# Liveaboard/extended trips with 3! kids



## vtsailguy (Aug 4, 2010)

So we have been planning on making a very big plunge of taking half a year off and doing a liveaboard - probably the VI.

We have read lots of books, blogs etc etc, but one thing I have noticed is a trend. All the families that do this usually have at most 2 kids, and a smattering of girls.

Can parents with 3 energetic boys pull this off?

Apologies about implied gender bias there, but I *do* think girls make easier first mates in the 3-10 years old range!


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## wingNwing (Apr 28, 2008)

I think CruisingDad has boys that age and is successfully cruising now - anyone have a link to his blog?


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## vtsailguy (Aug 4, 2010)

This?
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/members/cruisingdad.html


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## vtsailguy (Aug 4, 2010)

Looks like he only has a pair of first mates (or maybe one is a cabin boy  )


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## jes767 (Sep 27, 2010)

vtsailguy said:


> So we have been planning on making a very big plunge of taking half a year off and doing a liveaboard - probably the VI.
> 
> We have read lots of books, blogs etc etc, but one thing I have noticed is a trend. All the families that do this usually have at most 2 kids, and a smattering of girls.
> 
> ...


Yes, if you carry an adequate supply of manacles and leg irons.


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## vtsailguy (Aug 4, 2010)

lol


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## dohcdelsol93 (Apr 17, 2011)

how far are you straying away from land?

once i get some sailing hours under my belt i plan on making a trip to the gulf in the winter for some sailing around the keys islands to escape what we call winter in the caolinas.

I plan on sailing from morning to about noon. After that stop at the nearest island for camp the rest of the day. Only spending nights/ morning hours in the boat will be much easier on everyone. The dogs will also appreciate the time out to run and stretch. I won't ever be leaving the site of land so stopping points for me will not be much of an issue. I'll also hopefully avoid all the afternoon thunderstorms.

If me, my 2 kids and wife were all stuck on our venture 21 for a week solid....there would be a fight!


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

dohcdelsol93 said:


> ...............I plan on sailing from morning to about noon. After that stop at the nearest island for camp the rest of the day. Only spending nights/ morning hours in the boat will be much easier on everyone. The dogs will also appreciate the time out to run and stretch. I won't ever be leaving the site of land so stopping points for me will not be much of an issue....................


Since a month has passed I'll follow the thread drift. We've cruised the East Coast US for many years, including the coastal hops and ICW route from the Carolinas to the Keys. Is this your route,- you mentioned a gulf? Plans to find an island to stop and camp at each noon are not realistic. There are some good places for this, but they won't be presenting themselves frequently or by your schedule. What is the route that you are considering? Take care and joy, Aythya crew


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## dohcdelsol93 (Apr 17, 2011)

I live in the upstate of SC so i'll be trailering the boat to the keys. 

I've yet to set a destination to set sail. Hopefully not far from the hundreds of uninhabited islands that are around the keys

the orginal plan was to take a trailer full of kayaks down there and camp on the islands. Basicly fishing and hopefully manatee sight seeing.

Now that i've aquired a sailboat and found out that the wife and daughter only like kayaking down rivers (lakes are too much work) so the kayaks are out. 

I've also had issues finding out just what islands you can camp on. I'm not into camp grounds, i prefer true primitive camping. Leave nothing behind but foot prints kind of camping.

The dogs also like island camping. The smaller the island the better, that way it's easier for me to clean up after the dogs and i don't have to worry about them disturbing the wildlife.

with the sailboat i'm not acutally planning on caming on the island, only hanging out on the beach all day.


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

Ah,- now I see the plan! I just didn't see it working for the coast from the Carolinas, but it can happen in the keys. Probably best on the bayside, though there's a shortage of sandy beaches. There's an amazing stretch of white desolate undeveloped wilderness beach at Cape Sable, but no easy protected anchorage. Also, some very nice protected places out the "Big Spanish" channel west of Marathon. Take care and joy, Aythya crew


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## vtsailguy (Aug 4, 2010)

My plan was to do 6 months down in the US and British Virgin Islands... St John, Tortuga et al.

Follow all the Moorings boats around =P


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## dohcdelsol93 (Apr 17, 2011)

i'll have to google Marathon. 

I've only been as far south as Venice. I love the blue water and white sand. Used to vacation in Jamaica and Mexico often before i got a wife and then the kids.

Now Florida is my best bet clear water and white sand.

I'd love to put in at Charleston and sail down to the keys but that would be one rough and long ride in a Venture 21.

I'm very new to sailing, the thought of the currents coming out of and around all the rivers and ICW's all along the atlantic coast are a bit much for me to want to deal with.


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

I agree. If you're looking for frequent anchorages and sailing the ins and outs hugging the coast and taking some of the ICW, sailing will be limited by all the tides and currents. If your'e choosing a segment of time in the Lower Keys, I'd select spring or fall. You get a lot of tiresome northers in the winter and too many still days with the afternoon thunder squall in the summers. Maybe it's best to trim a little off the first of fall too, so you're past the higher hurricane risk, maybe mid-october, if the tropics have settled, until december or march through may. Take care and joy, Aythya crew


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## dohcdelsol93 (Apr 17, 2011)

i was thinking jan-march as thats my slow time of year (i repair lawn equipment)

I would love the keys in the mid of summer. For me the hotter the better and i only plan on sailing mornings anyway. I grew spending all my summers on the beach and although i was never on the water the strong afternoon storms always put a damper on my beach activites. I've been in tents and pop up campers while waiting on what was left of tropical storms to blow by. I'd hate to be on any boat in unprotected waters during situations like that. 

I've seen 6-8ft waves on the west coat of florida during weak tropical storms. Waters that are usually as calm as glass, i grew up visiting myrtle every early spring and those waves in the gulf were violent enough for me to want to stay away from the water. It takes a pretty sizeable (eastcoast) wave for me to want to keep clear of the water. 

I definately need to look into the weather patterns of the keys much more in detail before i set a trip in stone.

Spring is out as this is my busiest time of year and i will be busy all year until july or aug (depending drought conditions) and anytime before x-mas is pretty much out because of family traditions.

I'm guessing if i plan a trip during the winter months i really have to watch for weather patterns of the jet stream

This year we started having insanely warm weather in march with only a few cold spells dipping into the south every few weeks just to remind us it's still not spring just yet.

Id hate to waste a trip down there only to have the cold weather follow me south.

My last winter trip to florida was in the winter of 88. I don't remember much about it other than everytime we'd stop to set up camp the next morning the cold front would have moved farther south.

We spent the entire trip trying to stay south of the cold front. 

by tiresome northers i'm guessing you mean cold fronts that bring bad weather and attract surfers to the gulf.


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## scove (Sep 28, 2008)

*We're cruising the Caribbean with 3 boys*

It doesn't look like the original question about cruising with 3 boys was answered.

My suggestion, try it and see if you can make it work. It worked well for us. We also met another boat with 3 girls this season. I'd say that in both cases there were great things as well as challenges. Each family is different. The stories of the Copelands' circumnavigation (Liza & Andy Copeland - Cruising Authors) gave us the courage to give it a try. And it worked! Let me know if you want to know more or have any other questions.


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## hawaiisun (Aug 8, 2010)

*Still looking for kids*

I'm still trying to find a forum where cruisers with kids can talk and share experiences and give suggestions on home schooling, etc. We are heading south with a just turned 13 year old girl and would love to find cruisers in similar circumstances


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## scove (Sep 28, 2008)

Have you looked at this website?
Kids4Sail

We managed to find one other boat using this site this season. We found that most of the kid boats we me we just ran into along the way. Only a few had heard of this site. We found that most families are on rather short timeframes (as we are) and so just go out there and do it and see who they meet along the way.

We're heading north, where abouts are you now?


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## hawaiisun (Aug 8, 2010)

Scote, I hadn't heard of that site, but will have a look. We are in Florida, boat is in North Carolina and we aren't heading south until late Fall. I'm fine with just running into people along the way - I was mostly interested in having my daughter see that she is not alone and that people CAN actually survive without FACEBOOK and the mall. Thanks for the info and we'll see you out there sometime. 47' Leopard Cat name TBD


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## scove (Sep 28, 2008)

Be sure to keep a lookout for the cat Day Dreamer. They are north of you now but should be heading south again in the fall.


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## Boatinglifeaway (May 17, 2011)

Children, specially boys love to imagine adventures of pirates and islands, bring them games related to these subjects, play doh to build things and for sure the legos that are boat related. A lot of kids books about island adventures. Get them notebooks to write imaginary adventures of what they would catch fishing or about finding a treasure in a island or a treasure boat. Bring movies like goonies or movies that are related to ocean and island adventures.


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## scove (Sep 28, 2008)

hawaiisun: we'll be in FL in 10 days or so. PM me if you want to meet up.



hawaiisun said:


> Scote, I hadn't heard of that site, but will have a look. We are in Florida, boat is in North Carolina and we aren't heading south until late Fall. I'm fine with just running into people along the way - I was mostly interested in having my daughter see that she is not alone and that people CAN actually survive without FACEBOOK and the mall. Thanks for the info and we'll see you out there sometime. 47' Leopard Cat name TBD


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

I have a bad connection now. I am in fort myers beach for about another week then heading south with 7yo and 11yo boy. Marathon, then i think bimini and eleuthra. Just write here with kids and let me know itin, etc. Boot key may be a place to catch up unless u r heading further souith. 

Brian


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Tw, did not clarify but will jead to bahamas from k largo. b


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## scove (Sep 28, 2008)

We are in the Exumas now (Staniel Cay today) but will cross to Palm Beach in a couple days then head up to Stuart. Looks like we'll just miss CD but maybe others are in the area? We've never been to Stuart so any suggestions would be great.

Cheers.


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