# bareboat charter with our 1 year old - sleep advice



## 3peas (Oct 22, 2012)

I've read all the excellent tips from Cruisingdad and the others. Since we bareboat charter we can't rig much into the berths. Our concern is how do we have our babe sleep aboard nights at anchor without rolling off the bed. She's the baby that does the circuit in her crib throughout the night in her sleep. No corner goes unsnuggled! Pillows are too dangerous for the same reason we don't keep them in our crib. We've chartered a ton of 40ft beneteaus and jenneaus that we should know but I just can't visulaize it. Do you experts out there think a light travel crib like the Baby Bjorn would work standing up in a berth? Are there other practical solutions for sleeping for a baby that moves but doesn't get the concept of the "cliff" edge of the bed just yet?

We'll nap her in her car seat. That worked wonderfully our last sail with her. For the others sailing with a 4/5mth and under we used the Rest Assured infant travel bassinet (cosleeper) in between us or on the floor for night time which folds and carries and has a built in white noise box and night light. And for under sail, the car seat lodged into the floor space in the v berth with some deck cushions. I also nursed down there, no pfd, under long 5 hour sails. We also used our Ergo and Baby Bjorn carriers for sleeping or hanging out while in the cockpit


----------



## gmengg (Jul 4, 2013)

In India people use cradle for their kids. Its safe and comfortable to kids.


----------



## 3peas (Oct 22, 2012)

Thanks. It would be helpful if you could be specific. What do you mean by cradle; travel crib like the Baby Bjorn or Guava? What brand worked? Where did you place it aboard; on the bed in a berth/ v berth or aft cabin? In the saloon, on the ground or made the saloon bed and place it on top? 

I'm curious how peopl do it/what works for bedtime aboard for a mobile 1 year old. 

Thanks all!


----------



## Molson (Aug 8, 2013)

I realize this is a month old, I'm a new user, current powerboater, and new sailor. So, keeping that in mind, here is my input.

We had the same issue with our now 14 month old. Our V-Berth where he sleeps is quite high and we were wondering about him falling off. 

We found, and have been using a "Pea-Pod" for the last few months. And it works great! Its a small tent, all mesh, with a built in air mattress that slides into a pocket underneath. The zippers are on the outside so he can't figure them out. It has worked well for us.


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

3peas said:


> I've read all the excellent tips from Cruisingdad and the others. Since we bareboat charter we can't rig much into the berths. Our concern is how do we have our babe sleep aboard nights at anchor without rolling off the bed. She's the baby that does the circuit in her crib throughout the night in her sleep. No corner goes unsnuggled! Pillows are too dangerous for the same reason we don't keep them in our crib. We've chartered a ton of 40ft beneteaus and jenneaus that we should know but I just can't visulaize it. Do you experts out there think a light travel crib like the Baby Bjorn would work standing up in a berth? Are there other practical solutions for sleeping for a baby that moves but doesn't get the concept of the "cliff" edge of the bed just yet?
> 
> We'll nap her in her car seat. That worked wonderfully our last sail with her. For the others sailing with a 4/5mth and under we used the Rest Assured infant travel bassinet (cosleeper) in between us or on the floor for night time which folds and carries and has a built in white noise box and night light. And for under sail, the car seat lodged into the floor space in the v berth with some deck cushions. I also nursed down there, no pfd, under long 5 hour sails. We also used our Ergo and Baby Bjorn carriers for sleeping or hanging out while in the cockpit


Sorry, I just read this. I was out cruising at the time. I suspect you already have done your trip?

Brian


----------



## Rasputin (Jan 28, 2001)

We’re on the West Coast (Los Angeles). We have a (now) 19 month old little girl. In 19 months she’s been to Catalina Island 9 times, Mexico once, on various other cruises up and down the California coast and countless “slip sail” nights. We drop out salon table which levels with the salon seats. The back cushions then cover the table. In that queen sized space generally meant for sleeping extra sailors, we break out the pack and play crib on top. It’s stable and is the only spot for something that large. Our cockpit is a good distance from the main salon area and admittedly we do have a rear state room that we retire to away from the baby so late television or otherwise does not disturb her early bed time. It’s works for us and our girl. She loves sleeping on the boat. “Boat” was one of her first words.


----------



## 3peas (Oct 22, 2012)

Thanks rasputin! We've taken our lo (now 14mths) bareboat twice in the BVI at 4 months and the Grenadines at 12 months. We stuck the Phil and Ted's in one of the cabins. Our issue was that she crashes at 7pm but we need the galley for cooking in addition to the bbqing we do in the cockpit. On the charters there aren't usually curtains on all the windows in the saloon or galley which would trigger too early wake up for our lo too. 
When your low was going to bed each evening in the saloon how did you manage for dinners? When we charter our style is we keep all the fun on the boat. We are going again in Dec. We manage to get away from our ft jobs and sail 4x a year more or less so we hope that's good enough for our lo to grow up sailing. When your lo hit walking/running/climbing and tips while under sail and then on anchor? We never stay on a slip. Ours started at 13 mths so next trip will be a whole new experience - for fun and safety measures. All tips are welcome!!! Apologies for any typos!!


----------



## 3peas (Oct 22, 2012)

CD, we did the July trip but heading out again in Dec hopefully. Now we have a runner/climber and she's too big for the infant car seat where we would bukcle her into underway and she would sleep half the time sailing. Any tips for under way and how to nap them safely would be helpful. I don't see us putting her in a pack n play on the saloon bed while underway. Is that what people do? Our lo's nap is mandatory but we can't just stop sailing for it given we usually need the full day or half day to get to our destinations every day.


----------



## Rasputin (Jan 28, 2001)

Since we feed her around 5 ish to 6 ish and she generally eats what we eat, we've adjusted to all eat at the same time. All that to say the galley and salon table are free and avaialble until it's bed time. She goes down around 7:30 ish. Futzing with the table and pack & play crib isn't optimal but works. Over the warm summer, once she's down, we retire to the cockpit, outside aft deck chairs or rear main cabin. She sleeps well and once "out", it takes some real noise or jostling to wake her. Light background music outside and calm chatter isn't generally enough to rile her. (Maybe we're lucky?)

Maddie is our only child so that certainly makes things easier. Now, the boat, moorings and yacht club culture is old hat. Her first trip to Catalina was at 4 months. We practiced slip sailing a couple times prior. We'd wedge her car seat between the far end of the salon table and seat back so there was nowhere for it to go. We watch her like a hawk in and out and use one of those kiddie harness leash things that looks like a panda back-pack with a long tail to secure her to the binnacle while mom and I grab mooring lines. When she was smaller, we would sit her in the car seat or pack and play.


----------



## 3peas (Oct 22, 2012)

Awesom!!! So you harness her and watch her in the cockpit while under sail but when on the lines (coming into the anchorage I assume or while tacking) you put her in the pack n play down in the saloon? It was soooo much easier when Chiara fit in the infant car seat!! That thing was like a padded room! We lashed ours on each side to the rails down below so we could see her while we sailed. About the pack in play while under sail aren't you concerned about Maddie moving about when on a big heal or tacking? 

She eats what we eat but not at the same time. I guess we can just modfy that though. We are lucky too once she's out she's out until 12 hours later. Must be living in NYC that trained her  not even a jackhammer on the street could wake her up during a stroller nap!! I'm hoping we sail again in Dec. Every few months there are a new set of challenges.


----------



## 3peas (Oct 22, 2012)

Oh I forgot to ask if anyone or you ra ra Rasputin bother with the toddler car seat? That might work too rigged while under sail but wondering if we should bother.


----------



## AlaskaMC (Aug 19, 2010)

Here is my feedback after a couple months with our 14 month old in the new boat. She is also a runner/climber and hates to be restricted. We were using the pack and play on the dinette while sailing, but she discovered this weekend that while on a starboard tack, it leans the pack and play enough that she can climb out! We just caught her in time before she took a dive onto the port settee. So, pack and play is now out and we are going to run a jack line and harness her in when in the cockpit. Down below we are just child proofing and letting her run a bit free. The car seat is a non starter as she wants to be mobile. For some reason she loves it in the car, but not in the boat.

For sleeping, we were able to fix up the vberth for her and her sister so that it works great but it is our boat and we could modify it. I am interested in what other ideas folks have as we may be doing a charter this winter ourselves and ideas sure help.


----------



## Rasputin (Jan 28, 2001)

Well... I guess or sailing approach with Maddie depends on who is with us, where we are and the weather / condition of the seas. More often than not, if I’m doing aggressive, maximum speed, race style sailing, I’m with buddies and Maddie isn’t there. If she is with us, tacks are mild and few and we’re usually cruising without heavy healing. 

Same here. The benefit of being in LA means Maddie eats everything and can sleep thru city noise.


----------

