Another 'Would You . . . ' Question

[Sabbatical II]

Originally Posted by FamilyOf7

Background info: My wife and I are both age 37. We currently have 5 boys. Their ages are 9, 7, 5, 3, 4 months. Our 4th son who is 3 has Juvenile Diabetes.

We are currently self-employed in the Computer field. My wife and I run our business and have around 6 employees. One of our dreams/goals is in 3 – 5 years to leave it all and start the sailing live aboard lifestyle. The area we had planned on exploring was the Caribbean, panama, Mexico area. We had also hoped to stay near the continental US and in summers, sail the Great Lakes. Our extended families are still here, so we can’t completely leave. Just tired of snow and cold.

Sailing Experience: Little to none.

Hi Matt

There are some good responses here and I'd like to add this to them.

Why don't you enrol the oldest 2 boys in a junior sailing school in sailing dingies. KIds will learn better from someone else and with the interaction with other kids will learn to love sailing itself. If you then buy a small sailing dingy, the 2 big boys will love to go off by themselves on the bay. The 3 smaller boys will learn from the biigger ones and my bet is in 4 years time, they will be teaching you stuff because kids learn quicker than we do and what they learn young becomes intuative. If you do this in 4 years time, the two elder boys could be taught how to stand watch and again the younger ones will learn from the elder ones when they are ready.

Since I have waited until my kids are independent, I can only imagine the enourmous commitment and energy required to go cruising with (lots of) small children. Go and charter a big cat first so that you know from 1st hand experience you want to do it.

Oh, so if you wait a few more years before you go, does that mean you might be requiring 9 or 10 berths instead of "only 7" that's now required? This would severley limit the boats that could do this in your price range.

Seriously, go for it. It will bond the boys and build memories that will be priceless in the future! It will take every bit of energy you've got and you will have spent that energy well.

[bobconnie]

We raised 4 kids aboard, 3 girls 1 boy from the ages of 5, 10,12 and 12 Till they were a adults had lots of problems the same ones you have ashore!! they were all home schooled. 2 of the girls are RNs like there mom the other girl has her own profitable online site. the youngest boy is a Catapiller mech. They all still sail at least some of the time. they all meet us at different places we sail to for a few weeks at atime. We say have some fun !! but do as some of the folks are saying, try a charter out first, then if pretty much all agree go for it !! We did!! Bob and Connie