I chose a Privilege 42 - kiddies?

[Fishman]

Hi there
I previously asked the forum's advise regarding which used cat to buy (in the $200-$250k range) for a circumnavigation/live-aboard with my wife and 2 sons (3years old and 5 months old!). Well, I am in the process of buying a Privilege 42 through Phil Berman. The quality of the boat outweighed other factors which were on my "wish list" such as galley up etc (and the more I learned about cats the more my priorities changed!) Its kitted for offshore cruising with a cruising couple currently on board, they are busy cruising through the Caribbean. Its in Trinidad at the moment being hauled, antifouled and surveyed. I am quite excited, we will move on board during April this year.

My question to the forum is w.r.t. kiddies:
1. Safety stuff: netting around all 4 sides?, lifejackets (suggest a good kiddie make?), is carseat necessary in the cockpit? Gps armbands?
2. Entertainment? any interesting ideas
3. Driving in the dingy - safety issues?
4. Keeping an eye on them from a galley down position if they are in the cockpit and you are in the galley...
5. Any specific safety issues when under way?
6. Getting on and off in the marina...the boat I am buying has a hydraulic gangway...
7. Short term nannies to look after the kids at night when in port?

We are basically going to fly from South Africa to Trinidad and move almost straight on board...so we can't take any major gear with us (just regular luggage, small pram etc). We just want to make moving onto the yacht with the kids as painless as possible, I know some of the issues are obvious but we need some tips please! We will cruise around the Caribbean for the 1st year, starting with short "easy voyages" in the southern Caribbean during the Hurricane season. Do any of you have experience of different toddlers/kids from various yachts hanging out together, almost like a floating pre-school...and if so, where in the Caribbean can we look out for this kind of thing? Sounds crazy, but if you don't ask...

Thanks
Fishman

[tyrntlzrdking]

Congrats on your purchase!
Is this the one you bought?Catamaran 1996 Privilege Catamaran For Sale
I noticed it about a month ago. Looked very clean in the pictures except for the hatch enlargment for the washer/dryer.
I would have made and offer, but I am not quite ready.
Have you seen it in person?
Good luck.

[2Hulls]

Congrats, Fishman. You will have a very worthy vessel.

As regards the kiddies questions, these are not unique to cats. Please inquire in a broader forum. From what I gather of the experiences of others, your family is about to thrive beyond your expectations. Fair winds to you all.

Dave

[delmarrey]

If I had kids and/or pets aboard I would have these on board. Not so much for the motor cut out but for the alarm. Anyone up on deck underway would have to wear one, especially at night.

Now, if we can get them to break loose the sail halyards we'll have a real deal.

How it works

[Fishman]

Yes it is the cat you mentioned, called Tojo. Does anyone have experience with these MOB wrist devices? This kill switch one looks like its more designed for power boats and waverunners.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Fishman

...
4. Keeping an eye on them from a galley down position if they are in the cockpit and you are in the galley...
5. Any specific safety issues when under way?
...

I don’t think a three year old should ever be unattended topsides. At least one of you should always be within reach of the kids, when they are awake - at least until the toddler becomes acclimatized to the boat (and the safety rules you establish).
Once the child has demonstrated an appreciation for the rules, and a certain physical ability (can swim, sure-footed & nimble, etc), you might relax the “leash” to within eyesight.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Fishman

Does anyone have experience with these MOB wrist devices? This kill switch one looks like its more designed for power boats and waverunners.

Search the site some more, they have two different colors, one just sets off an alarm, great for dogs too.

[schoonerdog]

We've had our now three year old aboard since birth. We've got a couple rules regarding him that help prevent mishaps.

1) If he's inside the boat, we lock the door to the cockpit from the inside. As all kids prove very adept at unlocking doors we installed a latch pull type lock on the very top of the door that he can't reach. We keep him in our bed at night but even still it's very easy for a kid to get up without you knowing and have a look around.

2) If he's inside the cockpit, we are out with him and have him in sight at all times.

3) If he leaves the cockpit, he wears a life jacket and we are within 10 ft of him. (until he was 2 we would typically wear him on deck in a backpack).

4) bad weather, he's inside or in the marina yard, not on deck or on dock.

Regarding kiddie netting, your choice. Once he's bulked up by a life jacket he can't fall between the toe rail and the lower life line. Regarding life jackets we bought the full offshore versions from west marine and tested them with him in the marina pool by putting him in. I found the life line netting degrades pretty quickly so it provided sort of a false sense of security. Really important to have the full turn-them-over type life jacket with the large front vest floatation and back of head flap. By the way most kiddie life jackets also have a big strap loop coming from the head flap of the life jacket that provides a very good handle when you need it. What ever you get pool test it.

Our cockpit is surrounded by swim platform or large wide side decks so he can't immediately go from there to the water. If he could easily fall directly overboard from the cockpit we would have had him wear a life jacket in the cockpit as well.

On docks he wears a life jacket at all times. When he was younger we would always wear him in a backpack style carrier when on the docks (we never used the stroller, always the pack, it's much more freeing!).

One thing we found useful (very) althought it's destinctively unmanly is a boarding ramp with waist high rails. Often you are coming aboard with groceries, or things are slippery, and you really need to be able to walk onboard with your hands full and having your kid on your back without doing the leap of faith. It's that initial leap of faith that's resulted in every dockside unintended swim we've seen (including two of my own). I'd recommend that as our most important modification.

Since water safety is such a big deal we have had him in swim lessons since he was 6 months. On his third birthday he could swim about 10-15 ft and loved diving under the water.

On dingy rides when he was younger we would have him on our lap and be tethered to an adult while in his life jacket. Now he can sit on the front bowlocker, well within the dingy and look out on his own (which he and his friends really enjoy!) but he never sits up on the tubes.

Regarding the fancier electronic alarms, I've thought about it, but really I'd rather put more effort into ensuring that he can't be in an overboard situation without one of us on top of him. If I was doing serious offshore work I would think about a MOB beacon as an extra layer of defense.

[Fishman]

Thanks Scoonerdog...I am concerned about the kiddie safety accross the stern of the Privilege 42 as the back of the cockpit pretty much drops straight into the water (no swim platform)...apart from netting this section I wonder off the viability of putting a kind of narrow "catchment net" or tarp between the 2 sugar scoops, just below the davits. Or even a lightweight narrow swim platform?
Here's a link to a pic of the stern:

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...to_name=Davits

Also check the hydraulic ramp - will be quite a bonus with your hands full!
Any ideas would be appreciated, thanks
Fishman

[Ex-Calif]

This may be so obvious but don't forget to get quality jackets with crotch straps. Otherwise the child will slip out the bottom when you haul him back on the boat by the collar.

Don't ask me how I know...

[Therapy]

[quote=Ex-Calif;129798]This may be so obvious but don't forget to get quality jackets with crotch straps.
[quote]

Ditto!!!!!