Basic Safety Rules For Yachtsmen With Kids From 0+

My son's first yacht experience was when he was not even 4. Despite having doubt, we ventured out on a small voyage. My personal experience shows that until your baby becomes an active explorer of the surrounding space or starts to walk, everything is just easy breezy!

You can take a car booster baby seat on board – and the sea will be gently lulling the baby into sleep. When the wind is strong, though, the parents should hold the baby seat by the hand.

There is nowhere really to fall down in the cabin, but if you bring a baby nest bed along, it will be even more comfortable and will rule out a possibility that you lean against the baby during sleep. All cabins have port lights, which should remain open in the summer but you can pull a mosquito net or a blackout curtain over them.

First life jacket and footwear. Once the baby starts taking its first independent steps, the parents start having a harder time. :) Decathlon shops offer life jackets that are suitable for yachting (an average swimming life jacket will not do) for the minimum weight of 15 kilos (we used one for 12 kilos), as well as size 19-21 rubber flip-flops.

Lifeline netting on railings. Put safety nets on the railing: this should be agreed upon with the travel agent or the charter company directly. Plus, take turns looking after the baby's movement around the yacht.

By the way, there are kid-sized life jackets in all charter companies. Alert them (or ask us if you are booking a yacht through the Salty Miles agency) to make sure there are life jackets of various sizes on board – from the smallest size to the teenager edition.

For such small children to bathe, you should plan mooring near a beach with fine pebbles, which Croatia has aplenty. Bathing babies from the swim platform is extremely unsafe, even if they wear water wings and young children are often afraid of the open sea. If there are many kids, no problem – some of them can be on the shore, while others are bathing around the anchored yacht nearby.

Starting from a very young age, kids should be taught that one shouldn't walk on a yacht standing erect – only bent and leaning forward while holding the railing or shrouds when moving from front to back part of the yacht and vice versa.

Teak-wood swim platform or cockpit. A most dangerous moment – when the kids jump onto the yacht from the water and make a dash across a wet deck. And unless the cockpit (back part of the yacht) has teak decking or the child has put on the rubber flip-flops, someone will slip for sure. This is why I recommend yachts with a special roll-out swim platform – even if there is no teak decking, it will still be on the platform.

Dry the feet after bathing/swimming. Apart from that, you should teach the kids to dry the feet prior to running down the stairs or into a passenger lounge of the catamaran. The yacht should be dry inside at all times – this is a universal rule.

Diving off the boat. The kid's favorite pastime should be closely supervised by adults. You should only jump from a yacht that is anchored or stationed in a marina, and the captain gave his permission to bathe there. It is absolutely prohibited to dive from a yacht when it's in motion. Also, make sure, the kids are jumping into water from a safe place, and not over railings, to prevent them from tripping over part of the yacht or the equipment.

Running up the gangplank into a yacht. Kids often like jumping on it as if it were a trampoline or run into a yacht when it's in motion. They should be slowed down, though, as at most times the gangplank is not stable enough due to the constant movement of the yacht on the water.

Kids would volunteer during mooring. Of course, you shouldn't say no, but it would be best if one of the adults remains on standby to help, as the children may lack physical strength to do everything properly. Also, they could put their hands in between the yachts, etc. Generally, mooring should be the adults' business, while the kids could be responsible for something else.