# Moving Aboard with a 6-month-old



## BlownAway (Apr 28, 2012)

I've really enjoyed going through some of these posts, and they're making me a little less nervous. We just bought a catamaran and are selling our house and moving aboard... with our 6-month-old. We're working on a plan to keep him in a v-berth and some barriers in the settee to keep him from going down the stairs into both hulls and out into the cockpit. He's rolling, but not crawling or walking yet, although I'm sure he'll get there soon enough and then we'll have a new set of challenges. As soon as he can climb out of the cockpit we'll have to figure out netting around the life lines. I'm a bit nervous about it all and his grandparents even more so, so I'm looking forward to suggestions from people who have been there before.


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## thedrages (May 22, 2012)

IMHO i say take trust yourselves and GO FOR IT ! We are doingn the same in a few years and our kids will be 9,8 and 5. Will be interested to follow our journey, so keep us posted!
Fair wind and a following sea.

The Drages.


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

Great Joy!....but a caution too. Be very careful with netting barriers so that the netting web size or any lower openings can not receive the size of the child's head and result in hanging when suspended over the top of the net! I'm not pleased in presenting such a terrible possibility, but the caution is warranted. We successfully kept our children in the V-Berth and we also practiced the "you can't fall off the floor" strategy. Enjoy and be safe!


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Put pillows around the edges so that he/she doesn't bump into ther sides of the hull.

Honestly, my kids have been on board for most of their life. You are at the very easy stage now. The harder stage comes when they start walking and can climb the companionway steps. I suggest a way to secure it from the inside. Our nightmare was always one of the kids getting out the companionway while we were asleep and falling over.

We had our kids in the water asap. Do the same. Teaching them to swim well and quickly may save their life. Use Mustang brand children's vests. I really think they are superior over anything else we have ever had. They need the head floation and ability to right to face-up. Test it in a pool too. I will tell you hat our worked as advertised (several times). They WILL fallin the water. Just a matter of when.

It is a great life. This is teh easiest years. But how long it lasts does not depend on the kiddo, it is mom an dad. It is all attitude. 

Let us know if you have any questions!!! I will give you my experiences, as others who have been there (or still are there) will too.

Brian


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

Good advice from Cruisingdad! It's very important that the children have a life jacket that they can wear comfortably with some good mobility that will still function well in an emergency. We found this in the "top of the line" of the Stearns choices among the vest types.


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