Is sailing with kids possible? Yes, it is amazing!
Just because you have a family now, it does not mean you have to say goodbye to all the good things in life. We have all been young and sailing with children is not much different than sailing with adults. However, it is crucial for children to like being out at sea on the boat, and all crew members must have the right attitude toward this type of sailing from the beginning. This is an excellent opportunity for children to learn about sailing and explore new things
However, when sailing with kids, the crew must be aware that things will not always turn out as planned.
The most important thing when sailing with kids is to ensure all possible safety measures and features. To that end, we have prepared sailing tips and advice on how to keep your kids safe and entertained while sailing on your yacht.
Safety 1st
Life jackets
Life jackets are especially important when it comes to children even if they are swimmers and even when sailing in the Mediterranean where the water is warm and calm. All young children and non-swimmers must have life jackets.
Children must wear a life jacket when on the deck of a boat – accidents may happen when you least expect them.
Navigare Yachting will provide you with life jackets for children, but this must be noted before your yacht charter – enter this request in the crew list and specify the child’s weight and age.
Safety net
If you have very young children on board, it may be a good idea to install a safety net before you start sailing. If you need us to provide it, you must let us know well in advance. The safety net offers good protection for children playing or sunbathing on the deck, and it stops any sliding overboard. (Please note that there is an extra charge for this – contact us for more information.).
A harness is an extra safety measure you might consider for protecting your kids when sailing.
Seasickness
Just like us adults, some children might be affected by seasickness while others might not. It will be very helpful for children to sit out on the deck and breathe in the fresh air and not spend their time down below the deck.
Health tips
Children need to wear sunscreen while swimming as the sun can be more intense when in the water. It may even be good for the child to wear a T-shirt. Bring medicines like painkillers, drugs for fever, sore throat, etc. And don’t forget to bring band-aids.
Make sure you take enough of your kid’s clothes – kids can be messy, and you may not have the opportunity to wash their clothes regularly.
When out on the sea, people sometimes forget to drink enough fluids – drink plenty of water and make sure your child does the same! Give everyone half-liter bottles of water with their names on them, so you can track if everyone’s drinking enough.
Keeping your kid safe while sailing is of utmost importance – however, you cannot hold your child tied down, and not let them do anything. Children on a sailing holiday need to be entertained as well, which brings us to our next group of sailing tips and advice:
Entertainment
It is a good idea to bring a friend – children should have company for playing. Make sure you bring the child’s favorite toys and books on board so that they have something to entertain themselves with. Maybe you could also bring a DVD player or some video games in case they get bored during long hours of sailing. Older kids usually like to use the dinghy which you can use to go on short sailing trips. This is, of course, a good way to teach them the basics of sailing. Make sure you teach your child all safety precautions.
Also, keep in mind:
Route
When planning your route for a sailing holiday with children, it may be good to have a plan B just in case something unexpected should happen. When you have children on board, you should adjust the pace of your sailing holiday accordingly.
Now you are ready to take your kid on the sailing holiday of their dreams!