Kids On Board

Dr. Ginsberg has a few special admonitions for people who take their children boating and fishing. Take ordinary precautions about food and water safety (PFDs, proper seating, supervision, no hijinks underway), and the usual first aid supplies. His only concern is that children stay safe from sunburn, and that they get enough liquids, especially if they are too young to ask for a drink. He doesn't even demand that you keep kids out of the water for an hour after eating. "You might try 15-20 minutes," he says.



“Children usually get more middle ear infections than adults,” Dr. Ginsberg told us, "but earaches caused by swimming are usually in the external part of the ear. There are over-the-counter drying agents. Too, remind your children not to put their fingers or anything else in their ears. This increases the likelihood of infection.

“Set limits. Know when to say no. Use common sense. And love and have fun with your child”-Dr. Ginsberg

When we asked about other problems that might be encountered when cruising with kids, he pointed out that children do get lost and get bored. "Lost" has a sinister new meaning on boats. Many parents keep the PFDs in the car. They go on when the family reaches the marina and don't come off until everyone is ready to go home. It's also important to hand over charge of children just as the Navy hands over the helm. Don't leave room for I-thought-he-was-with-you tragedies. Always know who has charge of the children ashore and afloat. Some parents also tether a toddler to a lifeline, or fasten netting to lifelines so little ones can't fall through.

It's hard to imagine children getting bored on a boat, but a lot depends on the child, the time of year, and the location. In good weather when everyone is swimming and fishing, there isn't time to get bored. However, on rainy days, boredom descends immediately after breakfast. We find that ghost stories, read aloud in shadowy light, keep everyone entertained for a while. Books on tape, or movies, are also good for the whole family. Personal radios and players keep some kids occupied for hours. When that wears off, try putting on a radio play, recording it on tape. Scripts are available at the library, although some kids can write their own.

Card games, drawing supplies and coloring books are compact and entertaining. We save a few extra games and treats to bring out later in the cruise. A frisbee takes up little room and it provides hours of beach fun. So does a kite. Nature identification books are always a hit, especially if we have binoculars and find things to look at. Lessons in rowing or sailing keep them occupied for hours.

Avoid toys that get underfoot, such as marbles and matchbox cars, messy paints and glues that could mar the boat, and board games with pieces that could blow away or disappear in the bilge. Magnetic board games are wind-proof and jiggle-proof. Just keep them away from the compass.

The best thing about family boating is that there are chores for everyone. We put the children in charge of flag etiquette and make big thing out of proper procedures, putting up the ensign at dawn, taking it down at sunset, and folding flags correctly. With supervision, kids can take the wheel and we can hardly pry them away. Age 7 learned to splice in an afternoon, and became so good at flemishing lines, she neated up the entire dock while the rest of us cleaned the catch. Our young guests learn to steer a compass course, keep a log, tie knots, and cast.

If there's a pet on board, older children are in charge of walk's on the beach after they get a good lesson in pet etiquette. (Head for the bushes. Clean up Number Two. And don't let a dog piddle on the dock or anyone's dock lines, trailer tires, water hose or other gear.) Even dish washing turns into an adventure when we have to make do with a hand or foot pump, stove-heated water, or washing in sea water. On one charter boat, we heated fresh water in a solar shower and used it to rinse dishes that had been washed in salt water. Wide-eyed kids thought it was like playing Robinson Crusoe or Gilligan's Island.

Even bath time becomes part of the fun when you have to jury rig a way to do it. Swimming over the side is the ultimate bath. If you rig a cold water shower in the cockpit, everyone can rinse down after swimming and towel dry without tracking sea or lake water into the cabin. Vel is one bar soap that lathers in salt water. So do most liquid soaps and shampoos. A fresh water rinse is a must after salt water bathing unless you want to feel damp and itchy. If you are on super-short water rations and can't spare any for a rinse, dry off with a towel then dust the child with talcum.

It's difficult to bathe an infant or toddler in a marina shower, so carry a tiny, inflatable swimming pool to use as a bath tub. For older kids, play Indian by painting their dirty hands, faces and knees with shaving cream. Then send them into the shower. You can also create a pressure shower by using a clean garden sprayer (one that has never held poisons). Heat water on the stove, hose down the child, lather up, then rinse. It takes only a quart of water to get a satisfying wash and rinse.

We have noticed only a few things different about feeding children on board than at home. One is that they want a lot more to drink, probably because of the drying effects of sun and wind. We carry many cartons of frozen water and only very lightly sugared fruit drinks. We avoid carbonated and sweet drinks for health reasons and to minimize trash. Everyone has their own mugs, which can be wiped out with a paper towel, so we don't spend a lot on paper cups.

Another difference is that kids seem to be less picky about eating when they're on boats, and they eat more. We are amazed to see them scarf down reconstituted dry milk, boiled catfish, cookies without double stuff, stale potato chips, burned popcorn, and almost anything else we can scare up. Take lots of food, the best sun block, protective hats, sunglasses, and a shipload of cold drinks.

Boating is the ultimate family fun. Share it with the kids.
 
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