Aloha Owners Association

Alohaowners Forum Boards => Aloha Discussion => Topic started by: quentincloud on April 03, 2020, 11:56:52 AM

Title: sailing with young kids on your aloha?
Post by: quentincloud on April 03, 2020, 11:56:52 AM
Aloha everybody,
what kind of setup do you have on your aloha for safety when you cruise with young kids? I'm planning to go sail for the first time with my family this summer. (last 2 years I was new to sailing and was basically learning and getting enough experience to be comfortable bringing my family with me).
My daughter is 5 years old and I want to make sure she enjoys cruising with her dad :-) asking to older skippers in the forum here for some advices :-) I'm thinking about putting jack lines (which I would use also while solo sailing) and tether and teach my daughter how to use it - at all time (in addition to lifejacket) for when we are moving and she goes out of the cockpit. I know if she does not have enough freedom to move around she wont enjoy cruising.
any feedback or advices from old captain out there?

Quentin
A27 #100 Heaven's wind
Title: Re: sailing with young kids on your aloha?
Post by: BobH on April 03, 2020, 02:02:10 PM
We had a 28 and then the 34.  I dont know how their cockpits compare to the 27.  On both boats the kids wore lifejackets at all times and had to "keep your bum on the seat" at all times.  They didnt leave the cockpit while underway. I thought this was reasonably safe since we were rarely out in heavy weather.
Title: Re: sailing with young kids on your aloha?
Post by: jesse on April 04, 2020, 02:24:30 PM
We've been sailing with our daughter since she was 2 years old (7 now), and we've just done the common sense things. Life jackets all of the time for everyone, and no leaving the cockpit while underway unless directly with an adult and only under calm conditions. And no monkeying around in the cockpit (bums on seat, or the cockpit floor). When she was younger we'd also only let her be somewhere down below where we could keep an eye on her, and with one of us directly in any kind of weather.

I think the jack line idea sounds good as long as your taking into account the weather, lines, sails etc. Make it fun, but keep it safe of course.
Title: Re: sailing with young kids on your aloha?
Post by: quentincloud on April 04, 2020, 04:46:43 PM
Thanks for the feedback guys. I can't wait to go out on the boat with the family. (hopefully this summer if we are allowed to put the boat on the water by then...).
Title: Re: sailing with young kids on your aloha?
Post by: jim on 126 on February 16, 2021, 10:02:36 PM
Pretty late in replying, so I'm hoping that your first summer built lots of rich happy memories for you and your family.   
 
We actually bought Carnaby to live aboard when my daughter was 5 years old. (In 1984.) So glad we did.  The boat is still her spirit home, and she still succeeds at doing things at the tiller that I wouldn't even attempt. 

As other sailors have commented, surviving to tell the tale is really of first importance, but trying to make sure that everyone isn't too seasick or cold, or bored or scared to dampen the fun really is also essential.  Serious consideration of gear is a necessary and ongoing concern, but nurturing the right attitude is also key.  For us, figuring out some rules and training them ahead of time with "why"s was very helpful.  Rule #1 was the lifejacket, which was put on at the marina gate, and worn continuously unless she was below decks in calm and predictable conditions.  This was so important that it was the only rule actually given a number, but a strong candidate for Rule #2 was "obey the captain." All through everyday living, we tried to consistently model and teach the difference between all the regular teasing that goes on and a directive from the captain.  A couple of times, we explicitly practiced "obeying orders" just for practice, but it didn't take much. Jen quickly learned the contexts and the tones that said "obey now, and ask later."  It didn't hurt if, "Sit there," was accompanied with "until we are out of the slip and in a clear channel," or "until the boom comes across." But the main thing was for her to recognize that there was a good reason for directives, and to have her buy in. Clear and firm, but no Jekylls, Hydes, or Captain Blighs!  Another important rule was to have all kinds of fun, but never use a distress call unless you mean it.  I still remember a day when I heard her scratchy little voice calling "Man overboard".  I am afraid that I responded fully imagining that I would be giving her a reprimand for playing with a serious thing.  However, it turned out that she was in the water. The distress message was in fact absolutely apt.  (Note: She had fallen into a muddy river with a significant current. This occurred at a live-aboard marina at dinner time on a sunny day, and yet I was the only one that heard her!  What a mix of feelings: embarrassment that I had doubted her, pride at the way she had handled herself and the situation, & all of that mixed with the parental shock and guilt over how bad this could have become.). Needless to say, it is really important for children to develop a practical understanding of what emergencies might occur and how to respond.  She began practicing early, and actually earned her RORC-Marine radio licence at the age of 9.  The next rule down the list was to report possible problems.  It was not only safer to have extra eyes paying attention to things that didn't look or sound or smell right, but inviting her to participate in keeping things on an even keel helped her understand that she was a valued and useful member of the crew and not just a passenger.
Along these lines, we also set up a checklist of skills that a young person would need to acquire to become "Captain of the Dinghy." This was a motivator as well as a lot of fun (and a source of pride). 
If there is a bottom line to these observations it is that, while it is fundamental to keep a weather eye on all your gear and to design out as many possibilities for catastrophe as possible, putting a little focus on developing a happy attitude and skills is also very worthwhile.

Happy sailing!
j
Title: Re: sailing with young kids on your aloha?
Post by: Bruce on February 22, 2021, 03:23:37 PM
All great considerations when the children are little.  From about age 8 up, we had a big box of Lego in the V berth and on long passages, both our boys could spend hours building creations that interested them much more than being in the cockpit.  Bruce