Voyaging with Kids: A Guide to Family Life Afloat

“A treasure-trove of useful, well-organized information on sea-going parenting.”

—Gary “Cap’n Fatty” Goodlander, Author of Buy, Outfit and Sail

Choosing a boat that is right for your family; handling the naysayers; keeping your children safe, healthy and entertained afloat—this inspirational and comprehensive guide may be just what you need to turn your dream into a reality. The three authors, who have each voyaged thousands of miles with children on board, provide a factual and balanced look at the realities of life on the sea. From their own experience and with information from interviews with dozens of other voyaging parents, they discuss caring for an infant on board, handling the changing needs of children as they grow, education options, ensuring parents find the private time to keep their relationships in tune, and helping children make the eventual transition back to shore life. Added to the authors’ voices are sidebars from other cruising parents with specialized information on subjects as diverse as handling special diets and how your children can keep in touch with friends around the world. A unique bonus chapter, written by a dozen former cruising kids, looks at the long-term effects of breaking away from shoreside normalcy. A substantial appendix of resources provides invaluable further information on every subject covered in this book.

It is said that every parent inflicts their lifestyle choices on their children. Read this book to find why heading out to sea with your children may be the most rewarding infliction of all.

Behan Gifford has sailed more than 35,000 miles with her husband, Jamie, and their three children. When they set off from the Pacific Northwest in 2008 aboard their 47-foot sailboat, Totem, Niall was 9, Mairen was 6, and Sioban was 4. Since then, they've visited 18 countries, from Mexico to Australia to Sri Lanka. Before cruising, the Giffords lived in Bainbridge Island, Washington, where Behan built a career in management consulting, software marketing, and digital advertising. Having specialized in Chinese and Asian studies, she holds a master's degrees in international studies and business administration. Behan maintains a blog for Sail.com and chronicles her families adventures at http: //www.sailingtotem.com/blog

Sara Dawn Johnson has lived aboard boats for 12 of the 16 years she's been together with her husband Michael. When their two girls were young enough to be strapped in car seats secured in the cockpit, they set off from their Pacific Northwest home waters and went on to explore the length and breadth of the Pacific. They're now back on land, with their sights set on more Pacific Northwest cruising. Michael was himself a cruising kid. When he was 13, his parents set off aboard their 37-foot steel cutter to explore Mexico, Central America, Panama and the Caribbean. Sara's articles appear in several magazines in both the United States and Canada. Her blog, http: //www.svwondertime.com actively encourages other parents who are considering setting sail with young children.

Michael and Windy Robertson bought the Fuji 40 Del Viento in Mexico in 2011 when their daughters Eleanor and Frances were 7 and 5. Since then the Robertsons have cruised between Mexico and Alaska; as this book goes to press, they're bound across the Pacific. Long before they had kids, Michael lived aboard a Newport 27 in Southern California. He met Windy through a Latitude 38 crew list, and the two spent seven months cruising Mexico, the Panama Canal, and the Caribbean basin. Articles by Michael have appeared in magazines in the United States, Canada and the UK. You can follow this family adventure at http: //www.cruisingworld.com/blogs or http: //logofdelviento.blogspot.co.nz/.