Madison and Blakely Harbor. Then we
The Gifford Family Odyssey
discovered that Niall thrived onboard
and Mairen slept better than she did in
our house. Our world expanded, thanks
Lessons Learned While Cruising
to our children. As our fears about
by
leaving the comfort zone of our home
Jamie and Behan Gifford
and assorted baby gear faded away, we
stretched out to explore farther afloat.
We found community in other boating
There are strict rules for
families; sharing tips on keeping kids
lifejacket and harnesses.
safe and happy.
Having children on board has
brought wonderful people into our
lives. Kids can apparently be better
social lubricants than a Cuba Libre, and
have helped us meet people we may
not have otherwise. I can’t count the
times we have made friends across an
anchorage, who were intrigued by the
little boy fishing or the girl laughing
from her swing on the boom. Children
are quite simply approachable and
disarming.
There are times when the children
push us to be active and explore our
environment when it would be easier
for Jamie and I to be cockpit potatoes.
I can remember lazy days in the San
Juan Islands, and a small boy begging
to be taken ashore and scour the beach
for his rock collection. I could have
happily whiled away the afternoon
reading, but how to explain the joy
found in delighting a child? In showing
him the differences between sugar
agates and the real thing? In finding an
Legos in the Bilge
orca tooth, instead of putting another
100 pages of my paperback away?
Cruising with Kids
Those experiences were delightful and
far more memorable for both of us. It
Legos in the bilge. String cheese attempts to cast off that bulky lifejacket. works the other way, too. We’ll promote
squashed into the finely machined The first few days would have been a family activity because it would be
receptacle at the top of a winch. so pleasant were we not battling an “good for the children.” Lo and behold,
Naptime bedlam. Why would anyone unhappy two year old. The consistent it is almost invariably good for all of
go cruising with kids? Whether it is and unyielding message slowly sank us – from the dinghy tour around an
your own brood, or grandchild, or the in, and he matured before our eyes. island to seeking out an off-the-path
child of friends; children bring a new Wearing a PFD and a big smile, Niall archeology museum.
lens to the cruising experience. There’s reported back to the galley that he As we’ve gone farther from our
no question that cruising with children, would like coffee with his breakfast. home waters, children have opened
first as weekend/vacation boaters in Without hesitation Diana asked him, the doors to cross-cultural experiences.
Puget Sound and now farther afield, “How do you take your coffee?” Niall Our three little ones are very fair
brings us additional challenges. But it looked around for a moment as if haired and skinned, so they tend to
also brings immeasurable rewards. unsure of what to say. Then he looked stand out in Mexico. We all got a kick
Niall, our now ten year old son, across to the grown-ups as if we were out of the gridlock they created upon
was just two when he first sailed. We peers and said, “With two hands.” entering a small grocery store one of
spent 2 weeks cruising in the Canadian A year later, we purchased our first our first weeks in the country. This was
Gulf Island with Jim and Diana Jessie family boat. With a three year old Niall our introduction to local fascination
on Nalu IV. Like most kids, Niall hated and his younger sister Mairen just a few with the güero, the blond-haired, who
wearing his PFD. He had tantrums weeks old, we counted on day sailing probably are not very common in the
and was sneaky and manipulative in and some short weekend trips to Port fishing village of Bahia Asuncion on
48° No r t h , Ju N e 2009 Pa g e 36
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