SAILING WITH THE CHILDREN
When I was asked to write about my experiences of UK sailing with small children, I couldn’t believe anyone would find us interesting. But it’s true that we meet depressingly few other families on the water while cruising mostly West Country waters. So I have agreed to share a little of what has helped us to raise two little boys who, just like Ratty, love nothing more than messing around in boats. If I can inspire just one family to give sailing a go this summer, then I’ll consider this to have been a brilliant use of my time.
Our eldest, Barnaby, was an autumn baby and came sailing the following spring at six months old; the youngest, Blaise, was born in April and came sailing over the May bank holiday. For my husband James and I, who both have boaty parents, this was no big deal – and I’ve often enjoyed responding to people’s shocked expressions by assuring them we’ve taken a much safer approach than my own parents did; they simply strapped my car seat to the stern! Fortunately, I’ve lived to tell the tale.
We generally use our Arcona 410, Atla, from April to October, and often
