27.03.2024
Sailing Area Mallorca - information & tips
Setting sail for a family holiday: What do you need to consider when sailing with children?
A sailing trip with the whole family is certainly something different from the mountains or the sandy beach! There is so much to discover and learn on board. However, there are a few things to bear in mind to ensure that a holiday on the water is a unique experience for the whole family. We have collected the most important questions and answer them here together with Sönke Roever, founder of BLAUWASSER.DE
From what age can you go sailing with children?
Firstly, any child, no matter how old, can come sailing with you. The main question is how comprehensively the child needs to be looked after or entertained. „We took our son on his first sailing trip when he was eight weeks old,“ says Sönke Roever. Babies can find the gentle rocking very calming and don’t usually get seasick. From the age of 5, you can give your children suitable tasks on board so that they can be an important part of the crew and learn the first steps on deck.
This is also Sönke Roever’s experience: „Generally speaking, the smaller the children are, the more the adults have to look after them and keep them entertained. Older children increasingly occupy themselves. From puberty onwards, many budding teenagers find sailing with their parents rather boring"
What should you bear in mind when planning a trip in terms of length and weather when sailing with children?
Sönke Roever: „Basically, there are few restrictions when sailing with children in terms of trip length and weather. However, children reflect the feelings of adults. Conversely, this means that if adults go on a trip in bad weather and are not relaxed, for example due to fear, this fear is also transferred to the children. Children have a very keen sense and realise when something is wrong.
I know many families with children who have sailed across oceans and survived storms. The success of these trips stands and falls with the attitude and experience of the parents. That’s why novice sailors, who are usually still very preoccupied with themselves and the handling of the boat, are well advised to go on short, less demanding trips with children.
And of course, at the end of the day, children don’t find it particularly exciting to spend hours sailing just for the sake of sailing. So you have to keep them occupied. Otherwise the trip will quickly become boring."
What is the best way to keep my children occupied during the sailing trip?
If your children need to occupy themselves alone for a while, it is ideal to offer a puzzle or colouring and craft materials.
What does our expert say? "We always have a large box of Lego bricks on board. We've already played with them in the middle of the Bay of Biscay. Audio books are also used a lot. There's a large selection on the popular streaming services, such as "The Three Question Marks Kids" or "The Devil's Kickers". It's also very popular with our children for everyone to make up a character that the others have to guess."
However, the highlight is and remains jumping into the refreshing sea to splash around or go snorkelling!
You can find further information about sailing with children here. We would like to thank Sönke Roever from Blauwasser.de and look forward to receiving your feedback, suggestions or requests at marketing@bavariayachts.com