Family sailing holidays full of watery fun for the kids
Whether you take the family on a sailing holiday on a sail boat, motorboat, catamaran, in canoes or kayaks, sailing provides plenty of holiday opportunities for families whatever your family’s skill levels and whichever you opt for. Your children will love helping with mooring, steering or rowing. There are also lots of family friendly activities such as snorkelling, fishing, swimming and diving to provide lots of adventure. Kids love having a real sense of doing something useful and learning new skills and sailing can be family friendly. You should bear in mind that on small boats there is not a lot space to get away form each other. If you have a very adventurous toddler this may not be appropriate for them.
Neilson has packages for all levels of experience and if you have younger members of the family where onboard activities may not be appropriate, there are options for baby-sitting and childcare facilities.
Once your family are experienced, there is nothing to stop you chartering a boat and taking it where you please. Making a decision on the type of boat and the type of package you will go for what will depend on your family’s requirements and levels of experience. If you would like to do more sightseeing and play a less active part, you may also decide to hire your own skipper.
A flotilla is another great option for a family. You can skipper you own yacht and travel in a convoy. You are expected to travel more or less in group anchoring at an agreed point during the day and we would suggest that for this type of holiday at least one adult should have some sailing experience or have taken a short flotilla course before the holiday.
Another option is a sailing school and there are options of either sleeping on the boat or having accommodation on shore and making day cruisers. Older children can be accommodated on their own sail classes and very young children in childcare where provided.
Another option for a family sailing holiday is a skippered charter and you should be
clear about how much your family wishes to participate in the handling of the boat. If you just wish to lie around in the boat, you will need to make this clear.
Top tips when selecting your family sailing holiday
You should check the type of accommodation including the bathroom facilities and whether the heating and linen are provided. You will also need to look into what provisions are available and if there is any entertainment on board, such as a TV.
Safety is always a concern and everyone must have life jackets designed for the type and area in which you will be sailing. They should also be appropriate for the age of the children and you will need to consider harnesses for children under the age of 3 and safety nets.
When sailing you are operating in a confined space which can be a problem with energetic teenagers or toddlers and we would always suggest that you hire a larger boat than you think you actually need.
Check how old your children need to be and take into account the type of child you have.
Check carefully the sailing experience that is needed and the level of qualifications. Check also the arrangements for looking after children who are not suitable for sailing school if this is the option you are considering, our guide to selecting a kids club should help you.
Seasickness can be an issue although it does generally wear off after a few days and if some of your family are prone to this, you need to take this into account.
For further information on all types of sailing holidays for the family look at packages provided by Neilson. Be sure to look for online booking discounts and special offers and deals.
You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday.
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