There are only few activities that trumps sailing in terms of adventure. Sailing is like the perfect activity. It gets your adrenaline pumping because you have no idea what you will encounter while on water. It also calms you down at the same time when you take in the interaction between different aspects of nature. The wind gently caressing the surface of the water, aquatic animals being in perfect harmony with their environment, and so on. There’s so much to take in.
As a parent, think of all the necessary traits you would want your kids to cultivate. I am pretty sure responsibility, character, resilience, courage, teamwork, inquisitiveness and intelligence would be at top of the list. There are very few activities that can possibly teach kids these traits, and one of them is sailing. Sailing with your kids is one of the best way to seamlessly integrate learning, adventure and fun.
Before you go sailing with kids, there are a couple of factors you need to take into consideration before undergoing such an adventure. These factors though not written in stone, have been put together to help you have a more enjoyable experience if or when you decide to go sailing with kids.
Start small
When it comes to adventures, we always want to impress. Whether we are going with our friends or with our kids, we always want to give them an unforgettable experience. But slow down a bit. At times with kids, we only get one chance to make a lasting impression, so focus on giving them an enjoyable experience instead of an unforgettable one. Since sea sickness is very rampant among first timers, it would be great to start small, look for a small lake close by with literarily zero current to give them a gentle feel of what being on top of not solid ground feels like. You do not want to give them the idea that sailing causes sickness. That would be one of the fastest way to kill their enthusiasm. Don’t try to overwhelm them. Try to see how they would react being on a boat or yacht for the first time to get them in the groove. This would allow them to enjoy the experience.
Croatia has a variety of sailing destinations to choose from. From calm lake-like water bodies to extreme current seaside, you can be rest assured that your sailing appetite would definitely be satisfied.
The number of individuals
Adventures like sailing are best enjoyed when done in company of a good number of family and friends. If you decide to go sailing with your kids, it will be better to bring along friends and their kids. Sharing moments like this would go a long way to strengthening your bonds. Also children will always find ways to distract each other. This can be valuable in moments where they’ve gone over the initial excitement of sailing for the first time.
The boat
After picking a location and having a very good idea of the number of people embarking on the sailing trip, the next important factor to consider is the type of boat. This is an often ignored factor people don’t consider until the day of the trip. This is not a good idea. You should choose a boat that would meet all your needs in terms of size, design, safety equipment, and speed and so on. Getting the perfect boat for your sailing trip should be done before hand and not on the day of the trip. Factors like sleeping cabin for kids to sleep if they get tired, safe holding area for toddlers, presence of life jackets (type 1 or type 2 for young children, type 3 for older children), etc. are very important and shouldn’t be ignored.
Irrespective of the safety level of the boat, you must always keep your eyes on the kids. Kids will always attempt to touch anything that fascinates them, and engage in any activity that seems interesting to them. So you must instruct them on what to do to be safe and be prepared for anything. Tell them what to do in case there’s a stormy weather or when a man goes overboard. Try your best to keep them occupied. Gadgets, snorkeling set, coloring book and pencils, rope swing are some of the tools you can employ to keep them occupied all through the adventure. Another way to keep them from being mischievous is to assign tasks to them. Have them help out with the sails and ropes, reading the compass and maps, and so on. Giving them tasks like these would make them feel important and more responsible.
Aye Aye captain
After considering the above named factors, you should be ready to take your kids for an adventure of a lifetime. Giving them an experience like never before, and one they would never forget for a very long time.