Voyaging With Kids - A Guide to Family Life Afloat

Voyaging With Kids - A Guide to Family Life Afloat

“A treasure-trove of useful, well-organized information on sea-going parenting.” —Gary “Cap’n Fatty” Goodlander, Author of Buy, Outfit and Sail Choosing a boat that is right for your family; handling the naysayers; keeping your children safe, healthy and entertained afloat—this inspirational and comprehensive guide may be just what you need to turn your dream into a reality. The three authors, who have each voyaged thousands of miles with children on board, provide a factual and balanced look at the realities of family life on the sea. From their own experience and with information from interviews with dozens of other voyaging parents, they discuss caring for an infant on board, handling the changing needs of children as they grow, education options, ensuring parents find the private time to keep their relationships in tune, and helping children make the eventual transition back to shore life. Added to the authors’ voices are sidebars from other cruising parents with specialized information on subjects as diverse as handling special diets and how your children can keep in touch with friends around the world. A unique bonus chapter, written by a dozen former cruising kids looks at the long-term effects of breaking away from shoreside normalcy. A substantial appendix of resources provides valuable further information on the subjects covered in this book. It is said that every parent inflicts their lifestyle choices on their children. Read this book to find why heading out to sea with your children may be the most rewarding infliction of all. The best thing parents can do for their children these days is to unplug them from society and give them a wider and deeper perspective of the world and more meaningful way to experience the life as they grow. The best way to remove them from the bad influence of todays tasteless movies, violent video games, and shallow peers is to take your kids cruising. As more parents are doing exactly that, a brand-new book on the subject tells how. Voyaging with Kids: A Guide to Family Life Afloat was written jointly by a trio of sailors who have made this choice. Their collaboration is being supported by Lin Pardey who is publishing the book and has watched many cruising kids grow into extraordinary people over the years since she and Larry first threw off the docklines.Authors Behan Gifford, Sara Dawn Johnson, and Michael Robertson each represent one half of a cruising couple that has been out there voyaging with their children for several years. They address the issues of breaking away from land-based commitments, dealing with the naysayers, and helping children make the transition. They talk about choosing a family cruising boat, safety afloat for kids of all ages, staying healthy, and provisioning for a family aboard. They specifically address issues surrounding cruising with infants and at the other end of the spectrum cruising with teenagers. They also discuss how families spend their days aboard (with chores, holidays, home schooling, and great playtime) as well as relationships aboard and those they develop with other cruisers and cruising families. Just as important as transitioning to life afloat, they also cover preparing for the end of a voyage and re-entry into the hyper-society they have left behind.My favorite part of this book is the essays by former cruising kids, those who spent several years afloat. We often wonder what has become of them. Did they get a proper education? Did they grow up properly socialized? Do they look back fondly on their cruising years? Yes. Yes. And yes. While some, once grown, have planted the anchor firmly inland, many have continued to sail or cruise as adults on their own boats. They are exceptional adults in every sense of the word and a tribute to the idea of family cruising.This is a gorgeous book with additional interviews with and input from many other cruising families. If you know of a sailing family with the dream of cruising, buy them the book and then watch their children blossom far from the maddening crowd into very capable, independent, and special people --Karen Larson, editor, Good Old Boat Magazine Passion, resilience, perseverance, humility are just some of the words you can learn when at school. Or you can give your child (and yourselves!) the most amazing education this planet can provide. Taking a child long-distance sailing requires another useful word: planning; 'Voyaging with kids' delivers with this comprehensive guide. Take the plunge and we will see you out there. --Phillip Ross, Editor, Cruising Helmsman (Australia) Voyaging with Kids is a beautifully designed and very comprehensive reference on cruising with kids. It covers everything from picking your boat to what to bring along, how to stay safe and healthy, provisioning in far away places, and activities to pass the time or expose the kids to new experiences. There is a full chapter on boat schooling which has some very interesting suggestions, lik