I wanted to start a build thread but all I got was this t-shirt and a delivered boat

[fxykty]

Well, I clicked your link to see the actual replies. Awesome. It sounds like you’ve got your whole family on board (pardon the pun). I’m absolutely thrilled for you and your family.

Given my own experiences growing up on a variety of family sailing boats and those of friends with kids, I respectfully offer the following advice.

Kids enjoy family time and family activities, but as they get older (say 8-10+) they will also want to do their own thing. Allow them, so they don’t think of the boat as a prison. I see you’ve got a flamingo pool toy. Great first step.

Do you have wetsuits? Wearing them extends the time your kids can spend in and around the water and even shorties provide a fair bit of flotation. If your cruising areas have marginal water temperatures then wetsuits really help to extend the season.

Inflatable SUPs and kayaks take up little room and offer the entire bay or marina or estuary or island coastline for exploration. Get some waterproof 2-way radios and you can let 1 or more of your kids go exploring on their own (of course, you set the parameters of how far and long they can go). And you can go exploring as well - polarised glasses and a SUP are as good as snorkeling or a glass bottom boat in shallow waters. Much more fun than the dinghy.

Consider also windsurfing - a fun activity and also a great way to develop sailing sense and appreciation of wind, wind shifts, and sea state.

Fishing, shell collecting, edible berry collecting, bird spotting, large animal spotting and recoding, picking the next place to go to.... These are all things for kids to do that help get them engaged on their own terms and not only as a family unit.

I’m looking forward to hearing about your cruising to Norway.

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by fxykty

Well, I clicked your link to see the actual replies. Awesome. It sounds like you’ve got your whole family on board (pardon the pun). I’m absolutely thrilled for you and your family.

Given my own experiences growing up on a variety of family sailing boats and those of friends with kids, I respectfully offer the following advice.

Thank you, sincerely!

Kids enjoy family time and family activities, but as they get older (say 8-10+) they will also want to do their own thing. Allow them, so they don’t think of the boat as a prison. I see you’ve got a flamingo pool toy. Great first step.

Yes, absolutely. I think all of them enjoyed being able to quite freely go out and explore their surroundings, having the boat as a base. Mostly on land, but the elder ones did enjoy rowing around with the dinghy.

Do you have wetsuits? Wearing them extends the time your kids can spend in and around the water and even shorties provide a fair bit of flotation. If your cruising areas have marginal water temperatures then wetsuits really help to extend the season.

That's a cool () suggestion! Never really thought about that.

Inflatable SUPs and kayaks take up little room and offer the entire bay or marina or estuary or island coastline for exploration. Get some waterproof 2-way radios and you can let 1 or more of your kids go exploring on their own (of course, you set the parameters of how far and long they can go). And you can go exploring as well - polarised glasses and a SUP are as good as snorkeling or a glass bottom boat in shallow waters. Much more fun than the dinghy.

Consider also windsurfing - a fun activity and also a great way to develop sailing sense and appreciation of wind, wind shifts, and sea state.

Fishing, shell collecting, edible berry collecting, bird spotting, large animal spotting and recoding, picking the next place to go to.... These are all things for kids to do that help get them engaged on their own terms and not only as a family unit.

I’m looking forward to hearing about your cruising to Norway.

Thank you again for all your wonderful suggestions! I completely agree with the theme "engaged on their own terms".

About five months until the boat is in the water again

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by mglonnro

About five months until the boat is in the water again

Well, I can't count, it seems. About four months, maybe even a bit less