Barge holiday with 18 month old baby

[naturalblonde]

FIL paying, so free and with lots of trustworthy babysitters every night. I just think it could be a disaster, I mean, how do you fit a travel cot on a barge? And an energetic 18mo on a small boat? Surely this is a disaster waiting to happen?

Anyone else tried it? How was it? What would you do - go, send dp by himself or stay home, save up and go somewhere hot next year?

Any advice appreciated

Sounds a bit stressful to me.

We went to a campsite with a swimming pool with no fence when DS was a similar age and he was obsessed with hanging out near the pool watching the other kids (when he didn't want to swim). My overwhelming memory was spending my holiday walking behind him bent over a little to be ready to catch him if he slipped - even though it was probably only a couple of hours a day.

I think it would be worse on the boat!

Depends what you mean by a barge. If you mean a narrowboat, on a canal with locks to work then I think it would be very stressful and not a huge amount of fun for the 18 month old. If you mean a proper barge like the ones on the wide anals in Europe or a sailing barge I think it would be fine if you have a safety line and lots of doting adults to help.

Thanks for advice guys. It's a narrowboat type thing with locks to work. My dd is 12mo now and is already into everything so in 6 months time i guess she'll be even worse. Think i'll tell dp we shouldn't go. Wont be fun for her anyway.

We did it with large group of (mainly single) friends when ds was 6 months and our friends' ds 18 months for a long weekend. Then again for a week when he was 2 , same friends' ds1 was 3 and ds2 9 months, with just the two families. It worked out fine tbh. Lots to see and do at your own pace.

We used the front cabin as a base for the kids during the day so someone could stay with them and they could look out front and we took them for walks along the tow path or they rode in the back carrier of whoever steered the boat or was doing locks or sat outside adjacent to the steerer. The lower bunks had cot sides you could attach but they were pretty low to floor anyway so you could put pillows in the middle instead, and they provided life jackets, even for babies.

My sister took my niece sailing on a proper yacht at that age which in theory would be even worse, and they were fine.

Locks - grown ups can do while small child stays in boat with an adult who is not steering at the same time. If child wants exercise, small child gets off boat and walks along towpath with a responsible adult who is looking after them and not doing anything else such as working a lock (I'd use reins to make sure small child isn't going to make a sudden rush for the bank.)

Travel cot - just look at the layout of the boat before you book it. Hire companies will show you plans - most have them up online.

Mind you, I refused to take ds on a narrowboat with grandad until recently (he's now four). But having been on that holiday, I now regret not taking him when he was younger.

As long as you have several responsible adults so plenty of people to work locks, steer and supervise baby, I think it would be fine.

ooh yes, do use lifejackets just in case.

i have done lots of motor boat sailing with cahrge aged 9 - 15 months.... then the following year aged 21 - 27months

During both times we spent a whole month on the boat... as well as many ,ong weekends etc

admitedly it was NOT a barge but even so

can i say pack REINS and a WRISTLINK. you attach the wrist link to the reins and to your wrist.... while (unlesss very safe) you try to hold the reins it means that even if you forget your toddler is still attached to you.

Obvioulsy we were in marinas as well and sued this when walking then as well as aboard.