghy around. When in Nantucket go exploring on the dinghy, forget town there's 200 people in line for everything including ice cream, food, bathrooms. Allserve on Ch69 will bring you out anything you need (nothing in Nantucket is cheap though) water pizza papers, coffee etc...but bring most of what you need with you. Pumpouts are on Ch 69 also and provided by the harbormasters office. On July 4th they have a water festival in town and close off the street and the fire departments sprays everyone with fire hoses and buckets. It's great fun for kids. That night fireworks go off from a nearby beach which you watch from your own boat!!! I'll nenevr forget the years when we had neighborhing boaters over and the adults are drinking beer and wine in the cockpit and the kids are up on the bow and just starting spontaneously singing the national anthem or God Bless America with their new friends. Go exploring in the dinghy too! Motoring through the docks looking at yachts of the rich and famous and checking out the helicopters on decks, crews of 15 in matching uniforms etc.. is a daily afair. What a way to learn the diffenernce between a sllp, ketch, schooner, live-aborad cruiser, floating condos, race rockets, famous J Boats the list of what you'll see and learn about goes on and on. Swimming right off the mooring is great fun and kids will do cannonballs all day long, and the water quality is just fine. The outer beachs behind the mooring field are called 1st point, 2nd point, 3rd point etc... it's a 20 minute dinghy ride out there and well worth the trip. We go for the day (remember towns too crowded) and swim, snorkel, play football, catch, jog, sunbathe, and photograph rare birds, all with our two dogs I might add. It's a great day and you may see 10 people all day since the land bases tourists can't get there. All in all as you can tell from my post it's a magical place for kids. My kids all race at Chatham Yacht Club which is a fancy name, but just a sandy floored shack where they race without the usual yacht club stuffiness. Get you child involved in racing and his love of the water will be assured. Anyway enough rambling, we'll be in Nantucket from July 3 through July 8th on a mooring somewhere. We usually try to be in Rows L,M,N,O somewhere near the dinghy dock for showers and frequent trips to shore for the dogs. Though this year for the first time we've just been informed that they won't accept reservations for 7/3 and 7/4 first come first serve only, but they do allow rafting. Our boat is named Serenity it's a Hunter 380 with navy Blue dodger. We'll also be there with Allan and Jan Fish aboard KeKanaka a Beneteau 351 they be there from 6/28 till 7/6. Their son Greg is 12. Bob lassiter will be there in his Pearson 28 named WindSong along with his 13 year old son Andrew too! My kids are two boys 14, and 13 and a daughter whose 11 so instant friends will be made. Stop by anytime to say hi, and let the kids play, but 5PM with a good bottle or two of Cabernet will make us fast friends for life
)))))) Our experiences have been so positive and sailing has been such an important and positive part of my children's lives (and our's too) that I always say," Sailing is ridiculously expensive, there's no way in the world to justify it, and it's worth every penny." Sounds much better than the happiest days of your boating life and the day you buy and the day you sell. That's a powerboaters mentality not a sailors! best of luck, but perisitence and contant boating will win them over, go always, go often and the joys you pass to your children will last a lifetime! Bob & Liz Knott Hunter 380 S/V Serenity Justin, bobby and Sarah too! oh and Rusty and Amber two great long haired Dachshund's that love boating
I sail with three kids and two dogs on our H380 and heres what works for us. 1st they have been sailing all their lives. 2nd they meet other kids while sailing and have a blast. 3rd bring brain teasers, uno, and cards games for nights and foul weather. Get him/her to get their license so they can legally drive the dinghy around. When in Nantucket go exploring on the dinghy, forget town there's 200 people in line for everything including ice cream, food, bathrooms. Allserve on Ch69 will bring you out anything you need (nothing in Nantucket is cheap though) water pizza papers, coffee etc...but bring most of what you need with you. Pumpouts are on Ch 69 also and provided by the harbormasters office. On July 4th they have a water festival in town and close off the street and the fire departments sprays everyone with fire hoses and buckets. It's great fun for kids. That night fireworks go off from a nearby beach which you watch from your own boat!!! I'll nenevr forget the years when we had neighborhing boaters over and the adults are drinking beer and wine in the cockpit and the kids are up on the bow and just starting spontaneously singing the national anthem or God Bless America with their new friends. Go exploring in the dinghy too! Motoring through the docks looking at yachts of the rich and famous and checking out the helicopters on decks, crews of 15 in matching uniforms etc.. is a daily afair. What a way to learn the diffenernce between a sllp, ketch, schooner, live-aborad cruiser, floating condos, race rockets, famous J Boats the list of what you'll see and learn about goes on and on. Swimming right off the mooring is great fun and kids will do cannonballs all day long, and the water quality is just fine. The outer beachs behind the mooring field are called 1st point, 2nd point, 3rd point etc... it's a 20 minute dinghy ride out there and well worth the trip. We go for the day (remember towns too crowded) and swim, snorkel, play football, catch, jog, sunbathe, and photograph rare birds, all with our two dogs I might add. It's a great day and you may see 10 people all day since the land bases tourists can't get there. All in all as you can tell from my post it's a magical place for kids. My kids all race at Chatham Yacht Club which is a fancy name, but just a sandy floored shack where they race without the usual yacht club stuffiness. Get you child involved in racing and his love of the water will be assured. Anyway enough rambling, we'll be in Nantucket from July 3 through July 8th on a mooring somewhere. We usually try to be in Rows L,M,N,O somewhere near the dinghy dock for showers and frequent trips to shore for the dogs. Though this year for the first time we've just been informed that they won't accept reservations for 7/3 and 7/4 first come first serve only, but they do allow rafting. Our boat is named Serenity it's a Hunter 380 with navy Blue dodger. We'll also be there with Allan and Jan Fish aboard KeKanaka a Beneteau 351 they be there from 6/28 till 7/6. Their son Greg is 12. Bob lassiter will be there in his Pearson 28 named WindSong along with his 13 year old son Andrew too! My kids are two boys 14, and 13 and a daughter whose 11 so instant friends will be made. Stop by anytime to say hi, and let the kids play, but 5PM with a good bottle or two of Cabernet will make us fast friends for life
)))))) Our experiences have been so positive and sailing has been such an important and positive part of my children's lives (and our's too) that I always say," Sailing is ridiculously expensive, there's no way in the world to justify it, and it's worth every penny." Sounds much better than the happiest days of your boating life and the day you buy and the day you sell. That's a powerboaters mentality not a sailors! best of luck, but perisitence and contant boating will win them over, go always, go often and the joys you pass to your children will last a lifetime! Bob & Liz Knott Hunter 380 S/V Serenity Justin, bobby and Sarah too! oh and Rusty and Amber two great long haired Dachshund's that love boatingWhere to start?
I have two boys - now 11 and 13 - and they are never without stuff to do on Nantucket. In/Around the harbour - Jetties Beech - the harbour entrance, wetern side - you can rent daysailers, kayaks etc. Or just do beach stuff - Fireworks on the 4th as was mentioned previously Downtown - take in a movie - walk around, check out the boats in the basin Rent bikes Nantucket now has a bus service that serves all the beaches on the island. It's called the Nantucket Regional Tran Auth. - try and figure out what the Regional is for, it's a secret. Grab a boogie board and head out to Surfside, or even better, Cisco, it's not a bad bike ride and the waves are tremendous Watch a sunset in Madaket from the beach - very romantic - this might be a parental diversion Go to the whaling muesum - corny, but my kids still love it. Fish for stripers off of Brant Point Hang out at the skate park near Jetties beach - very popular with my 11 year old Head out the Madaket road with some raw chicken and string and go crabbing on long pond. Some of the largest snapping turtles I've ever seen can be enticed to the surface this way - I'm talking about HUGE turtles - 3 feet across - keep your fingers out of reach Go to Surfside beach and grab lunch at the hamburger shack - still the best hamburger on the island - hang at the beach - it's packed with kids his age and older - take a football/foosball/frisbie for a diversion. They won't let you boogie board here - just walk up the beach a ways and your all set. Check in with the Maria Mitchel Museum to see if they are heading up any nature walks etc. These are kool and teach the history of the island. Learn to surf at Cisco Swim at all the beaches on the island once (This might take more than one trip) Go "crittering" on Coatue - 1st, 2nd and 3rd point at low tide - you will find crabs, horseshoe crabs and lots of fun things to look at - play "Find of the day" to see who finds the most interesting thing in the water Go on the "Ghosts Tour" I have more, but I'm pretty sure you get the point. Get a copy of Yesterday's Island when you arrive - it's a freebie that lists all the things happening on the island. ENJOY!! We'll be there in late August. Geof s/v Day-O
I have two boys - now 11 and 13 - and they are never without stuff to do on Nantucket. In/Around the harbour - Jetties Beech - the harbour entrance, wetern side - you can rent daysailers, kayaks etc. Or just do beach stuff - Fireworks on the 4th as was mentioned previously Downtown - take in a movie - walk around, check out the boats in the basin Rent bikes Nantucket now has a bus service that serves all the beaches on the island. It's called the Nantucket Regional Tran Auth. - try and figure out what the Regional is for, it's a secret. Grab a boogie board and head out to Surfside, or even better, Cisco, it's not a bad bike ride and the waves are tremendous Watch a sunset in Madaket from the beach - very romantic - this might be a parental diversion Go to the whaling muesum - corny, but my kids still love it. Fish for stripers off of Brant Point Hang out at the skate park near Jetties beach - very popular with my 11 year old Head out the Madaket road with some raw chicken and string and go crabbing on long pond. Some of the largest snapping turtles I've ever seen can be enticed to the surface this way - I'm talking about HUGE turtles - 3 feet across - keep your fingers out of reach Go to Surfside beach and grab lunch at the hamburger shack - still the best hamburger on the island - hang at the beach - it's packed with kids his age and older - take a football/foosball/frisbie for a diversion. They won't let you boogie board here - just walk up the beach a ways and your all set. Check in with the Maria Mitchel Museum to see if they are heading up any nature walks etc. These are kool and teach the history of the island. Learn to surf at Cisco Swim at all the beaches on the island once (This might take more than one trip) Go "crittering" on Coatue - 1st, 2nd and 3rd point at low tide - you will find crabs, horseshoe crabs and lots of fun things to look at - play "Find of the day" to see who finds the most interesting thing in the water Go on the "Ghosts Tour" I have more, but I'm pretty sure you get the point. Get a copy of Yesterday's Island when you arrive - it's a freebie that lists all the things happening on the island. ENJOY!! We'll be there in late August. Geof s/v Day-O
Hope to see you there
Bob and Liz, I can see you talk from experience. Thanks a lot for the tips. Our son, Gabriel has been going to the Boston Community Boating Summer program for the last couple of days. I work at Mass General Hospital which is convenient to drop him and pick him up. Although reluctant to accept it, he seems to be making new good friends and having a great time in the water. I will enquire about the Boating License for him hopefully before the trip and I hope that next year he will be interested in joining the racing kids in Marblehead. The good news is that my wife can take and extra day off and we will be sailing south early on the 3th with the plan of reaching Nantucket on the afternoon of the 5th, weather permitting. Looking forward to meeting you all, Jose, Magi, Gabriel and Jimmy ( our toy Poodle)
Bob and Liz, I can see you talk from experience. Thanks a lot for the tips. Our son, Gabriel has been going to the Boston Community Boating Summer program for the last couple of days. I work at Mass General Hospital which is convenient to drop him and pick him up. Although reluctant to accept it, he seems to be making new good friends and having a great time in the water. I will enquire about the Boating License for him hopefully before the trip and I hope that next year he will be interested in joining the racing kids in Marblehead. The good news is that my wife can take and extra day off and we will be sailing south early on the 3th with the plan of reaching Nantucket on the afternoon of the 5th, weather permitting. Looking forward to meeting you all, Jose, Magi, Gabriel and Jimmy ( our toy Poodle)
Be there too
Hi there; maybe we can make it a party. I have a Beneteau 440 named Nautical Dreamer and two kids a boy 13 and a girl 12. Be there from July 2 to July 5.
Hi there; maybe we can make it a party. I have a Beneteau 440 named Nautical Dreamer and two kids a boy 13 and a girl 12. Be there from July 2 to July 5.
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