practicalboatownervideo
We crossed the Atlantic with a baby and a two-year-old!
November 10, 2024 · 7 min · 371 views
What this video covers
Rue and Jessie, a couple with a baby and a two-year-old named Jesse, live aboard their catamaran Pinnacle full-time since July, having already crossed the Atlantic.Watch The cockpit is baby-proofed with gates at both helms, creating a life-jacket-free safe zone; a curtain replaced a heavy sliding door to simplify access.1:17 Inside, a guest cabin doubles as a children's playroom with a zipped enclosure, toys rotated regularly to hold attention, and a TV installed but unused.3:26 A ball pit sits on the trampoline for calm, anchored conditions, and a paddling platform extends off the bow.5:42 Cooking relies on an induction cooktop powered by solar panels to avoid carrying gas and reduce open-flame risk — a Thermomix handles meals when one parent must suddenly reef or tend the children.6:07 Jesse's potty lives in the cockpit.1:31 The family planned a Panama Canal and Pacific crossing for March but has pushed that to 2025, opting instead for a Caribbean season while deciding where to shelter during hurricane months, factoring in insurance requirements.2:37 Toy rotation and a fully enclosed cockpit safe zone are the two most-cited practical adaptations for sailing with toddlers.
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