Life on the water is exhilerating. Adventure is 10′ off the dock in a way that can’t be cheapened. It’s an intense way of seeing and feeling. Every time you return to shore, you know something more about yourself. It’s mysterious; even if you could explain it, it’s doubtful you could put it in rational terms.
One of the reasons for Getting Started In Boats is passing on the value of life on the water. If you have kids, we hope you do the same. The only way you can do that is by sharing the adventure. Get on the water with your kids. It will unfailingly expand their perception and strengthen their confidence. But in the age of smartphones, global reach, political correctness, data overload, and generational dissonance, family cruising requires some fancy footwork.
It ain’t jazz; making it up as you go along won’t work. A few awkward passages of rain and rough seas could set pliable hearts against voyaging forever. The effort to ease your young crew into loving the unpredictable ocean will demand tons of preparation and may require you to work out looser expectations to promote morale.
Every kid is a unique complication of feelings, fears, and compulsions. We can’t tell you how to manage your gene pool, but we’ve asked folks who have cruised with children—successfully and unsuccessfully—for their counsel. What follows is a potpourri of advice appropriate to the varied temperaments and ages of your young crews.