How do you organize yourself on board with a child?
In babies, there are differences according to age. We left when Nael was 4 months old and he is now 16. The easiest period to manage is the 4 to 10 months, when he doesn't really move, he sleeps a lot, installed in his deckchair. He was left in the living room, sometimes on a play mat with cushions around so he wouldn't hit himself. He would go out into the cockpit comfortably seated on our lap.
It became more complicated when he started to stand up because he was falling. He was frustrated, he got angry and it required more presence for the parents. Today, he goes out into the cockpit, but always in our presence. He is watched because he knows how to pass over the bridge and tends to play with the winches, which can be dangerous when they are powered up.
However, the organization is quite simple. At night he sleeps, while we work our shifts (3:00 a.m. / 3:00 a.m.) and during the day it is a little more tiring because we haven't slept much and we have to take care of him. We play games in the square for example.
The attention is constant especially since he grows up and finds some very interesting nonsense to do. I've already had to cancel five distress messages he sent. He also climbs on the chart table to press all the buttons on the electrical panel...
What about security?
If Nael falls into the water, we know who's jumping, who's going to pick him up. For the moment, we still manage his movements. Then we'll put a harness on him so he can move around safely. Again, it depends on the ages, the situations. For the moment, he is still a baby and he is always with us, in our arms, between our thighs.
When it is bigger, the harness on the boat will be used to prevent it from falling into the water and the vest for the tender or paddle.
Did you adapt the furniture for Nael?
No, because unlike a house, on a boat, there is no real danger. As small children, they have enough height to walk around without hitting each other. Everything is secure, rounded, the materials are made of wood, there is flooring, cushions... The only problem is the large fire extinguisher pins that he could have fun pulling. But like in a house, we put away what he might want to catch as soon as he could climb.
Then, what is well thought out in our boat is the descent with two-part plexi doors. So he can climb, but not out into the cockpit. Then we put nets on the dies so that he could move.
Sometimes it is true that there may be a certain lack of space, especially during crossings, but as soon as you get to shore, it can be very stressful.
What equipment is essential for a baby?
The transportable plastic chair. This is what we use most often. We feed him, he does his activities there, we take him for a paddle ride with it... And the deckchair when he was a child. I had taken everything and realized that in the end I didn't need much. Even the changing table, when sailing, it moves too much to use it. He also has a play area at the back of the boat, where you can land or lie down with him.
How is it going with food, vaccines, etc.?
I have equipped myself with a very small blender staff, which serves the whole family and with whom I do everything, I mix the pieces and especially the Nael purées. We have a converter on board and I knew it wasn't going to drain our batteries. I practice at EMR (Child Led Diet Diversification). He learns to eat by himself, to discover different flavours and textures...
At first, I tried to make preserves, but finally, like many people, I put my principles aside and bought small pots from the shop that helps out when sailing.
For the milk, I was breastfeeding it, which made it immune to many diseases. Since he was born, he has never been sick. I still continue today, especially in Brazil, where there is a lot of yellow fever. Over there, everyone is breastfeeding, no matter how old the child is, it's great! In any case, powdered milk is out of reach in many countries.
For vaccines, I anticipated the vaccination schedule by knowing where we would be when we were going to vaccinate. The only place we waited was in Cape Verde - where he was supposed to do his 9-month recall and where there are still a lot of counterfeits. So we made our vaccines in Brazil.
He had his first vaccinations in Spain, another medical visit in the Canary Islands and again in Brazil. When you travel with a very young child, you visit the paediatric services, the medical services abroad and you realize how it is. In Brazil, for example, first aid is free - at the same time there is a great need - and all mothers breastfeed.
