5 kids on a boat?

[merrymailer]

Hello, new friends.

Gosh, so glad I'm here. Makes this whole adventure begin to feel real. My husband and I want to move the family on board w/in 2 years and set sail. We have 5 kids - currently 10, 9, 3.5, 2, and 11 months. Our plan is to stay coastal for a few years b/c one of the kids has a special medical need (speech therapy due to cleft palate). As we've begun to tell people about our dream of raising the kids as liveaboards, they all look at us like we're crazy. Maybe we are! It hasn't crossed my mind that we CAN'T do it, but the logistics haven't yet been worked out. I'm here to lurk for awhile, if that's okay, and to ask a few questions while we're piecing our dream together.

Husband is a captain already (I'm a semi-novice) and wants to go big with a boat. He's looking at a 65' cat. I'm thinking that's a whole lot of boat. As we're talking more about it, though, (we talk of nothing else these days maybe he's right. With 7 of us and our cat.....1500 sq feet isn't so much space for living quarters. Any of you out there with a bunch of kids? I'd love to hear from you!

Glad to be here! Thanks for sharing.

Catherine

[Charlie]

Hi Catherine:

Welcome aboard. Wow 5 kids. Thats alot. I have two ages 11 and 9. We aren't live aboard -- yet.
We have a 41 foot mono and it is what I am comfortable handling. Remember that if your hubbie gets very ill it will be you and the kids running the boat. How about trying some charters on large cats in the Carribean? That will give you a good idea of how it will work out. Good luck with it. Maybe we'll see you as we head thru the Carrib.

[merrymailer]

Charlie, thanks. We're thinking alike.....considering beginning our homeschooling immediately so we can take older kiddos out of school and test the waters, so to speak. Appreciate your well wishes and the tip! Sounds like you're moving aboard?

Catherine

[island trader]

Hi Catherine,

I live on a 46' with my 4 yr old. enough room, and when family visit, we host up to 4 more. So we can deal wit 6 for a while. the nice thing about a boat is you don't need or want all that stuff you have in your home. I left a 4000sf gome and never looked back. it's keeping the older kids happy, that will be the main job. before you buy, I would charter one, for a week or month, 65 cat is alot of boat... i will be great though!

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Merrymailer,
Welcome aboard!! You'll never have to worry about having enough crew once the "deck apes" are trained. In my opinion "deck apes" is a term of endearment so I hope that was not off-putting. There was an old video tape of the "Sea Witch's" circumnavigation where there were 3 kids aboard. I used to have a copy that I bought from the author. Really a great (primitive) tape done in the late 70s early 80s. The name Don Driscoll comes to mind but I'm not certain that is correct. I think you'd like it if you can find it.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[jackdale]

Two families with which I am familiar have written books

Fiona McCall - 2 kids, 28 foot junk rigged steel, 6 circumnavigation, 2 books

Liza Copeland - 3 kids, 38 Beneteau, 6 year circumnavigation. 3 or 4 books

Jack

[swabbmob]

Merrymailer,
go girl! we had the same crazy idea last year and are very close to realizing the dream. the jury is still out on how we will cope, but i think we are going to have a great time. i really feel like we are about to escape from the system. we have 5 kids, but only 3 will be with us. i like mono hulls, but probably could have gotten very interested in a 40' cat if I had really looked at them. i like to heel

good luck!