Februar y 2015 47practical: families
We researched the internet for
experiences of other sailing families
and bounced the ideas off other
liveaboards. This article sets out
some of what we have learnt from our
experience to date.
Converting land to sea
While following the guidelines of how
to reduce the risk factors of SIDS we
modified a sea berth to be our son’s
cot/bed.
We changed the lee-cloth to one that
was adjustable in height and made of
material that is used for trampolines on
catamarans. This material is strong and
allowed for increased ventilation and
visualisation, so our son could see what
was happening around him and we
could see him.
We also installed a temporary
headboard where the mattress was split
in half. The aft end of the berth is our
son’s cot and the fore is an easy access
area to store his clothes etc.
When he was old enough, we swapped
the hanging or mobile toys to soft toys.
Books made out of material are fantastic
ways of passing the time.
We chose to use disposable nappies
for a number of reasons. We were
initially reliant on the marina laundry
and it was hard enough balancing
sleeps and feeds with our usual
washing, without adding nappies to the
washing list. I was also conscious of
what other people would think if they
knew we were washing nappies in the
washing machines.
We now have a washing machine
on the boat which makes washing
a lot easier. As we are living in the
marina and only having short sailing
adventures we are able to store enough
nappies and our rubbish until we can
dispose of it appropriately. The final
reason was convenience, disposables
are a lot less time consuming, which is
a blessing when we both work, building
the kitty to make the plan a reality.
We have decided to toilet train
our son as soon as he is ready in
preparation for our extended cruise
as we would rather not have to worry
about nappies when cruising (storage,
washing and disposal). If he is not
ready, then I will develop a system of
using and washing cloth nappies.
Changing nappies can be a
challenging experience at the best of
times. Successfully changing a nappy
while sailing close hauled into a choppy
sea provides a wonderful opportunity
to feel a strong sense of achievement.
We change our son in the v-berth as it is
at a back-friendly height, we can brace
ourselves against the bulkhead allowing
both hands to be free for our son and
there is the storage capacity to have
all things needed for a nappy change
within arms reach.
We plan on taking our car seat with
us so we can take our son in hire cars
as we move around on our adventure.The only challenge with this plan is
finding somewhere to store the car seat
on the boat.
A baby carrier and then a backpack
to carry our son were two of the most
useful purchases. Both the baby carrier
and the backpack are fantastic because
they free up our hands to carry things
(such as a baby bag) or push a trolley
full of groceries to the boat.
When it is raining it means you can
use an umbrella to keep you both dry.
The baby carrier was great as it allowed
me to move around the boat (particularly
down below in unpleasant conditions)
with two hands free or helm with our
son safely attached to me.
As the baby carriers and backpacks
are compact, they are easy to store on
the boat.
Now our son is older and walking, we
use the backpack as the preferred fast
way of getting from A to B. The backpack
is also useful for exploring expeditions
once we hop off the boat at an anchorage.
We chose a backpack that has a storage
area in it so we can use it to carry
something to eat, water, camera and
mobile phones rather than taking another
bag with us, so less bags in the tender.Bed or safe
area, with the
lee-cloth down.Playing in the cockpit, helping
with the clothes washing.