The Reality of sailing with kids

Over the last few years we have met so many people who have asked us what it was like sailing with a kid and baby. Most wonder what the reality of it is, how hard it is. Cruising by boat comes with its fair share of challenges to overcome and many struggles. Doing it as a couple let alone having to care for young ones brings cruising to a different level. I would be lying if I said it was easy because it is a full-time job, especially when things go wrong with the boat. We do it because it is so rewarding being able to share our lifestyle with them, see their amazement and watch them grow into mini sailors. Let me share with you what it is like sailing with kids onboard, its ups and downs. This might help you decide if this life of raising little ones on a boat is for you.

Baby stage

After meeting numerous families and talking with many about their own experiences I’ve quickly realized that most sailors start cruising with toddlers and not babies for a very specific reason. Toddlers are slightly more independent and you don’t have to teach them how to crawl, walk, potty train… and let’s be honest change diapers while sailing is no picnic. Toddlers are not as hands on compared to the constant need of attention of babies. You don’t have to carry them in your arms most of the time plus you are over the sleepless nights.

That being said, watching both our kids reach milestones onboard is pure joy. Our daughter Coral, now 3, moved onboard when she was 4 months and Kai our son who’s now 1 ½ moved on SV Wildly Intrepid II when he was only 1 month. The first few months are easy in the sense that they can’t move and take a lot of naps, mom’s sleep gets challenged though. As they get more mobile new challenges arise and baby proofing a very unusual home which moves and heels becomes priority #1. Keeping them safe is the hardest since they do not have any fear. At the crawling stage a mini sun tent placed on the bed kept our son very contained and safe. With more mobility they start climbing on everything. Then a life jacket and tether quickly become your best friends. But I have to watch Kai like a hawk, his every move so that he doesn’t throw something overboard or climb somewhere that he really should not. Being with them 24/7 allows you to not miss a moment or a new milestone in their development which is priceless. You don’t have to send them to daycare because you get to share your life with them. They adapt quickly and are happy wherever you are.

Toddler stage

It gets really exciting because they can actually communicate their excitement with you. Coral was 2 when we cruised down the Erie Canal, through the Hudson River, down the East Coast of the United States and then over to the Bahamas for the second time. She quickly proved to us that she genuinely loved cruising by sailboat with us despite her bad motion sickness. Every town and island we stopped at had her excited. She could also dress herself up and walk which made getting ready for adventures much easier.

However this stage also brought a few tantrums, arguments and frustrations because she could now talk back and say the infamous “NO” word. We learnt how to coax her to do what we wanted and are still figuring out tricks to avoid these disagreements. Something that we have noticed is that we have to really keep her entertained and challenged with various games, toys, home schooling and chores turned into a game. The busier she is the happier she is. The fussiness happens more often with boredom or tiredness. After two full days of traveling by boat without any time on land we usually have to make sure that we take a little break and let the extra energy burn off in a park, beach or playground. Having a good variety of toys definitely helps. Make sure not to pull them out all at the same time, have a rotation so that they feel like new toys. Also the ones that force kids to use their imagination or building skills are much better because they won’t get bored of those toys as fast. School can also be fun if you offer different approaches to the same topic. Adapt real day to day activities into a math class or reading class with road signs for example.

Working on the boat

This is the hardest part of owning a sailboat with kids. If you thought getting things done on a boat already took forever I am sorry to tell you that now it becomes extremely challenging. There are days nothing gets done and keeping up with simple house chores like dishes, sweeping and cooking up meals even feels impossible to accomplish. Other days they might stay more entertained. Or if they are still young and napping we try to get as much done as possible then. They can make even the simplest of jobs extra hard like when Kai hides our tools, although they both like running to bring a tool to daddy. But being stuck in project mode is also a great opportunity to meet other kids, especially if you are in a marina. This is what we noticed this year as we spent 3 ½ months in the workyard. Luckily we met many young kids for ours to play with. They even had access to little scooters and bicycles left behind from other cruising families, a novelty which we don’t carry onboard for the lack of space.

Sailing with kids is all about being well prepared. You will avoid so much crying and frustrating moments which leads to more time to enjoy adventures. Things as simple as packing a bag with EVERYTHING you might need becomes an art. Toys for the restaurants, snacks and water to keep everyone happy, a little sunscreen and bandaids, a change of clothes, diapers with wipes and change pad and lots of toys and shade protection for the beach. Test out many life jackets to find one that is comfortable because they will be in it a lot more than you and it can make or break a long dinghy adventure. Coral and Kai have forever changed our cruising life in the best way. We have gotten closer with some locals just because we were walking down the road with a baby which everyone wanted to touch. We have slowed down allowing us to experience new things. But make sure you are fully ready because it is a 24 hours a day job which you can’t run away from.

Anne Alexandra Fortin
Cory and Alex share their adventure with weekly videos on their YouTube channel “Wildly Intrepid Sailing”. Their dream is to travel the world and to live without any regrets.