ARC Atlantic crossing with baby: feasible v stupid

   Hi, My husband and I were planning to do the 2013 ARC Atlantic crossing in November on our friends boat which is a First 40.7. However, I have discovered I am now pregnant which complicates matters! The baby is due in June and will be 5 months old when we would set off. I am desperately keen still to do it and the other members of crew are happy to have the baby on board (they were the ones that suggested I still came). My husband however thinks it is too risky. 
We have done quite a bit of yacht racing and a few longer trips including a crossing from Cork in Ireland across the Bay of Biscay to Spain which was very rough at times but would not call ourselves experienced sailors. Our friends who own the boat are much more experienced. We are both doctors so have medical knowledge and would take a pretty comprehensive first aid kit.
I plan to still be breast feeding at 5 months and wouldn't want to leave the baby for the 2-3 weeks it would take. We have found a few blogs on the web of people that have taken babies on long sailing trips but don't know if we are being stupid to even consider it?
Any advice would be gratefully received!

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ejbcook Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 07 Jan 13 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1	Post Options Post Reply Quote ejbcook Report Post Quote Reply Topic: ARC Atlantic crossing with baby: feasible v stupid Posted: 07 Jan 13 at 8:54pm
	Hi, My husband and I were planning to do the 2013 ARC Atlantic crossing in November on our friends boat which is a First 40.7. However, I have discovered I am now pregnant which complicates matters! The baby is due in June and will be 5 months old when we would set off. I am desperately keen still to do it and the other members of crew are happy to have the baby on board (they were the ones that suggested I still came). My husband however thinks it is too risky. We have done quite a bit of yacht racing and a few longer trips including a crossing from Cork in Ireland across the Bay of Biscay to Spain which was very rough at times but would not call ourselves experienced sailors. Our friends who own the boat are much more experienced. We are both doctors so have medical knowledge and would take a pretty comprehensive first aid kit. I plan to still be breast feeding at 5 months and wouldn't want to leave the baby for the 2-3 weeks it would take. We have found a few blogs on the web of people that have taken babies on long sailing trips but don't know if we are being stupid to even consider it? Any advice would be gratefully received!

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6649	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Jan 13 at 10:12am
	There was a memorable quote in Cmmdr Bill King's book "the Stick and the Stars" to the effect that a baby in a basket is one thing on a cruising boat, but a baby that is constantly crawling out of a basket is quite another...

Presuming Ed Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 26 Feb 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 641	Post Options Post Reply Quote Presuming Ed Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Jan 13 at 10:33am
	IIRC from YW ARC reports, it has been done.

sargesail Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 14 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1459	Post Options Post Reply Quote sargesail Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Jan 13 at 10:42pm
	With tolerant crew - doable. If you are happy with the medical risks - you'd understand that better than me. Minor issue would be waste - what will you do with the nappies - please not over the side! To offer a solution have a stack of very large (water cooler type) water bottles with a screw lid. As you drink from them turn them over to waste storage. All the bugs and smell stays inside. This is a good tip anyway for the tropics/sub tropics - keep the watch busy cutting up the junk to fit the bottle top and minimise disease etc.

MerlinMags Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Admin Group Joined: 19 Mar 04 Location: UK, Guildford Online Status: Offline Posts: 585	Post Options Post Reply Quote MerlinMags Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 13 at 2:52pm
	If you haven't had a baby before, and formed a very clear idea about how many spare hours of the day there are, I suggest you seriously rethink this plan. It will be sad to miss the race, yes, but not much fun to do the race spending 80% of the time below, and another 19% worrying about the reason behind the current burst of bawling .... Edited by MerlinMags - 21 Jan 13 at 2:53pm

iGRF Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496	Post Options Post Reply Quote iGRF Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 13 at 4:43pm
	Sounds like your first child. I'd wait 'til you have him or her cradled in your arms, knowing you are all that stands between life and death for the little one before you start worrying about what will happen to him or her during your first knock down.

PeterG Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 12 Jan 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 818	Post Options Post Reply Quote PeterG Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jan 13 at 6:16pm
	I have to say, I'm in total agreement with MerlinMags and GRF on this. I can understand that you don't want to miss the race, but I'm really not at all sure that you are going to feel the same way once you have the baby. And if the weather is bad it could become really unpleasant.
	Peter Ex Cont 707 Ex Laser 189635 DY 59

Strangler Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Posting king Joined: 24 Mar 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 154	Post Options Post Reply Quote Strangler Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Mar 13 at 5:05pm
	I think it was in this book she solved the nappy problem. May not be popular with a racing skipper! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Cape-Horn-Rosie-Swale/dp/0236177133

Mister Nick Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 01 Aug 09 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 389	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mister Nick Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Mar 13 at 7:14pm
	I really, really wouldn't do that. I know that if you've got good people on the boat the risks of something going wrong are pretty small. But what happens if you get knocked down at 3am in the morning and the baby gets catapulted across the cabin? What happens if you have to bail into a liferaft? What happens if the rig comes down and you're faced with the choice of cutting it all away to save the boat or making sure your baby is in a safe place? In almost any emergency situation, a baby makes it twice as hard to deal with. I know the chances are pretty small and that you will more than likely be fine, but please have a think. :(

patj Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 16 Jul 04 Location: Wiltshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 640	Post Options Post Reply Quote patj Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 08 Mar 13 at 7:23am
	As a mother who first took her second child camping at two weeks old (in our classic vw camper van in summer), I would say no way would I take a baby on such a trip. Apart from all the above, you may plan to be breast feeding but circumstances may prevent that - if you get ill you may not produce the milk or not want to pass the illness on to your baby or even not be capable of feeding it yourself so you would need to be prepared for you or anyone else to be able to bottle feed as well. That's from experience - it only takes a dodgy curry!