Taking our two young kids dinghy sailing for the very first time was a weird mix of excitement and trepidation, but we were all super keen to get afloat as a family…
Finally, after a lot of work the day came for our first ever family sail in Squiggles the 2000. At home, the excitement had built all week, with daily questioning of “when are we going to the sailing club?” and earnest declarations of “I can’t wait to go sailing” fired at us our (then) five-year-old.
Memories of the odd sailing trip here and there in the past (pre-Covid) had clearly sparked her imagination, and we felt reasonably confident that excitement would translate easily into enjoyment, especially now we had our own boat – to which she had had naming rights! But this would be the very first time afloat for our (then) two-year-old son who, despite being physically very capable, we know can be anxious in new situations, so the big question mark stood over how well he would take to our new family hobby. We’d spent the past few months gently introducing him to being near the water; now it was time to see how we’d get on on the water.
Gentle intro
Hubby and I knew our chances of things going well were always going to be highest if we waited for a good weather window, so we kept a close eye on the long-term forecast, hoping for light winds around 8-10 knots and a dry day.
We blocked a likely-looking day out in the family calendar and were delighted when said-day arrived with a gentle breeze and plenty of sunshine. Perfect! Just enough wind to move the boat long nicely, and warm enough that we didn’t need to worry about wrestling the kids into any particular clothing – other than lifejackets/buoyancy aids and wetsuit boots – shorts, t-shirts and plenty of sun cream was all that was called for.
Arriving at the sailing club – set on a 200 acre lake – we prioritised hungry tummies over heading straight to the boat park and set out a picnic. The kids couldn’t eat quickly enough and soon made a beeline for the little playground.
Then as Hubby meandered off to rig the boat the kids and I explored the shoreline and, to Boy Afloat’s delight, soon spotted a pair of swans with a cygnet in tow. Seeing wildlife like this is, I always think, one of the bonuses of spending time by and on the water with young children.
We watched other dinghies launch and set off for lessons and others for racing, while a group of Optimist sailors splashed about further along the shoreline. It’s a backdrop that’s easy to take for granted when you’ve been in and around sailing clubs for years, but for our two little newcomers, it was yet another subliminal familiarisation, and undoubtedly one that whet the appetite: as I packed up the picnic paraphernalia, I asked if they were wanted to have a go at sailing in our boat – and was met with actual whoops of joy and excitement!
First time launching our sailing dinghy
By this time Hubby had the boat set up and waiting by the water’s edge. All that was left to do was hoist the mainsail, and get the kids into their respective lifejacket and buoyancy aid. Girl Afloat was brimming with excitement and needed no second asking – a miracle, as she can be extremely fussy with clothing, it’s taken a lot to overcome that – so I soon had her buoyancy aid secured, including leg straps. [Watch our guide to how to put on a buoyancy aid correctly here.]
Boy Afloat on the other hand, pretty much legged it as soon as he realised what was going on.
Hubby and I exchanged worried glances.
Despite him pulling several moves from the standard toddler protest repertoire, a few minutes later and he was duly wearing his lifejacket and sat alongside his sister in the front of the boat, still muttering his objections to himself but now also trying to take in what was happening around him.
We called out placatory reassurance to him as we gently but quickly wheeled the boat into the water and floated her off the trolley, me hopping straight into the boat next to him as soon as I’d ditched the trolley on shore. He calmed completely at this point, and I breathed an inward sigh of relief, as his sister bubbled with enthusiasm on the other side of the boat: “Ooh, wobbly! Boats are so wobbly!” and “Yay, we’re actually going sailing!”
The glimmer of a smile meanwhile flitted across Boy Afloat’s otherwise-pensive little face as he realised he was on a moving object (he’s a huge fan of cars, trains and all things vehicular) and that all four of us were along for the ride. With that casual flip-reverse of emotions that only small children can ever legitimately pull off, he was suddenly having fun.
As Hubby stepped on board, I balanced the boat and took up the tiller to steer away from shore.
This was it! We’d done it! We were finally afloat the kids and sailing our own boat. My tummy somersaulted with happiness as I checked and saw both were thoroughly enjoying our maiden sail.
We zipped away from the shore in a puff of breeze, Hubby and I both savouring the moment – until a sudden grinding crunch cut short our glee… We’d run aground!
In our excitement we had completely missed a line of buoys that – we now know – mark an area of shallow water directly offshore from the launching area. Hubby and I looked at each other, grimacing as we realised what was happening. Oh dear!
Fortunately, the centreboard kicked up a little and we squeaked over the top of the sand bar without any actual catastrophe, the kids scarcely registered, but it was a good opportunity to explain why they should never poke fingers inside the centreboard casing.
Sailing with the kids
We zig-zagged casually back and forth on a beam reach, giving the kids time to get used to the motion of the boat. The 2000 really came into its own, stable but responsive and we felt pretty smug that we had made the right choice about which boat to buy for family sailing.
The high boom made for plenty of space, even accommodating hubby’s 6ft 3 frame. When it came to tacking, the kids barely noticed as the mainsail skimmed overhead and the jib flipped smoothly to the other side. There’d be plenty of time for explaining the concept of tacking later – for now, it was all about enjoying the ride.
Spotting a string of ducks we set course for a closer inspection, much to Boy Afloat’s approval, and with both kids emitting a chorus of “quack, quacks” as we neared. Next, a tour of some permanent racing marks to spot colours and numbers took us on a longer leg to the far end of the lake, where the motorway skirts the edge: cars and lorries whizzed by, just visible through the trees – who would ever have thought that sailing next to a motorway would be such a positive?! It was a big hit with our car-mad two-year-old, who contentedly munched his snack bar in quiet approval.
His sister meanwhile, had scampered into the foredeck for a better vantage point while the jib was furled and temporarily out of the way. “Ahoy there me hearties!” came her jovial cry – on repeat – while we joked about this being her first stint as a foredeck-hand, visions of her yacht racing in future years flashing into our minds.
Learning to helm the boat
A short while after, she posed the question we were always hoping she would ask: “Can you teach me how to steer the boat?” Yes! Jackpot! She was loving it and wanting to learn… what more could we ask?
By now I’d relinquished the tiller to Hubby, and he scooted backwards as I helped her climb into the helm’s position, all the while retaining the mainsheet so I could control the speed and heel of the boat.
Encouraging her to hold the tiller extension in her back hand, we explained that hand was for steering and her front hand was for waving (for now) and showed her how pushing and pulling the tiller changes the boat’s course – and that was it, she was steering! Under close supervision of course, but as far as she was concerned, she was in charge!
To say she was in her element was an understatement. Her confidence seemed limitless. It was just the start we were hoping for.
Hubby stayed close the whole time, adjusting the mainsheet to maintain control of the boat’s balance, and with one hand hovering next to the tiller, ready in case any little corrections were needed. When it came to tacking, he calmly took over control while Girl Afloat hopped back into the front half of the boat to help pull the jib sheet across.
Sleeping on board
It was as we worked our way back up the lake, snapping selfies and high-fiving when Girl Afloat manged to cleat the jib sheet without help, that Hubby asked if I was ready to catch. I looked at him quizzically. What was he on about?
Then I looked across at Boy Afloat…. Eyelids drooping, chin nodding downwards… Our intrepid little adventurer – who had sat so perfectly still all this time, proudly clutching the tail end of an otherwise redundant rope we had given him as his to hold – was now nodding off!
Perhaps it was the warmth of the sun or the motion of the boat, or his stubborn refusal to nap earlier in the day due to all the excitement on the way to the club – but here he was, falling gently sound asleep.
As he slumped, slow-mo, to one side, I held out my arms and bundled him onto my lap. After jostling lifejackets, he settled in for a snooze on my lap in a manner he hadn’t done since his long-gone baby days. I wondered, is this what being Mum Afloat is all about?!
The impromptu snooze meant we were in no hurry to get back to shore – best to let him get a few zzzs in while he was safely held in my arms than risk a grumpy toddler by waking him too early.
To Girl Afloat’s delight she was allowed to continue steering, chasing ducks and only nearly getting in the way as a fleet of RS Aeros raced past, while Hubby controlled the heel of the boat carefully with the mainsheet so I could stay in one position.
Getting back to dry land
After nearly an hour-and-a-half afloat – far longer than we’d anticipated – we decided to call it a day while everyone was still smiling. Hubby took back the helm while I gently tickled Boy Alfoat awake.
We pulled Squiggles onto the trolley and lifted the two kids out on to dry land. While hastily dishing out yet another round of snacks and thrusting water bottles at the children, I looked for their reactions.
There was no doubting Girl Afloat was thrilled with the whole experience, proclaiming that “that was the best day ever” and asking when could we go again – “when, when, when?!” But it was Boy Afloat’s reaction that brought the biggest smile to my face as he quietly but unmistakably said, “I had fun on the sailing boat”. For me, that little statement absolutely made it the best day ever!
