The short answer is ‘yes’, but only if you make it so

All parents know that bringing kids anywhere, especially younger ones, may be a harrowing experience. The chance of tears, screams and tantrums are high – and then there’s whatever the child will do. Jokes aside, more important than keeping children happy during an excursion on the water is keeping them safe. It’s difficult to think so, but boating can be very safe for the little humans, and it is only if the bigger humans make sure of it. Since a large part of yachting is bringing the family along out to sea, here’s how you can share your passion for the ocean with the kids in a safe and fun way.

Just keep swimming

Should they know how to swim before getting on a boat? It is highly encouraged, of course, although plenty of adults who don’t know how to swim get onto boats as well. Give the children swimming lessons, and spend time honing it together with them. Having said that, never let young children into the water without a life jacket. Make sure these life jackets fit them properly and get new ones once they have been outgrown. Also, don’t just throw away older jackets as they can be donated to your local boating organisations.

Establish zones

Like traffic lights, a yacht can be separated into three zones: red, yellow, and green. Green zones are safe places they are allowed to go with no restrictions, like the bedrooms and main cabin. Here, rough housing and livelier activities are allowed. Yellow zones should designate places where caution is needed. These places should be any part of the deck that is next to water, and also places where cooking happens. Adult supervision is needed in these areas. Finally, red zones are no go zones. These areas are near outboard engines, the engine room in larger yachts, and maybe around the instruments too.

Not only is this a great way to teach children boundaries, but it also teaches them about the significance of colours out at sea and then you can educate them on buoys!

Practice some drills

Not all contingencies can be planned for, but it definitely helps to try. This really reinforces the concept of danger to the child, and it also prepares adults mentally for emergencies. Run through some hopefully hypothetical emergencies like fires, man overboards, engine failure and sinking with the family to keep everyone on the same page. This will also eliminate the fear of the unknown in the child and make them more comfortable on board.

Make safety fun

The language of fun is the universal language of children. So, make safety education interesting and give them a role to play on board. Put them on weather watch and teach them to read the clouds and weather. Ask them to look out for the coloured buoys when heading out or returning to port, and ask for their help to stay within the channel. For older children, you may even give them a taste of the helm and low speed manoeuvring as well. There’s a lot we can do to make boating highly appealing and educate them at the same time.

Be extra prepared

Bring extra everything if space permits. Have 2 or 3 sets of clothing at the ready, bring some of their favourite toys and games on the trip, bring healthy snacks and more water than is needed, as well as any necessary medication (even prescription glasses!). Well-fed and dry children are rarely fussy children. It’s good to give them occasional lessons in ‘toughing it out’, but children are children after all and won’t have the maturity to stand for much of that. It definitely won’t hurt as well if you have some really exciting water toys to keep them diverted!

Perhaps the biggest hurdle to actually bringing your young children on board is fear itself. The fear of accidents, of injuries and worse, but many others have shared the love of the sea with their families to great success. Take baby steps and introduce boating in small chunks – first an hour, then half a day, and before long they’ll be asking to stay out at sea for the night and you’ll have a constant companion on all your excursions.