# baby seat attached



## schdennis

I had some wood left from the new cockpit floor and built a tilting attachment for a baby seat:










It rocks! Our newborn daughter will be sailing with us from the very beginning 

Anyone else sailing with infants on a pocket cruiser?


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## sailingdog

Very cool. A gimballed baby seat swing...  Only one suggestion, put something over the ends of the hooks so that the baby seat can't hop out of the hooks if the boat comes down off a wave or such.


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## schdennis

In that case, I'd have to secure the wooden frame, too, as it rests there only with its weight. We don't expect waves bigger than some inches on our lake.
The most simple way would be an additional cord from the handle to the wood or mast foot.


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## Spinsheet08

FYI....CHILDREN under the age of 13 must wear a PFD at all times while aboard a boat. Only exception while the boat is NOT underway, and below.


I have a 23 month girl. A year ago, we got her a PFD, put it on her. We had her get used to it by filling our bathtub with water, and her float in it.


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## sailingdog

It depends on the state you're in. Different states have different requirements. It also depends on the boat you're on, since different size boats have different regulations apply to them.


Spinsheet08 said:


> FYI....CHILDREN under the age of 13 must wear a PFD at all times while aboard a boat. Only exception while the boat is NOT underway, and below.
> 
> I have a 23 month girl. A year ago, we got her a PFD, put it on her. We had her get used to it by filling our bathtub with water, and her float in it.


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## JohnRPollard

Very nicely done!! She'll probably love it, and so will the parents.



schdennis said:


> Anyone else sailing with infants on a pocket cruiser?


Not anymore. But when we started out, we had a potty-trained toddler and twins in diapers aboard our 24-footer. Those were great times!


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## schdennis

@Spinsheet08: 
I have a PFD for children above 22lbs, which was the smallest I found. In my area, wearing lifebelts or vests depend on the directives of the responsible skipper, which is me. This includes adults and children as well. The mandatory part covers equipment only.
And believe me, I am responsible enough to secure my daughter ;-)


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## Mimsy

We've had our now 3 month old out twice. The PFD is an issue. We purchased the thinnest PFD we could find but still- its just too bulky and hot for her and she screams the entire time.  We strapped her into her seat which we attached to the cockpit floor via padeyes. We were willing to take the hit from the Coast Guard if need be. She was not in any jeopardy as she was secured to the boat and we were sailing in almost perfectly flat water with winds no more than 5 knots. Had it gotten a bit rougher, we would of course donned PFD's or taken the baby below. It should be easier once she is a bit bigger but tiny babies and PFD's do not mix well. The smallest PFD was still too big and had she gone over, I bet she would have slipped out, even with the crotch strap.

I like your baby seat idea! We had a similar idea and were going to use the Arm's Reach Cocoon sleeper. That was before we discovered that all of our chain plate bulkheads are rotten and must be replaced. Can't see us sailing again for oh, another 6 months or so. Ah well, at least we can skip the sea cradle lol.


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## saltydawg




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## Mimsy

That works great solong as you areb't heeling!


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## cormeum

below we have webbing across one of the pilot berths (the Cage) kiddo ain't going anwhere.

On deck we'd just put little guy into a PFD and lash his car seat into the cockpit. Now that he's ambulatory, PFD, harness and SHORT tether.


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## rebelheart

That looks terrific!

Edit: What about using some S-hooks on a lipped hatch cover?


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## tomandchris

That picture scares the hell out of me. This is a boat that floats on water. You will trust your child to a 1 by 4 and a couple of open end hooks. Sounds like disaster in the making the first time a power boat crosses your path.As someone who has had kids and grandkids in boats since they were 3 months old I say bad design! Good idea to sail with them, but get real.


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## schdennis

tomandchris said:


> Good idea to sail with them, but get real.


Well, for the use on the open sea, there are clearly two things missing: closed hooks and a clamped mounting of the wood. The whole thing held my weight, as I jumped up and down on it.

On our lake, there are no real waves and exactly three power boats of the life guards and a sailing school, all with less than 40 hp. So I already got real.


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## tomandchris

IF you clamp it, and have closed hooks, you are correct..,.you have gotten real. If you think that you only need that at sea...you are not. I am glad that you will take care of the little girl. Good luck with that.


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## chall03

Looks like an interesting design... We will also soon be cruising on a small boat with a newborn.

Thanks for sharing it, even if it did mean that you have to put up with the usual run of nitwits who feel they have the right to come on a forum and accuse people they have never met before of not taking care of their kids


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## Mimsy

Chall,

For little bitties we came up with a similar design using the Arm's Reach cocoon hammock. Instead of hooks, the mock up had holes in the support and we used carabiner clips. For use below, we had come up with using a padeye on the top of the cabin, the support bar attached to a single point carabiner so we have a gimballed cradle.


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## chall03

Sounds interesting Mimsy.....we are looking at options at the moment. We don't see any reason to stop sailing just cause we will have a little bub....


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## snowflyer

*infant PFD*

There are several makers of infant PFDs, such as this one:
Naya Water Gear Baby PFD (Infants') - Mountain Equipment Co-op. Free Shipping Available

Our 8mo old didn't like it at first (2 mo) but now he's 8mo and likes it ok.

Douglas


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## chall03

Thanks Snow....


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## xsboats

We sail with two small children. Here are a couple of shots of child management aboard "Sunshine", our 50' Samson Ketch. The car seat is connected in the normal manner by ratchet straps to padeyes on deck. The bounce seat hangs from our bimini , which is framed by 1.5 " aluminum welded tubing . The seat has several popular locations, based on the conditions , including one with a down haul , which allows the kids to have their feet on deck without swinging. I've thought about one for me!


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## nickmerc

We have been taking our daughter sailing since she was two weeks old. We would have gone earlier but Mom had a C-section and wanted a little time to heal.

Anyway, at first she was in a boppy carrier (Mini-Me carrier) on her mother or down below in her car seat witch is secured in the quarter berth. Now that she is a year old, we have her in a PFD and let her crawl around the cockpit. She is not able to climb out of the cockpit so we do not have her in a harness yet. That will be next season.

Getting the kid used to the PFD has been a several month battle. We first tried it out in the swimming pool. I have to say I wish my PFD had a built in head rest. It looks quite comfortable. Then we made her wear it for increasing amounts of time while underway until she got used to it. It is hard for her to crawl in the PFD so that is the only time she screams about it. When she is not wearing the PFD and we are underway she is in her car seat down below.
________
BlackEyes


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## MylesK

This has been a great forum. My wife and I are so excited about getting underway with our 5 week old daughter.


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