# Sailing with our 3 year old



## caberg

We are the proud new owners of a 1981 Seafarer 26. Purchased on Friday morning and spent three wonderful days on Lake Champlain. We're taking baby steps and spending a lot of time on the boat while not under sail. At the mooring, motoring, anchoring or just drifting, making sure it's a lot of fun for our 3 year old son, Grady. He can get himself up and down the swim ladder, which is great. My wife is new to sailing, so I think it's important that everyone get comfortable with the boat before we do any serious sailing. We did sail on just the 150 genoa a couple of times and that was great. Plan to have dinner on the boat after work tonight and do some swimming.

Here's my boy about ready to jump back in the lake.


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## nickmerc

Congrats! Sailing is a great family activity. My soon to be 3 year old daughter has been sailing with us since she was 2 weeks old. She looks forward to it every weekend. I find that swimming off the boat is a great way to keep her engaged. As you get into more serious sailing and begin to heel, he will sense your and your wife's comfort level. As long as you are both relaxed he will do just fine. Be prepared to handle the boat solo as one of you will need to be available to take care of your son at all times.

If you can, try to sleep over one weekend night on the boat. It can be quite the adventure for the little ones.


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## svHyLyte

Our daughter sailed with us from the time she was six weeks old. When she got to the point where she was able to maneuver around the boat on her own steam, we kept her in a life-jacket and tethered to the boat whenever she was on deck. We also kept netting fitted from the cockpit to the bow pulpit so she, and her toys, couldn't go over the side accidentally. She once went over the side of her cousin's boat--not fitted with safety precautions--one day while we were visiting in Chicago and down at his slip at the muni-marina. It was summer but the Lake was still freezing cold (by our standards). By then she could swim of-course and was promptly scooped out of the water. I don't know who was more surprised/upset, she or her mother, but after that I never got an argument about wearing a life-jacket or tether on deck until she became a teenager. She still wears a life-jacket on deck!

FWIW...


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## caberg

Thanks for the tips--much appreciated. I like the idea of netting and will have to looking into that.

We do plan to try a sleepover, possibly this weekend if the forecast looks good. We'll just stay right on the mooring if we do.


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## zedboy

Great to hear about more people sailing with little kids. My 3-year-old still isn't bold enough to make it down the ladder (even with encouragement from big sis& bro, 7 & 5 respectively- they like nothing better than anchor& swim)

Other good activities: ride the foredeck in calm weather; "drive" (hold the tiller, doing 1-2 knots in a clear area with daddy right on hand); eat. When he was 2 he used to just fall asleep in mommy's lap 

No boredom complaints yet


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## Marcel D

We sail with our 3 and 5 year olds telling the truth they have been with us since 1 each. Its been great crusing the PNW. Keep them in the **** pit as much as possible, and down below when docking. And bring the jolly jumper for the nex one.


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## snaxbox

Congrats on your having your new boat! Seems your son is enjoying the tour based on the picture. This is such a treasure!


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## Cruisingdad

Great looking kid Caberg! Lots of fun ahead for you. We have been doing it with our kids since about birth and they love it.

You also might consider looking into the Mustang Life jackets. I am a huge fan of them. In addition to having a head floater (always turns them face up) and crotch strap, they also have a handle to snatch them up with. If they go over, it makes retrieval much easier and safer.

Just some thoughts. Thanks for sharing the pics! Here's our youngest a few years back in a Mustang. I still remember taking this pic.










Brian


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## patrscoe

We are very protective parents (helicopter parents) but this year we decided to let go a little bit and let them be more adventurous and what a difference it has made. We are still protective but having them ride the bow while sailing, towing them behind in the dinghy or speedboat tube, letting them steer, help with the lines, spending the night at anchor, laying on the foredeck at night and watching the stars, etc... they are having a lot more fun and are not as bored. They are 6 and 9 years old, (birthdays just past so they are just 6 and 9).

I am looking forward to father and son sail trips next year. 

I am 44 now but some of my best times as a little kid was sailing. Still remember catching a breeze on a old 12 footer on a small lake near our house when I was about 9 years old. (FYI - my parents were not very protective. I guess things were different back then.)
Enjoy Caberg.


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## SailSnail

Congratulations on your new purchase! Must be thrilled from it, especially now in the early days!


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## vtsailguy

Hey! I have three young boys and sail on Lake Champlain as well!

Here is the secret, your dinghy is for time outs


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## Karenwallin

CONGRATS AND GOOD SAILING WITH YOUR NEW BOAT. SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY BY TAKING BABY STEPS UNTIL EVERYONE IS COMFORTABLE WITH BEING ON THE BOAT. MY HUSBAND AND I HAD ALL FIVE OF OUR CHILDREN ON OUR ERIKSON FROM WHEN THEY WERE ONLY WEEKS OLD AND THEY ALL ENJOYED SAILING LIFE. NOW THAT THEY ARE ADULTS THEY ALL STILL ENJOY SAILING, TWO OF OUR SONS ARE NOW RACING IN ALL DIFFERENT CLASS SAILBOATS, IT IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO BE WITH YOUR FAMILY. hAVE FUN!


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## Karenwallin

Oh, meant to say we used a safety harness together with life vest on all the children until they were old enough to manuver around the boat without fear of falling overboard/


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## windwalker

Karenwallin said:


> Oh, meant to say we used a safety harness together with life vest on all the children until they were old enough to manuver around the boat without fear of falling overboard/


We have always used a jack line until our kids are pushing 4 (we have three kids). At that point, they will stay in the cockpit or obey and go down into the cabin if things get rough, or we are in a high traffic area.

Our now nearly 6 and our 8 year old are allowed up to the bow pulpit in calm sailing, or are allowed to choose their seats (often the raised stern pulpit seats).

The kids love the boat. We saw rehabbed dolphins released on our Monday sail to open water (we homeschool) - quite an experience for the kids.

Elizabeth


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## Cruisingdad

windwalker said:


> We have always used a jack line until our kids are pushing 4 (we have three kids). At that point, they will stay in the cockpit or obey and go down into the cabin if things get rough, or we are in a high traffic area.
> 
> Our now nearly 6 and our 8 year old are allowed up to the bow pulpit in calm sailing, or are allowed to choose their seats (often the raised stern pulpit seats).
> 
> The kids love the boat. We saw rehabbed dolphins released on our Monday sail to open water (we homeschool) - quite an experience for the kids.
> 
> Elizabeth


Where are you based Elizabeth? We homeschool too. Always looking for other kid boats. We are currently in Marathon.

Brian


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## windwalker

Cruisingdad said:


> Where are you based Elizabeth? We homeschool too. Always looking for other kid boats. We are currently in Marathon.
> 
> Brian


Part time in San Diego, but most of the time in Atlanta.

I am going to start blogging more about my sailing experiences.

My husband surprised me by suggesting live aboard homeschooling. Yikes. Not my idea of a good time. (3 kids and 2 dachshunds)

E


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## Cruisingdad

windwalker said:


> Part time in San Diego, but most of the time in Atlanta.
> 
> I am going to start blogging more about my sailing experiences.
> 
> My husband surprised me by suggesting live aboard homeschooling. Yikes. Not my idea of a good time. (3 kids and 2 dachshunds)
> 
> E


Boats in San Diego?

I can give you a lot of advice, but will start here: get in with the other live aboards, esp with kids. That will make it a lot more fun and enjoyable. There is comfort in camraderie and it really takes boat parents and boat kids to understand boat parents and boat kids.

Let me know if you need anything! I hope you come to love the life like we did. Look above at my abbreviated post: Life at sea. That is what you have to look forward to!

Brian, Christie, Chase and Glen


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## windwalker

Cruisingdad said:


> Boats in San Diego?
> 
> I can give you a lot of advice, but will start here: get in with the other live aboards, esp with kids. That will make it a lot more fun and enjoyable. There is comfort in camraderie and it really takes boat parents and boat kids to understand boat parents and boat kids.
> 
> Let me know if you need anything! I hope you come to love the life like we did. Look above at my abbreviated post: Life at sea. That is what you have to look forward to!
> 
> Brian, Christie, Chase and Glen


A) My husband knows absolutely nothing about sailing, as in, he's only taken recreational day sails a dozen times with my father and I over the entire course of his life. His head is in the clouds.

B) We run an international wiring harness business - it is not conducive to being run from a boat.

C) Maybe after he experiences the on the water classes, he will have more of an appreciation for the skills, knowledge, and maintenance required by sailboats.

Best,

Elizabeth


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## windwalker

Cruisingdad said:


> Boats in San Diego?
> 
> Brian, Christie, Chase and Glen


Dad has a C&L Explorer, 36 foot, rigged for single handed sailing. My parents live on Coronado Island.

I sail on the sailing school's Hunter (maybe 28 foot?) and a Colgate (26, I think) back in Atlanta, when I can squeak in a lesson.

E


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## MauiPunter

Im in a similar situation. Our daughter is turning three and she is becoming more mobile. We are tethering her and have lifejacket on 24/7. Even when she is below. I have been considering the possibility of netting but I just cant stand the look of it. I feel like the tether and lifejacket is enough, but maybe I am wrong. If she is attached to the boat and has lifejacket on, what more can the netting provide? Is there any alternative to the netting.


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## vtsailguy

If you have a harness, I have found that netting is more to stop gear going over than kids.

Actually, I just did some thinking on children's safety gear for a long-term trip
Sailing Safety Equipment for Children ? sailingwithkids.net


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## kwaltersmi

MauiPunter said:


> Im in a similar situation. Our daughter is turning three and she is becoming more mobile. We are tethering her and have lifejacket on 24/7. Even when she is below. I have been considering the possibility of netting but I just cant stand the look of it. I feel like the tether and lifejacket is enough, but maybe I am wrong. If she is attached to the boat and has lifejacket on, what more can the netting provide? Is there any alternative to the netting.


We've used both harness/tether and "netting". However, instead of the actual nets, we used a thin line zig-zagged between the toerail and the upper lifeline, which serves the same purpose but looks less cluttered. You can see our set-up in this blog post: Cruising with Kids.


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## vtsailguy

Interesting. I have a slight variation.

The first time I rigged my Jackline, as you did, I had two, and had the commercial 6' tethers. It was clear that if a kid went over, it would be bad even tethered, they would be dangling possibly in the water.

So I made my Jacklines go down the center line. It's actually two running in parallel either side of the mast. They stop short of the bow.

I then made my own tethers with just a 3' piece of webbing with two loops. For under 100 pound kids, I think home made ones are as strong.

The net result, because I was able to customize my tethers,is that the kids actually have to pull slightly against the Jackline and tether to sit on the rail like your girls are in the picture. Seeing those lines under tension in that spot makes be feel much better than the 7-8' of combined Jackline and tether slack.

Three boys, 200 sq ft of fiberglass, tropical beaches
www.sailingwithkids.net


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## austintoday

Congratulations on your new purchased and I know your little kid will love it!!


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