Chartering with Babies and Pack & Play Giveaway

Hey Everyone! Wanted to see if anyone out there has done a bareboat charter with a baby? This will be our second charter in BVI and we'll be taking our 8 month old son this time. We're going with a good group of friends, so lots of hands on board, but looking for any gotchas or things you couldn't live without if you've done this trip with a child of a similar age.

We bought an awesome chair/swing http://www.babysearock.com/
Put it up to see what the kiddo thought and he loved it. Wish I had one for myself!

Thanks in advance!

If anyone will be coming down after 6/24, I have a pack and play that got shipped to the charter company. I'm going to use it on the trip, but would love to give it to someone when we are done with the week, won't be taking it home with us!

My child was a little older but long sleeve sun shirt and plenty of sunscreen even in the shade.

Lilly did her first charter at 7 weeks. You didn't say how old the baby was, but pack and play size gives a tell. We never bothered with life jacket.

We had a seat like that also and with the boat motion it had a large range of swing, almost too much as it got in the way of people moving about. As lilly got older I would rig a bosun seat from the clew on the jib, that was great fun.

It was a non issue as she would sleep at most restaurants at night while we ate. Something to cover up to prevent bug bites is good.

We used the cooler aboard for years as a "pool", until later we kept an small inflatable pool in the cockpit (adults enjoyed that also).

Do not plan on buying diapers in BVI, even with the babies born there we had a hard time locating diapers.

We just put some luggage in front of her berth in the unlikely chance she would roll out, was never an issue.

A lot of sun protection at the beach.

As the kid gets older something to think about is not all beaches are created equal, many have small drop offs, as adults we don't really notice. Pirates is probably the best beach for small kids.

Did charter w 1 yr old and Cape Air got all our luggage from SJU to EIS except, yup, the pack and play. Dont worry mon, we deliver it in the morn!!
Rough night but they did and the charter was awesome with our daughter the rest of the trip.

We took our son at 6 months and brought a pack and play. We also brought a play mat and a few other things including a water float he could sit in with sun shade. We had a blast and he had a great time as well. I don't recall us wishing we had anything that we didn't bring. I think we had all we needed.

If you would be willing or donate the pack & play then the Family Support Network in Road Town I'm sure could really use it. Ask your charter company and they would likely drop it off for you.

Second the donation to FSN

Thanks Everyone! Just got back and the trip was a massive success! (no surprise there, right?)
Everyone had a blast, the baby had an ear to ear grin morning to night. All the luggage arrived with us, the pack and play worked great on deck and in the bedroom for nap time. Took lots of diapers. Ended up taking a car seat I bought on craigslist to be used at restaurants when the kiddo was sleeping. Donated all extras to a local daycare on the island.

Can't wait to do continue to do this year after year!

Hello all,

My wife and I are planning a trip with our baby mid-late season 2019 and I'm encouraged by all the positive posts about traveling and chartering with the youngin'. I have a many questions, but the initial one I'll ask is about travel to your charter base. Did anyone fly to STT and ferry? Should a baby carrier be part of our travel luggage for transportation reasons? (I understand the need to have a place to put her at restaurants, good point there).

Pack and play will be a must and we've got one that she will still fit at 8-9 months but probably not long after. Baby PFD's? She would likely be in a wrap on Mom(which may become unmanageable for Mom in late April/May) or in the pack and play while under sail.


DMcGuire, how did the swing work for you under way?

Thank you all for the input already here. We can't wait to get back!

BD

We flew into the BVI, but we would have done the same thing either way. First time we went with our son he was 6 months. So we had a car seat we could carry. Would have just used that on the ferry and we used it at restaurants..etc.

We also had a PFD for him when he was on deck under sail.

We’ve been chartering since our first was 9 months old. We now have a 2 and 4 year old.

Things that work for us.

1. Keep the sailing early and short. 2 hours in the morning. Then it’s play and beach time.
2. Yes, PFDs. Mustang. Our kids are fine with them. Be persistent. Always on while underway. Once moored it’s play time.
3. I rig a cockpit jack line and clip them in.
4. Pack and play right on the bed. Check out Guava brand. Nice and compact.
5. At a young age a front pack will work.
6. I heard a car seat is useful to buckle them in if needed. We never brought or used them.
***7. Charter out of St Thomas. CYOA. 7 minute taxi ride. No ferry needed. Peace of cake.

Have fun.

Just curious what you did when in a taxi or other vehicle?

We generally live aboard our boat in the summer months, both my boys have been sailing since they were a few months old. Baby wrap or carrier is great while traveling, pfd for toddlers that has a handle on back. Infant pfds are not that great and frankly if you are in weather tat would require it...go below or inside. FWIW we have never used car seats, they are pain while traveling

I've been chartering since my kids were infants and never brought any of the typical baby stuff. No car seat, no pack and play...only life jackets. For any taxi ride we just held them, same for ferry ride, and for sleeping we just used cushions to kind barricade them into the berth.

Held them.

Yep...they just sat in our laps