Cruising with kids onboard can reignite the love for adventure.
Each summer, my husband and I set aside a portion of time to cruise Lake Michigan on our C&C 30 MK II. What started as two of us has evolved into sharing our love of the water and boating with our two young boys, ages 5 and 2.
The kids have limited our coastal exploring, as long slow passages by sail are still a bit hard for them. Nevertheless, we continue to explore in earnest as the boat is one of our favorite places to be.
As the years have gone by, we often tell people that we no longer take vacations, but rather “trips with children.” Gone are the days of reading our books in the cockpit, long dinners out, and naps in the sun while silently cutting through glassy water. Cruising with our kids adds some challenges but it also adds a remarkable new element of joy. Watching our boys grow up boating and seeing their confidence morph and change in and on the water reignites our love for adventure and the beautiful world all around us.
Cruising considerations
Each season of having babies and toddlers onboard has had its own unique set of challenges, but there are a few things that we’ve found to make every voyage more enjoyable. In the summer of 2023, our crew headed north from our home port of Muskegon, Michigan. On this particular trip, the most helpful decision we made was to sail overnight to our first destination. It was a 12-hour stretch in our little boat. The conditions were right, the moon was full, and the kids were able to sleep peacefully and wake up to a new adventure. My husband and I were a bit more worn out after an overnight sail, but not having to play cruise director for 12 hours on the water is worth a few extra cups of coffee and just muddling through one day. If they sleep through the entire passage, they get the joy of waking up in a new port, and exploring can begin right away.
When planning for a trip, we give a lot of thought to choosing which ports we will stop in and how we will get around once there. If there are playgrounds, mini golf, a beach, a marina with a pool, or hiking trails within walking or biking distance we know we will have a good time. When the children are content it’s a pretty safe bet that the adults onboard are as well.
Getting creative
In so many ways, boats are made to be baby-proof. Initially, our kids could not open cabinet doors, the refrigerator, or the head because of the latches that keep things secured when we are underway. They couldn’t climb ladders, and the cabin was essentially a big playpen when they were babies. But when they cracked the code to opening and climbing, they grew a bit more menacing in the cabin and we had to get a bit more creative with activities.
There are a few things that we have found to make boating with kids not only more enjoyable but also more functional.
•• INSTACART: I cannot say enough good things about how wonderful grocery delivery services are when you are out cruising. Our personal preference is Instacart, but I’m sure any grocery delivery service would work well.
With a little note of instruction, we’ve found the delivery drivers are willing to bring the groceries directly to the dock. When diapers are running low or the kid’s favorite snacks are eaten faster than anticipated, you can complete an order from the comfort of your boat and have it magically show up at your slip. No need to go wandering all around town — your favorite grocery stores are at your fingertips. This also helps keep us provisioned with healthy meals to make onboard. Going out to eat is often challenging when juggling an early bedtime or nap schedule, and having comfortable staple meals the kids enjoy helps to keep everyone smiling.
•• AUDIOBOOKS: Our 5-year-old is an enthusiastic and capable little member of our crew. He is eager to help and adores time on the water. However, while adults onboard can sit and watch the water go by for hours, he tends to get a bit bored. Audiobooks offer a great way to take in the scenery while also being entertained with captivating stories.
Sometimes my husband will read aloud from the old Arthur Ransome “Swallows and Amazons” series — many of which are about kids on boating adventures — and the whole family will listen together. But more often, my son will toss on his headphones, pop up on a perch seat and sit happily for a long, long time. He also has a fairly weak stomach and he frequently feels seasick when the waves build. With audiobooks, he gets lost in the stories and can take his mind off his turning stomach enough to enjoy the journey.
•• GOOD LIFE JACKETS AND TETHERS: When we feel that the kids are safe, we can relax enough to find delight on the water. A good life jacket is worth its weight in gold. My boys have jackets that they can wear for hours without being bothered. Having the flexibility to move around and be comfortable while also being safe is key.
We also use tethers at times while underway. I know there are different perspectives on tethers for kids on boats. While I think this topic warrants your own research and decisions about what is best and safest for your family, we have found that we have peace of mind knowing that they couldn’t go overboard if they make a wrong step. We are always very near to our kids on the water as they are such young crew members, but the tethers allow us to relax a bit and trust that as they watch the water they won’t accidentally lean too far. We keep a knife close to where we tether them in the unlikely event of a tragic accident and we need to free them from the boat. It gives us comfort to have one parent in the cockpit at the helm and one making lunches below, knowing that our 2-year-old won’t accidentally fall in.
•• ROCKS: Rocks are God’s gift to all young boaters. They keep us busy in two ways. First, collecting them in ports is an event. We bring buckets and hunt on beaches, trails and parking lots to replenish our stash. On the next leg of our trip, the boys spend lots of time slowly plunking them in one by one while we are underway. They love to watch them hit the water. This is a no-cost activity that can keep them busy for a long time. There is something cathartic about watching the rocks hit the water and disappear.
•• COLLAPSIBLE LAUNDRY BASKET: Kids love sand and dirt and we love to let them play, explore and get wildly messy. But, sometimes, on longer cruises, the kids can’t go without a good scrub. I’ve wrestled soapy babies and toddlers in marina showers, and then we got smarter. A collapsible laundry basket folds small enough to store and pops up large enough to act as a bathtub for little ones. Everyone has more fun when the berths aren’t full of sand, and the boat stays a bit tidier.
•• KITES: The wind and the waves are a playground to us parents and there is no reason not to let them also be fun for the kids. We have flown kites off our stern on calm days. The forward motion of the boat is enough to keep the kites flying smoothly and they add an element of fun for the kids. It’s something to watch and hold and keep them entertained.
•• NAPS: Naps are the very best thing during passages. A good lee cloth can make napping easier for small children. Our 5-year-old, who hasn’t napped at home since the day he turned 2, will often fall asleep on a passage. The motion of the boat combined with the way the sun saps your energy can make for perfect nap conditions. Time passes quickly and they arrive refreshed and reenergized. We often try to plan longer stretches during naptime to give ourselves a break partway through.
•• TOYS: We keep a lot of toys onboard that are just “boat toys.” These toys never come home with us, and this makes them far more entertaining and exciting in the times that they are onboard. Some of our favorite boat toys are kinetic sand, alphabet robots and 3-in-1 Lego creator sets.
•• BALANCE BIKES: We have found that our boys are much more content to go long distances once at a port if they can ride their balance bikes alongside us instead of just walking. Since these bikes are quite small, they are easy to bring along and add a lot of entertainment. We also always have a stroller onboard for the days their little legs are too tired or if they need a nap on the go.
Growth in the discomfort
These are just a few of the things we’ve found to be helpful. Every family is going to have their own set of tricks to make things work, as well as their own challenges and joys. The reality is that there are some days on the water that feel near perfect. The sunshine glistens on the lake, the music is playing, and everyone onboard is full of smiles. But there are just as many days where things do not go well — something breaks, the weather turns and plans change.
We have spent days wondering if it is worth raising kids on boats or if we should shift to simpler land-based activities. But we always come back to the fact that we like our kids to be witnesses to us handling adverse situations. We want to give them examples of how to navigate hard things. It is uncomfortable sometimes, but there is growth in the discomfort. The boys see us communicate, problem-solve and work as a team. And we hope this gives them a blueprint for how to respond under pressure, how to trust themselves, and to know that parents don’t always get it right.
All the tricks in the world won’t make it so that boating with kids is always easy, but there is value in it even when it is challenging. We grow together out on the water and we wouldn’t have it any other way. ⚓️
