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I have overseas visitors during January 2014 and they are bringing their very adventurous 2 years 10 months old son.

I have never had kids and am usually the mad auntie who feeds kids red cordial then hands them back.
Note the hand back bit..... as in not stay.

Now not only is my house not childproof.
What the @#%&%^$ do I do on the boat???

I have some kiddie lifejackets but they want to stay overnight - at least on NYE!!!
Has anyone used a harness and tethered a kid?

HELP!!!

Diana
p.s. The child loves water but cannot swim

Easier if kid sees adults wearing harness too. Setup is...."One for you, one for you AND one for you."
Allow the kid to fall in while tethered. Haul em in, see if they want to do it again.
Lock both hatches at night when asleep so not wide enough for kid to get out. Make sure can only be opened by adult!

Whilst the Skipper is responsible, the parents are responsible for the child's behaviour you can usurp their authority by throwing all misbehaved children overboard, and and should be wised up to that before setting out.

In my experience, most kids are fine, even 3 year olds. Put the life jacket on them and then ask them to steer the boat, whilst keeping an eye on them and showing them what to do. Do this as soon as possible after leaving the mooring under motor, when there is nothing to hit and they'll soon tire of it and either want to sit and play ipad games or if they've been brought up properly, as in not had an ipad babysitter, they may be interested to see the scenery, or go below and sleep.

The more you worry about how bad it will be, the worse it will be. Tell them how much fun they're going to have, make sure you chuck 'em over the side at a nice spot and they'll remember it for at least two weeks! Go to Refuge and row ashore to the sandy bit and go for a walk up the creek. If you're in the harbour, park near the zoo, or go around to Balmoral for a swim.

Make sure they go to the dunny before getting on the boat, and show 'em how much fun it is to pee over the side. Give 'em a fishing line when you're at lunch and put some chicken on it, they probably won't catch anything, but they'll have fun doing it and tangling the line.

Just don't worry, you will be fine. I've had a 4 and 8 year old in the harbour in a 30 knot westerly trying to see a whale between North and South Head, while trying to take a second reef in a 2 metre swell....... How hard can it be?

Hello Di

I had my son and daughter on Egret ll since they were 9 months old We used to have a car seat clamped on the push pit and a jolly jumper tied to the boom at anchor .He now 14 and sailing his own cherub . I'm very strict with kids on boats ,and at that age and unable to swim ,he would have to wear a bouncy vest at all times ,and I wouldn't let him leave the cockpit until at anchor I don't believe a harness is the way to go ?If you have to go to that extent you might as well tie him to the mast ? You must keep in mind,you do have life rails at about 700 mm high and he is only about a metre high so I don't think he will trip over and disappear over the side. (some of the little sh... I see on boats you can only wish ?)
Nothing beats a good ear bashing on how to behave on Aunty Di's yacht ? And sleeping arrangements is easy , a kid that age fits neatly in the cockpit locker and it has latch no worries about sleep walking when in the locker ?
You could always tie a yellow mooring bouy to him ? that way somebody would pick him up , especially on New Years eve ?

Bear

Thank you.

I particularly like Bear's suggestions.

I pick them up from the airport basically midnight on the 30th December - sleep at home then they want to be on the harbour for NYE.
Easy peasy as I am swapping and will be on a mooring in Double Bay with use of dinghy etc.
No champagne for Aunty Diana this year.

Throw overboard is a great idea and the beach is not far so mum and dad can play with him on the beach.
Yep. Everyone on board must wear life jackets I think is the easy bit.
I had thought of lashing him to the mast... sounds like a fine plan for me.
Maybe just tether him to mum or dad whilst on the mooring and overnight.

Hi Everyone!
My experience of visitors is that they see yachts sailing on TV or movies and it looks sooo nice that they want to go sailing on your boat. That's fine by me, but they don't understand handling a boat under sail at all, are surprised when you want to tack and they have to move from one side to the other, or because they are fouling the sheets by sitting on them, or are in the way when you want use the winch. And then because of the delay in managing the gear, you get caught up head to wind in your tack, the sail is flogging (the noise alarms them - they think some disaster has struck), you manage to get back onto the original tack and you manage to succeed in the tack next time around to clear the looming lee shore.
By the way, all of this is upsetting their lovely day sailing!
I was once reaching across Sydney Harbour in a hard westerly with a novice middle aged couple (no kids) who had pleaded to be taken out sailing. The boat was powering along - GRREAT! but they sat down to leeward clutching the edge of the cockpit seats with staring eyes and pallid faces. They could not get ashore quickly enough, bade me a very brief farewell and never asked to go sailing again. I have to assure you I did not do that to put them off sailing or even asking to go out regularly for the pleasure of sailing without owner's costs of maintenance etc. That happened to be the weather on the day and the late afternoon thunderstorm probably didn't help either - but that is sailing isn't it?
I did take visitors and newcomers out sailing after that, but I only hoisted the main and either managed the breeze under that or motor sailed with the main up in ghosting conditions. That worked. They left at the end of the day convinced they had been sailing because one sail was hoisted.
Much less drama Di and less worry with kids on board too. Best of luck!
Sean

G'day Di,
I agree with Gramps, people on boats have different expectations.
We used to have a harness and tie it off under the table the harness had a snap shackle for quick release. That allowed Adam to get to the back of the cockpit and up to the V berth. His favourite position was to stand on the v berth and look out the forward hatch. the next most favourite place was the galley pots and pans. Hours of enjoyment there.
You of course have to have constant supervision of the young ones. When he is awake someone has to be awake too. The photos here were taken mostly under motor, kids get used to the boat faster than the adults. Don't keep them below when sailing, lamington vomit can travel huge distances. Just ask me!

the harness was a Burke one and the Lifejacket was on loan from a friend who had his own kids. BTW Adam is now 18 and loves boats. In fact we call him osmosis because he gets in anyones boats.

How quick we forget. "Laminbton vomit", indeed!

Child, parents and skipper survived.

Whew!!!

Did have an awkward moment at the start when parents and kid refused to put on life jacket.

I released my inner Captain Bligh and insisted that kid had to wear a life jacket and be tethered to a parent at all times.
Or we were not going anywhere and may as well get off the boat.

Well done Di,

As they say, a lifejacket never spoiled a day on a boat! Hope they enjoyed themselves and you got at least a sip of champagne......