Absolution 7 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Just starting to think about converting the bus over to cruise mode for our xmas/ny holiday. The most significant addition to the boat for this year will be this little one: She'll be 5 months old by Xmas so not able to get into too much trouble... yet. I think it will take a bit of planning to keep mum and baby happy while we are away so I thought I would see if anyone has some tips on cruising with babies. How do you keep 'em safe and happy while you're sailing, where do you put them? I'm looking at baby hammocks for sleeping but interested to hear what everyone else does. The new engine box makes a nice change table, what about bathing? Any other tips? Does anyone have an infant life jacket that they want to sell? Also, wifey would quite like to have a chat to a mum that's done this just so she can get comfortable with what works and what doesn't. If anyone would like to volunteer for a phone call or a coffee/chat that would be very much appreciated. Thanks, Hamish Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Get a second hand car seat and bolt it (or something) to the cockpit seat just under the dodger, strap it in for tacks and gybes. Link to post Share on other sites
El Toro 97 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Hamish, we had 5 weeks at xmas with a 7 month old... only three things I can suggest are take more solid baby food thean puree stuff if she has teeth, take a plastic bin with sealable lid for old nappies....and take ear muffs and hang them off the mast Link to post Share on other sites
Marshy 30 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I will never forget friends of ours cruising Frenzy with three kids in car seats strapped to the sides, life jackets on and the twins were happy as larry, Were pretty young from memory but they just sat in their carseats all wrapped up warm and were happy as larry! Another thing worth looking at would be a net to put across the transom so when you are anchored they can have the whole cockpit floor to crawl/lay around on and not kick toys off the back etc. Although might be a touch young for that! Link to post Share on other sites
Fusion 0 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I started with mine at 3 months old. Infant life jackets were possibly the most difficult part until they are over 12mths old. Ended up with just using a harness so handling was easy. The car seat is the single best device for cursing with an infant. I started with the back facing bassinet style with removable basket to carry her around. You can recline them and they sleep very well while sailing. 2nd is the feeding chair thing. I had one that was designed to be strapped to a chair. If you put it on the floor with the feeding table in front of them the cant fall or get out, and will play for hours. I also added a 900mm high lee cloth to the salon double bed so she had a large soft play area. Take a baby bath. You can half fill it with sea water and leave it on deck to warm up, salt water wash and and a fresh water wipe down after. The other thing you will find is travel when they are asleep. I always moved bays after 7pm and woke up in a new bay. You can remove the companionway stairs at night as they get older. Link to post Share on other sites
tuffyluffy 76 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 It sounds like you'll have a great time with bubs. Any chance of you placing a "Baby on board" sticker on your transom so i know who not to anchor near? Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Second what Fusion said, sail in the very early morning or late at night (I used to get up at 4 am and sail till about 9, have breakfast together, then Dad had a nap). Link to post Share on other sites
ab1974 1 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Hamish - we've got a 3 year old and a (will be by xmas) 5 month old for our xmas / ny cruise on our E7.9. Our first trip away on the yacht our now 3yo was already 2yo, so she wore a life jacket and simply fell asleep either on on a squab in the cockpit while sailing with mum holding her or on a squab on the saloon floor surrounded by pillows where she couldn't roll anywhere. We've since set up lee cloths and the two single berths in the saloon convert to a monster king bed which we leave set up so she can't fall off. She plays and sleep there and can see us. New baby though may be a little more exciting this year. We've got a phil and teds cocoon and are planning on putting some of those foam wedges in it so he can't roll over - will also double as his bed. Will have the cocoon either on the king bed wedged so it can't move or up on the deck. I like the car seat idea but we've got limited room and haven't worked out where to strap it. Pushpit is an option but suspect upwind on the leeward side may be wet. Could put it at the entrance to the companion way but no where to strap it in..... One of those baby front pack carriers would also be good for moving around the boat and into / out of dinghy. We've got one we will take this trip. We are cheating this year abit. I've decided that our boat might be a little small for two adults and two very little kids for a longer trip - it isn't the space the kids take but all the associated gear! So we're off to Kawau and have hired a house with a mooring out front. Will do two three days each way cruising from Westhaven to Kawau then will do day trips from there. We will be pretty weather conscious so I'm not planning on beating into 30 knots if I can help it. My wife would be happy to chat ideas. Will PM you our home number. Andrew Link to post Share on other sites
B00B00 310 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Hamish, yes everyone here has had some great idea. We did our first cruise on the SR26 (family Frightener) when the wee fella was only 5 months old. we had an old car seat which we strapped him into when we needed to do anything, worth its weight in gold. For feeding we had a little seat with a with its own table. Bathing, you cant beat a tummy tub, really just a bucket but with a rounded bottom, they love it and you only use about 1L of water. We would then use that water to do our washing (normally dirty baby clothes). Our baby life jacket has a nice handle on the top so you can just pick him up to move him. Agree that you really need loads of bags to put poo'ey nappys in. they really stink after a few days festering. you can get scented bags which disguise the smell quite well. Another good bit of advice, nappys, salt and sand can cause a REALLY bad nappy rash, so always take the nappy off on the beach. Nothing worse that a sore screaming baby. Take loads of nappy rash cream. Attached some photos. he is older in the last photo, I think around 7-8 months Link to post Share on other sites
B00B00 310 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 The biggest thing to remember is that the kids don't know better, make them work around your life style not the other way. They will just deal with what ever as they dont know any other way. It toughens them up. We never heated the bottle or any of that stuff. We now cruise with a 2 and a 1 year old on the Marauder. I have put netting all the way around the boat to keep it safe and this creates much less stress. Link to post Share on other sites
B00B00 310 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 But be ware, they can trash a boat in a matter of seconds....... about as long as it takes to drop the sails..... Link to post Share on other sites
PaulR 3 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Perhaps make a piece of ply that filts like a washboard but missing the bottom half or 2/3rds of hatchway. then the baby seat can be popped in, facing aft or forward as a change or at anchor etc. Extra cans of air freshener to spay into nappy bag!! Link to post Share on other sites
Absolution 7 Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 Excellent! Thanks for all the ideas folks. That gives us a few things to try. Nice pics BooBoo, looks like everyone was having a good time! Link to post Share on other sites
Fusion 0 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I forgot about nappies. You will build up a list of easily accessibly rubbish bins. Onerowa, Scotts Landing, and a few on the barrier. Lots of plastic black bags and sealed buckets. I had 2 x 20ltr plastic paint buckets with sealing lids. A trick I picked up and started her young was to draw a flower on her water bottle. She always had her bottle close or in site. This is a dehydration thing. So you know they are taking in water, Only refill it if it is half empty or empty. Always start with it full in the morning. You will get used to tracking if they are drinking enough. This is a good trick if you have other kids with you on day trips. Keep them well Hydrated. This is seven years later Her Opti ( In fact David's Daughters old Opti ) Link to post Share on other sites
John B 106 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 You guys have nailed it all. My youngest is 14 and oldest 20 now but we cruised straight off each year regardless of their ages... a month or so . First off was the moses basket .. one of those large soft woven baskets with handles, that was great while they stayed put. Then it was a chair clipped to the coaming or companionway.. worked like a kids car seat and they were captivated in there. Down below I made a fabric drop side bunk to keep the baby captured.Then as they got bigger it became a no argument no option harness or lifejacket rule for the cockpit at all times. That relaxed as they became bigger and had all the swimming lessons etc, into nothing cockpit only while at anchor . We had no lifelines so they weren't allowed on deck without a harness or jacket. I'll never forget seeing our mates baby crawl along the deck ( they had screens/ netting right around) until she found a gap and shot through it up by the anchor. They trusted the netting and didn't have the 'no deck' rule. The little chair I made on the port coaming.. and stacked two high down below Link to post Share on other sites
El Toro 97 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Hamish buy a 'Bumbo' a rubber seat with removable tray... we used it for both eating and plonking her in when we were moving. Agree with Booboo on the making them fit to you rather than the other way around. We never had any issues really... kid adjusted quickly and off we went. Had her sleep in the bow thru some pretty rough stuff... whilst she moved due to gravity, she never woke..just jammed her in with pillows and bean bags Link to post Share on other sites
Absolution 7 Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 Hamish buy a 'Bumbo' a rubber seat with removable tray... we used it for both eating and plonking her in when we were moving. Another thing for the shopping list. Thanks Tom! She's not on solids yet and probably won't be until Jan so that should me the whole feeding, pooing thing a bit less drama (i.e cleaner). I like the look of your canvas bunk John B. Might have to find a friendly sail maker to knock one of those up when she get's a bit bigger. Which reminds me I think the boom tent will need to be resurrected/repaired/replaced before summer. Link to post Share on other sites
Absolution 7 Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 I forgot about nappies. You will build up a list of easily accessibly rubbish bins. Onerowa, Scotts Landing, and a few on the barrier. What about places to pick up fresh water? I think we're going to go through a bit more than usual. Most of the time we get away with topping up the tanks at Fitzroy once while we're away. Are there any other handy spots to pick up water around the gulf? Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Kids love boats if they get on them young enough. I grew up on our family trimaran. Mum used to put floaties on my arms at about age 1 and tie the mainsheet around my waist and chuck me overboard while we were at anchor in a bay at the Mercs or Mayor Island or wherever... That's how I learned to swim I vividly remember hanging down between the main hull and the ama holding onto the lifelines with both hands trying to get my toes to skim on the water as we flew along at 16 knots. I'd squeal with delight when I managed to get my feet in the water. I went in twice - once when I slipped and let go, and a second time when a big swell hit us side on and the water came up to my head and sucked me away. But I knew my life jacket would keep me floating while dad turned around and came back for a man over board drill. My earliest unplanned swim was rowing out to the boat in the dingy with my dad and my uncle and several crates of beer when i was about 8 months old. Freeboard was 'marginal' and it all went pear shaped and the dinghy swamped. Mum was yelling at dad and my uncle "Grab the baby!". Their theory was I would float but crates of beer wouldn't. Turned out they were right. Also turned out that being right in such situations doesn't always count for much. Link to post Share on other sites
B00B00 310 Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 We actually have a Bumbo for sale right now, let me know if you want it and I will take it off trade me. Its in great condition. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =422164586 Link to post Share on other sites
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