Motor Boat & Yachting — August 2017

Keeping the clan happy on the water can be trickier than

you think, so set the course for one of these destinations

and the whole family will be in for a treat

A

nyone with a cruising boat and a

growing family has a tricky balancing

act when planning summer holidays,

especially when teens start developing

their own ideas about how they

like spending time. Skippers with

a yen to range further afield each

season usually learn that this

isn’t always the best way to keep everyone on board

fully engaged. Indeed, the most successful family

boating holidays seem to involve minimal distance

covered but plenty of variety in the activities on

offer each day.

With this in mind I have chosen three

of my favourite cruising destinations

where you can base a boat safely, enjoy

great local cruising whenever you fancy

and – crucially – have a wide choice of diversions on tap for

all ages and tastes. They are Dartmouth in the West Country,

Jersey in the Channel Islands and Bénodet in south Brittany.

Ideally, deliver your boat to the chosen base well before your

planned holiday. Then, when you escape to the boat again your

enjoyment starts from day one, without any delays or frustrations

caused by inclement passagemaking weather.

For the logistics, Dartmouth is easy to reach by road,

Jersey by air, and Bénodet is 4½ hours drive from Cherbourg

ferry terminal, three hours from St Malo and only 1¾

hours from Roscoff. Far from being an inconvenience

or chore, I find that delivery trips to and from

cruising areas provide plenty of interest and

satisfaction for those who like longer passages,

without having to involve family members

who don’t. Everyone wins, which is really

the whole object of the exercise.

Words & pictures Peter Cumberlidge

Fa mily

boati ng

holidays

TRAVEL