Sailing with a wicked cute 6 month old baby in the BVI

Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to charter in the BVI with your 6-month old baby for the Holidays? Well…..ummmmmm……it was the bomb! But why don’t I just show show you?

Let me introduce you to Sam. He’s the cute, bald, smiling bundle of awesomeness that’s gazing and smiling at Mommy who’s taking the photo. It’s Christmas Day. We’re in Kelly Cove off Norman Island, BVI. The clouds were a welcome respite for us new parents who aren’t the best with the sunscreen for ourselves, but took keeping our little man’s skin pristine and unblemished very seriously. Tougher than you think in the mid-day tropical sun. I know, pretty good problem to have.

Doesn’t that look like the most funnest inflatable rig in the world? The boy sure did love the water. What an amazing way to introduce the lil’ man to the wonders of boats, the sea and the beach. To say he loved splishing around in the water would be a bit of an understatement.

Hanging out near the swim platform was part of our afternoon routine. Caroline in her infinite wisdom found an inflatable “tub” that we brought in our considerable collection of luggage so Sam could has his nightly bath just like at home. The view, however, was a little better in the Caribbean than in our bathtub back home in dark and dreary Boston.

Check out that tub! We did both salt and fresh water soaks back there on the aft deck.

This was taken at about 0630 on our last day. It was a pretty eventful charter (can you see anything missing from this photo), but it was a sweet and soft morning, and “The Admiral” sure loved the Bumbo seat we’d brought from home. And fit perfectly on the cockpit table too. I was even able to tie it down so he was actually pretty safe in there. Look at the round little bald head making sure Mommy is steering the correct course out of the Cooper Island anchorage. He is “The Admiral” after all.

He sure was at home on deck. I hope he sees this blog in 20 years and realizes “Hey, that’s why I always feel deja vu when I come to the Caribbean.” And “Why did Dad always wear those ridiculous white sunglasses?”

The best teething ring in the house! As you might expect, nothing slows you down like sailing with a 6-month old, and that’s just what us new parents needed. Especially since after years of being the charmed charterers that never has anything go wrong, Murphy’s Law-type stuff that happens on boats happened to us in spades.

Tune in later for story of the trip. It was a doozy.