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Thread: Babies and boating

  1. #1
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    Babies and boating

    Looking for some advice on boating with a baby. My daughter was born March 5 and boating this year has been very hard to say the least. She's been out a couple times that only lasted a few hours before she becomes miserable from the heat. Seems every time I've got a day off it gets hot and humid again. I'm looking into have a custom bimini made to hopefully help with the heat and sun. I've got a small fan in the cabin that doesnt do much but offers some relief. Maybe the only real answer is for me to be patient but it's very frustrating.

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    Yes, patience is the key,.....

    I don't know if this is your first baby, or first baby with a boat, but going from my experience, my kids didn't really start bearing the things that go with boating until they were 3. I am in Florida, so the heat was definitely one of the issues.

    My son is 3 now (I have 4 all together), he's the youngest, and even now, I am almost thankful that the boat isn't done, because I don't think they REALLY enjoy it until about the age of 5 - though all children are different.

    Congrats on the baby, and good luck

    Wayne

    Quote Originally Posted by brwn234 View Post
    Looking for some advice on boating with a baby. My daughter was born March 5 and boating this year has been very hard to say the least. She's been out a couple times that only lasted a few hours before she becomes miserable from the heat. Seems every time I've got a day off it gets hot and humid again. I'm looking into have a custom bimini made to hopefully help with the heat and sun. I've got a small fan in the cabin that doesnt do much but offers some relief. Maybe the only real answer is for me to be patient but it's very frustrating.
    1967 Ski Sporter Bench Seat Project Boat

    Tact - The ability to make a point without making an enemy.

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    My mother says taking me out in the boat was the only way to get me to take a nap when I was a baby, but the boat had a cuddy. As soon as she'd turn the boat off, I'd start screaming...Good thing gas was cheap back then.
    1978 X-18, SBC, Volvo 280T
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  4. #4
    mrfixxall Guest

    Fixx

    if you dont mind giving up one of your coolers for ice thease work pretty good..

    http://www.swampy.net/m300.html

    http://southjersey.craigslist.org/boa/1772487403.html

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    Quote Originally Posted by brwn234 View Post
    Looking for some advice on boating with a baby. My daughter was born March 5 and boating this year has been very hard to say the least. She's been out a couple times that only lasted a few hours before she becomes miserable from the heat. Seems every time I've got a day off it gets hot and humid again. I'm looking into have a custom bimini made to hopefully help with the heat and sun. I've got a small fan in the cabin that doesnt do much but offers some relief. Maybe the only real answer is for me to be patient but it's very frustrating.
    Heat is always our biggest problem. It is also the reason I got a bigger boat. In Florida kids do not have to wear a life jacket on boats bigger than 26 feet. I used to pull the jackets off of them at idle anyway in the Minx but now it is legal to do so.
    A few hours is a pretty good day for a little one on the water. We generally go out mid to late morning and return mid afternoon. It is what it is as far as time frame goes. The best place for the kids to be is literally in the water. I have a little crab shaped floatie with a top for Mini-me. My daughter (3) gets are regular floatie and we float around the sandbar, go to visit a beach, etc. I generally put only 1 hours time (maybe less) on the engines on a given weekend. The rest of the time is spent anchored.
    I too have been looking at bimini tops. they will help for sure. I have also been looking at the DC air conditioning units for the cabin. $$$ but will allow us to stay out longer so it might be worth it.
    I think it is best to have them get used to the boat. My daughter loves going out because we have always had the "Let's Go!" attitude when it comes to the boat so she knows it as a place of fun.
    We took them to AOTH last year, so Bobby was about the same age as yours. Holly was 2 and just potty trained at the time. Here are pics from AOTH and a couple from the new boat...
    Also... ALWAYS have a first aid kit aboard. don't cheap out on that.

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    how old was mini-me in those pic's?

    I have the same issue now with my new grand-daughter, she is 5 months, my daughter begged me to take her out yesterday, I said no.. too young.... thet weren't happy with my decision...
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    Quote Originally Posted by BUIZILLA View Post
    how old was mini-me in those pic's?

    I have the same issue now with my new grand-daughter, she is 5 months, my daughter begged me to take her out yesterday, I said no.. too young.... thet weren't happy with my decision...
    Mini-me was 10 weeks old

    You probably remember I was gladly pulling up the rear at AOTH.

    After that, we got the ZXO and we were out an average of every other weekend starting Father's day through September. that put him at 3 months - 6 months in age.

    Keep in mind I am very careful behind the wheel. I am still in shock over the Testosterone fest at AOTH 9. I had never seen driving like that in my life and would have been in the back with or without the kids... the kids actually drove in the car with Hotboat's wife to Lee's Ford and I was still in the last group to get there. We trailered home from Lees ford because I thought the conditions were unsafe for boating. but that's just me.

    Each captain has to decide the safety level for the conditions... including weather, traffic, and speed. I don't let anyone ride in the bow of the ZXO unless we are going slow or we are in very light traffic in protected waters. Any sign of waves larger than flat smooth or traffic everyone moves to the stern. I am more concerned about other boaters than anything else.

    When it comes to a 5 month old it is best, in my opinion, to get them started at that age so they know the process before they can walk. a much tougher age to start is after they can walk and don't know the process, feeling of the waves, life jacket, etc. plus, later they don't like to sit still and want to get into everything.

    Both of my kids, because I started them young, know that when I ask them to wear a life jacket it is for a reason and they don't complain about it. Holly knows when it is time to go fast and will start putting it on by herself.

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    I'd like to add comfort is key to a captain.

    My Dad, on the first 'Big' boat (45 Viking) hired a captain to train us in what the heck to do. Our biggest boat before that was an express cruiser.

    The first thing the guy does is give my Dad the wheel and just looks at his hands. He proceeds to say, "Good, not nervous" My Dad responded that he was correct, not nervous... Captain said something like... anyone who has the shakes thinks they go away. They don't. If you were nervous I would have told you to sell the boat.

    So... if you are nervous for some reason taking out your grandkids there is probably a good reason for it in your mind. and that is all that matters.

    Just like me... I was nervous with the log fest in Cumberland that year. I know what logs can do to boats and I was not comfortable running in that crap... and that was all that mattered to me at the time to make the call to trailer back to the hotel.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kirbyvv View Post
    My mother says taking me out in the boat was the only way to get me to take a nap when I was a baby, but the boat had a cuddy. As soon as she'd turn the boat off, I'd start screaming...Good thing gas was cheap back then.
    I was the same way. I grew up in a 20' Hawaiian jetboat with no cabin, bimini or room. A towel drapped over the front seats while beached was the only shade I had.

    She's my first and I'm still figuring out the whole baby thing let alone boating and baby. I think I'm getting the hang of it though. We had a good time out today. Went out on my buddies bowrider with a bimini. She did great, had a great time and so did I. Got a little hot and cranky and jumped in the river. Smiling and gigling and having a good time. The bimini is going to make things alot easier.

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    Quote Originally Posted by brwn234 View Post
    I was the same way. I grew up in a 20' Hawaiian jetboat with no cabin, bimini or room. A towel drapped over the front seats while beached was the only shade I had.

    She's my first and I'm still figuring out the whole baby thing let alone boating and baby. I think I'm getting the hang of it though. We had a good time out today. Went out on my buddies bowrider with a bimini. She did great, had a great time and so did I. Got a little hot and cranky and jumped in the river. Smiling and gigling and having a good time. The bimini is going to make things alot easier.
    Awesome. Compromise is the key to boating with kids.

    I'm thinking about putting the ZXO on ebay and seeing how it goes. no sale, I'll do a Bimini, if it sells I'll figure out another boat. although, there never is a perfect boat

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    You have great advice and I really like your considerations of safety, Vette. It was a good read.

    Maybe the perfect boat is having 2 or 3 of them in different flavors. None of my 3 kids are crazy about the Donzi. Too loud and too fast and too scary for my 5 yr. old son, but he's getting better. 12 yr. old stepdaughter is okay with it, but she liked the other boats that were easy to swim from. 16 yr. old stepson not interested in anything motorized, apparently. I don't often refer to him as my stepson, but if he's not interested in anything motorized, then he's definitely not related to me. But I digress......

    So maybe we'll work on getting something the whole family will enjoy. I'm thinking a 40' sedan diesel trawler that we can spend some time on and still afford to use. I can tie it to my dock just fine and still keep the Donzi on the lift. Have to figure something out because I AIN'T selling the Donzi because I love it and am sick of compromising......

    But yes, Donzi Classics are definitely one of the most impractical family boats in existence!




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