Passagemaking with Baby and Child Ditch Bag + General Tips?

[MereEnMer]

We have a 4 month old and an 8 year old and we're preparing for an Atlantic passage this upcoming season, COVID and weather permitting.

We have a 4 person SOLAS A Pack life raft for the two of us, the kids, and a captain (we figure the baby and the small-for-her-age 8 year old together take up the space and use the same amount of food and water as 1 adult?). We also have a small ditch bag with our EPIRB, handheld watermaker, and other equipment. What items should we include in the ditch bag for the kids besides what we would normally include for ourselves?

We have type 1 life jackets for everyone on board and an immersion suit for everyone on board (the baby's is a toddler- sized immersion suit with a separate infant liner you have to put on first so God help us if we ever need a diaper change while he's wearing it haha).

We have vomit bags in the raft already obviously, but my main concern is the diaper situation with our baby. I was thinking of including 1 extra cloth diaper (the kind we use have a waterproof outer layer) in a dry bag and a small mesh bag that can be tied to a rope so we can drag them to get them at least marginally cleaner, but is that overkill? Disposable diapers are less bulky, but I'd be worried about them puffing up if they get a little bit wet from spray or from the little puddles of water in the raft and being useless after that. Any other ideas?

Also, does anyone have ideas for small, lightweight items we could put in there for the 8 year old? We're thinking a small length of string for cat's cradle (which can also be used around the raft if needed) and a laminated half-sheet of paper with a china marker for drawing and playing tic-tac-to and pictionary, but we'd love some thoughts on things that are more compact then that. Would a waterproof deck of cards be too much? Basically we're trying to avoid a situation where the 8 year old gets bored and starts wanting to play with some of the survival gear that we actually need haha.

Any other things cruising parents can think up for our ditch bag that we're forgetting would be greatly appreciated. General tips for passagemaking with babies and children are also most welcome

I promise we're being sane about this- we're traveling in a group, hubby has tons of experience, our oldest is used to long periods aboard (nearly always within sight of shore, though), we're bringing a captain with us to help with watches, the boat will be babyproofed within an inch of its life, our first aid kit on board rivals a trauma ward, and if the weather window isn't perfect, we'll stay back in England thank you very much haha. Just with an infant and a young child, we're being extra cautious about making sure we have the right gear in the very small chance that something happens and the even smaller chance that none of the other boats notice.

[Cheechako]

Just be sure those kids can adapt to sea motion without continual sickness, it can be deadly in rare cases.

[JPA Cate]

Following through on the seasickness concept, you will need in your medical kit to have suppositories to stop vomiting; and an anti-diarrhetic. Extra water. Maybe start teaching the 8 yr. old to cope with boredom? About that age, one of my kid's school teacher's told the kids to get bored, it was all right, she said. Kids didn't much like the approach, but somehow learned to switch gears away from the need for constant stimulation. Meditation training?

I'd avoid the cards, sure to get lost, too many bits. But maybe a small magnetic chess set?

Ann

[atoll]

if you end up in the liferaft, boredom and nappy changes will be the least of your worries, avoiding hypothermia , windchill and staying hydrated will be the focus of all your energy

[Manateeman]

Hi. Can you find a medical doctor with offshore sailing experience to discuss your plans and equipment. I’m sure you know the risk situation but it’s not just a liferaft issue...a lot can go wrong with the little guys in the boat which requires professional advice. Larger vessels have direct medical communication equipment so they can speak with a physician. Sorry but diapers and toys in a life raft need not be on your list of concerns right now. Life raft means someone else might soon be risking their life to save yours. Please consider concentrating on Professional medical advice, training, equipment and communications.
Emergency room physicians see children in serious conditions every day and would be a good place to start.
Mark, not a Medical Doctor from whom advice is needed here.

[tarian]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

Hi. Can you find a medical doctor with offshore sailing experience to discuss your plans and equipment. I’m sure you know the risk situation but it’s not just a liferaft issue...a lot can go wrong with the little guys in the boat which requires professional advice. Larger vessels have direct medical communication equipment so they can speak with a physician. Sorry but diapers and toys in a life raft need not be on your list of concerns right now. Life raft means someone else might soon be risking their life to save yours. Please consider concentrating on Professional medical advice, training, equipment and communications.
Emergency room physicians see children in serious conditions every day and would be a good place to start.
Mark, not a Medical Doctor from whom advice is needed here.

Agreed
Also you are overthinking this to the point of gong crazy , you take what you need to survive , nothing else matters , sometimes all you take is the bag and Jump. Seasickness, dehydration is the enemy here . and good communications to shore via sat phone to be able to contact a doctor if necessary, apart from that the usual medicines , and calpol ....
Have Just finished 5 week cruising with my 10 year old daughter , faced plenty of bad weather and no sickness at all.
They are more than happy to amuse themselves and be part of the crew , let them have their electronics if necessary to helps with the boredom,

[psp2psp2]

I could write volumes, but I’ll limit myself to the topic of the life raft.

Not all life rafts are of the same standard, even when they have the SOLAS mark.

To this end, I believe it’s worthwhile to have the life raft unpacked by a properly authorized service agent, in order for you to see exactly what’s inside. Also, some clubs and sailing schools organize demonstrations where they actually deploy a life raft and let you practice getting into it. In short, it’s a critical piece of kit and the first time you see it in action shouldn’t be the time when you need it to save your life.

Acquaintances of mine abandoned a yacht in the Indian Ocean and were horrified at the poor quality of the fishing tackle, signaling mirror, bailer, sponge etc. They described many of the items as “kids toys”.

Our ditch bag contains water, water and more water. Pound for pound, water is more likely to sustain life while waiting for a rescue than anything else.

myageofsail.com

[Lake-Effect]

Personal opinion only; I know people have done it, but I can't imagine why one would choose to take a 4 month old and an 8-year old on a long offshore passage like an Atlantic crossing. Seems like a risky imposition on kids who wouldn't get much out of the experience. I would only consider taking mature tweens or teens who have experience and are themselves keen for it. Maybe the 8 year old if s/he is somewhat experienced and willing.

I would park the kids with Gran, then fly them across for some less demanding coastal and island cruising. As I said, just my opinion.

[Larry Florida]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Personal opinion only; I know people have done it, but I can't imagine why one would choose to take a 4 month old and an 8-year old on a long offshore passage like an Atlantic crossing. Seems like a risky imposition on kids who wouldn't get much out of the experience. I would only consider taking mature tweens or teens who have experience and are themselves keen for it. Maybe the 8 year old if s/he is somewhat experienced and willing.

I would park the kids with Gran, then fly them across for some less demanding coastal and island cruising. As I said, just my opinion.

Good recommendation. Would make life easier no doubt

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Personal opinion only; I know people have done it, but I can't imagine why one would choose to take a 4 month old and an 8-year old on a long offshore passage like an Atlantic crossing. Seems like a risky imposition on kids who wouldn't get much out of the experience. I would only consider taking mature tweens or teens who have experience and are themselves keen for it. Maybe the 8 year old if s/he is somewhat experienced and willing.

I would park the kids with Gran, then fly them across for some less demanding coastal and island cruising. As I said, just my opinion.

Reminds me of the Rebelheart incident back in the 2014 (I think). They use to be on this site. I met them in LaPaz, Mx. Young daughter and baby off to the South Pacific. Boat was in need of big maintenance and half way across, had to set the EPIRB off and abandon ship. Just my opinion, but...1) If you can't afford to have a well maintained cruising vessel, don't go. After you leave civilization, it become extremely difficult to rebuild a boat. 2) with little ones, stick to coastal cruising.

[a64pilot]

Small children can get sick very quickly, and may need advanced care quickly too.
There is a reason why infant mortality used to be so high in days past, average Pioneer family apparently buried several children.
At sea there is no help, and unlikely you have advanced medical training and supplies.
It may be that a life raft is a death sentence to a small child (baby), it’s not warm water and they will be wet and small children may not survive.

Don’t do it, fly Mom and the Children over, or as was said let them stay with Grandparents and then fly.
They aren’t going to remember the trip anyway, later when they are older it will be much safer for them, and they will remember it too.

[Boatguy30]

I assume you've done extensive sailing with the 8 y/o and are very experienced yourselves......

If not, I would spent the next year going down to the Bahamas and back maybe going across the Atlantic the year after that.

[fxykty]

No comment about the baby other than to say that several YT couples are demonstrating in near real time cruising with an infant. To some extent you lose one of the parents to parenting duty, but it can be and is done without wrapping the child in bubble wrap.

Regarding the 8 year old, no problem at all and not worth worrying about. I sailed with my parents from age 4 (when we got our first sailboat) through 16 (parents separated and last boat sold), including passages between North America and Hawaii at 9 and around the South Pacific at 11-16. School work (correspondence in my case) takes up time and energy, and otherwise you figure out stuff to do. I loved towing little model boats and fishing lines and spent hours doing that.

Life rafts are about survival, not having things to do. It looks like you’re adequately prepared for that.

Regarding health and medical, children are no more nor less susceptible to sea sickness than adults and very unlikely to be permanently sea sick. That would suck and be a reason to quit. Otherwise, unless congenital, kids are likely to be less sick while cruising.

[Knotical]

Not saying it can’t be done but would like to discourage taking the baby onboard this journey, it will be much safer if you can fly across with the baby and the captain, your husband and 8 yr old and maybe another experienced crew can sail across the ocean.

[JPA Cate]

MereEnMer,

Sorry these guys are giving you the hard lines. It is just one school of thought, but the risks to the little ones seem to have been shown.

The reason I didn't get on your case straightaway is that I think the risks are there, but that also there is an internet tendency to exaggerate to promote one's own point of view...

I know adult children of cruisers, people who were born either on board the vessel, or in the local hospital or lying in facility. So, yes, little ones can suddenly develop fevers, and so high they convulse or so high they are fatal, BUT it's pretty rare with a healthy infant, especially if you're breastfeeding.

The guys who blithely suggest you be flown over to rendezvous with your spouse are objectifying both you and the infant. Don't buy it. If you have been made to worry about it, I apologize. If you're breastfeeding your child, s/he is getting very darn good, antibody laden food. Keep up the good work, mind the wee ones, and enjoy the trip.

It IS more work with two little ones aboad, and an au pair could really help the situation, but it is still doable. One CF member here, is <atoll>, and iirc, he was raised aboard. Ask him to put you in touch with one of his parents.

Ann