EP#382 Sailing with a 14-month-old, the Vanabond Tales
October 30, 2025 · 54 min · 142 views · Greek Islands & Aegean
Sailing with a 14-month-old on a Beneteau First 29
What this video covers
Eddie and Kelly, creators of the Vanabond Tales YouTube channel and blog, join Jerome Rand on the Sailing Into Oblivion podcast to discuss their fourth Mediterranean sailing season — now conducted with their 14-month-old daughter Nora aboard a 29-foot boat, with a recent upgrade to a larger center-cockpit 422.12:14 Before the season, they baby-proofed the boat with netting, installed tether anchor points, and secured a car seat below so Nora could be strapped in during maneuvers requiring both crew on deck.16:43 They added a life raft for the first time and Eddie completed a coastal skipper qualification. Passages were kept short deliberately; no ocean crossings were attempted.16:35 Kelly found that responsibility for Nora eliminated her previous sailing anxiety — she could no longer afford to be scared.21:55 The 422's center-cockpit layout, with a separate aft cabin and door, proved ideal for a baby sleeping near but apart from the crew.14:37 The couple also describe early sailing in Montenegro's Bay of Kotor, where katabatic winds off the bay sides posed challenges, and a first visit to Albania, where incomplete charts, warnings about sea mines on the bottom, and police clearing anchorages caught them off guard.46:29 They chose to stay in the Mediterranean rather than push toward the Caribbean, prioritizing familiar, lower-risk waters while cruising with a young child.23:53
Boats in this video
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