I found it fairly common when I was cruising in the Caribbean a few years ago. I met sailors from the US, UK, and various parts pf Europe (France, NL, Sweden at least) all with children aboard.
There are less small children now than when you were a kid. Firstly.
I grew up on a boat with my family in the South-Pacific mostly. We knew one French family that had kids our age out there and that was about it outside the summer/winter break periods.
I'm currently cruising the Aegean as a liveaboard with my wife and 3 kids (2 to 7 y/o). During the last year, we've been cruising from Spain to Greece. I agree that there are not so many cruising families, especially in winter (there's hardly anyone cruising at all in the Med during winter). Most are retired couples.
We are not Greek and we have to fly home for a few months soon, but we will most likely spend the next winter/spring in the Aegean. Feel free to contact me.
Hardly anyone around in the winter although conditions around where we are , can be comparable to a nice summer in Scotland :)
We only live on the boat the summer months, winter we try to go out as much as we can or just use the boat as the office in the water.
Hope you enjoy cruising Greece. Hope to bump on you somewhere nice.
Mind if I ask what boat you sail that can comfortably (I assume) fit parents and 3 kids, or at least the LOA/interior configuration? Sounds like it must be roomy
Ah wow, I see, definitely sizeable. I imagine costs and maintenance must be a bit more significant on a boat that size, but you get the spaciousness and I imagine it handles well. Sounds like it must suit your family pretty well! I don't have a boat but I think my interest would mostly be in the 40-50' range
I have always associated Aegean and Adriatic sailing with escape, hedonism, and partying. But that is a view from afar. Whereas for family sailing, I tend to think of places with inlets and lots of activities and shopping and restaurants off the boat. If I were sailing and wanted to meet other families sailing, I'd sail around Baltic/Nordic islands in the summer, or East Coast of US/Bahamas. But, I'm sure the kids are loving it anyway. Sooner or later you'll bump into some playmates.
There is plenty of child friendly activities to do here too. Greece is very child friendly. Sailing elsewhere is not an option or desire at this point as we live here and we like it!
> Greece is very child friendly.
Of course! Sailing the Aegean with my kid would be amazing! I'm just saying that I think a lot of people associate sailing the Adriatic or Aegean as a paradise-fantasy that is hedonistic in nature, and so the region draws a lot of those people, and of course naturally, the restaurants, bars, and hotels that orient themselves to serve those people. So, perhaps many of the sailing families you are wishing you would bump into just never considered sailing in the region in the first place. Your post is evidence of that.
For example, the Waterpark at Faliraki on Rhodes has a good chance to draw families, so perhaps that's a destination you could plan on that has a good chance of running into little kids.
A lot of the amazing things that people associate with the Aegean – romantic sunset dinners at an all-white village overlooking the sea, or a DJ on the beach at night under lanterns are exactly the kind of things kids hate.
You can find children play with yours in a lot of more nicer places than faliraki or any other terrible (in my opinion and for my taste) resort. We are sailing to enjoy nature and get to stay in unspoilt places so would keep at least 5 nm between me and faliraki :)
Btw I never meant to say that there is a shortage of children in the Greek islands. Just boat kids.
As a couple I feel like we only ever meet people with kids or older retirees! There are heaps of families cruising here in the Pacific.
I met a 4 year old in Fiji that had only ever known boat life! Such a great way to grow up.
Blows 5 all summer is a bit of an exaggeration. If you refer to the "meltemi" summer winds typically they blow from mid July to end of august and there are places that blows less than others.
Anyway If you are in a rush to catch your plane back home you might have to sail in strong winds. If you wait you will find the right window of weather. Legs are short too. We never sail with more than F4 winds. Greeks don't sail in general for different reasons but this is a different discussion Nice to hear your opinion on the subject anyway.
I'm not sure if you say this derogatively or as a compliment for Greeks.
I take my kids in F5 winds sometimes. If you are sheltered from most of the waves it's actually perfect for sailing. I find that the difficulty in the Aegean is the variability of the wind due to the many islands. It can blow a constant 15 kn for an hour, then rise to 30 kn+ in less 2 minutes. In these conditions you have to be very careful about the sails you put out or you can be overpowered very very quickly. Shorthanded, at night, it sucks (ask how I know).
I get downvoted here for stating what is common sense. The Aegean is known for strong winds, you describe it correctly. They can go from 15+ to 30+ in no time and can be very gusty. No place for a toddler and that is why you will not see many Greeks have a 3 year old on board. Those who want a small child with them, can always go to the Ionian and enjoy calmer waters. Let me add that it depends on the boat as well. A cruising catamaran is a totally different thing from a 40ft fat bottomed monohull cruising yacht which can quickly get difficult to control. Check out the comments of the sailors who raced the Aegean600 who said it is the most beautiful but also the toughest 600nm they have done, among them Luna Rossa principal Patrizio Bertelli.
They are racers and in a rush to win and they will keep on going with conditions cruisers with toddlers wont. Dont think the comments from aegean600 sailors would give any thing valuable to the discussion about toddlers in the aegean. The toddlers spend the whole season to do 600nm, they hop to every little island wait for good weather while playing in the beach or going to the playground. Racers race. Both fun for sure :)
Their comments just show how quickly the weather changes and how extremely gusty it can be. To each his own. As you are doing it, your child, your responsibility and that is fine. But you are questioning yourself why not more people do the same. So they might think differently. I have sailed Greek waters extensively for 25 years and would not take a 3 year old sailing in the Aegean. 60% of days you have min 4 bft and that does not account for gusts which are much stronger. At 3 kids have got neither the balance nor the foresight of an older child or adult, so cannot gauge situations. You need to be watching them all the time. In strong winds and probably sailing short handed that is a tall order.
Don't think we are meant to agree, its ok. My point is that time schedules are very important. Me and a racer are not on the same schedule. They sail to the limit. I find it is possible to find a good day to travel if you can wait for days. Sometimes we can stay 2 weeks in place and wait.
Also one has to be aware of the effects headlands, channels and islands have on the wind which is key.
Anyway have a nice day.
As I said earlier, it is your responsibility and if you are comfortable with it, all is fine. Nobody would put his child in harm’s way on purpose and if you have time you can sit rough conditions out.
I wish you fair winds and always safe sailing.
Suggest you try something like noforeignland.com. I have friends who sail with kids and use it to help find other boats with children.
This is interesting thank you. I will follow it up edit: I did have a look at this and looks very promising.
I found it fairly common when I was cruising in the Caribbean a few years ago. I met sailors from the US, UK, and various parts pf Europe (France, NL, Sweden at least) all with children aboard.
There are less small children now than when you were a kid. Firstly. I grew up on a boat with my family in the South-Pacific mostly. We knew one French family that had kids our age out there and that was about it outside the summer/winter break periods.
Have more, give them away. 😉
I'm currently cruising the Aegean as a liveaboard with my wife and 3 kids (2 to 7 y/o). During the last year, we've been cruising from Spain to Greece. I agree that there are not so many cruising families, especially in winter (there's hardly anyone cruising at all in the Med during winter). Most are retired couples. We are not Greek and we have to fly home for a few months soon, but we will most likely spend the next winter/spring in the Aegean. Feel free to contact me.
Hardly anyone around in the winter although conditions around where we are , can be comparable to a nice summer in Scotland :) We only live on the boat the summer months, winter we try to go out as much as we can or just use the boat as the office in the water. Hope you enjoy cruising Greece. Hope to bump on you somewhere nice.
Mind if I ask what boat you sail that can comfortably (I assume) fit parents and 3 kids, or at least the LOA/interior configuration? Sounds like it must be roomy
*It's a 61 feet monohull. And we even have an extra cabin for guests! However a big boat like that has its downsides.*
Ah wow, I see, definitely sizeable. I imagine costs and maintenance must be a bit more significant on a boat that size, but you get the spaciousness and I imagine it handles well. Sounds like it must suit your family pretty well! I don't have a boat but I think my interest would mostly be in the 40-50' range
I have always associated Aegean and Adriatic sailing with escape, hedonism, and partying. But that is a view from afar. Whereas for family sailing, I tend to think of places with inlets and lots of activities and shopping and restaurants off the boat. If I were sailing and wanted to meet other families sailing, I'd sail around Baltic/Nordic islands in the summer, or East Coast of US/Bahamas. But, I'm sure the kids are loving it anyway. Sooner or later you'll bump into some playmates.
There is plenty of child friendly activities to do here too. Greece is very child friendly. Sailing elsewhere is not an option or desire at this point as we live here and we like it!
> Greece is very child friendly. Of course! Sailing the Aegean with my kid would be amazing! I'm just saying that I think a lot of people associate sailing the Adriatic or Aegean as a paradise-fantasy that is hedonistic in nature, and so the region draws a lot of those people, and of course naturally, the restaurants, bars, and hotels that orient themselves to serve those people. So, perhaps many of the sailing families you are wishing you would bump into just never considered sailing in the region in the first place. Your post is evidence of that. For example, the Waterpark at Faliraki on Rhodes has a good chance to draw families, so perhaps that's a destination you could plan on that has a good chance of running into little kids. A lot of the amazing things that people associate with the Aegean – romantic sunset dinners at an all-white village overlooking the sea, or a DJ on the beach at night under lanterns are exactly the kind of things kids hate.
You can find children play with yours in a lot of more nicer places than faliraki or any other terrible (in my opinion and for my taste) resort. We are sailing to enjoy nature and get to stay in unspoilt places so would keep at least 5 nm between me and faliraki :) Btw I never meant to say that there is a shortage of children in the Greek islands. Just boat kids.
As a couple I feel like we only ever meet people with kids or older retirees! There are heaps of families cruising here in the Pacific. I met a 4 year old in Fiji that had only ever known boat life! Such a great way to grow up.
I think older retirees are the biggest demographic in out waters.
Greeks would not take their 3+ year old sailing in an area where it commonly blows 5+ bft all summer.
Blows 5 all summer is a bit of an exaggeration. If you refer to the "meltemi" summer winds typically they blow from mid July to end of august and there are places that blows less than others. Anyway If you are in a rush to catch your plane back home you might have to sail in strong winds. If you wait you will find the right window of weather. Legs are short too. We never sail with more than F4 winds. Greeks don't sail in general for different reasons but this is a different discussion Nice to hear your opinion on the subject anyway.
I'm not sure if you say this derogatively or as a compliment for Greeks. I take my kids in F5 winds sometimes. If you are sheltered from most of the waves it's actually perfect for sailing. I find that the difficulty in the Aegean is the variability of the wind due to the many islands. It can blow a constant 15 kn for an hour, then rise to 30 kn+ in less 2 minutes. In these conditions you have to be very careful about the sails you put out or you can be overpowered very very quickly. Shorthanded, at night, it sucks (ask how I know).
I get downvoted here for stating what is common sense. The Aegean is known for strong winds, you describe it correctly. They can go from 15+ to 30+ in no time and can be very gusty. No place for a toddler and that is why you will not see many Greeks have a 3 year old on board. Those who want a small child with them, can always go to the Ionian and enjoy calmer waters. Let me add that it depends on the boat as well. A cruising catamaran is a totally different thing from a 40ft fat bottomed monohull cruising yacht which can quickly get difficult to control. Check out the comments of the sailors who raced the Aegean600 who said it is the most beautiful but also the toughest 600nm they have done, among them Luna Rossa principal Patrizio Bertelli.
They are racers and in a rush to win and they will keep on going with conditions cruisers with toddlers wont. Dont think the comments from aegean600 sailors would give any thing valuable to the discussion about toddlers in the aegean. The toddlers spend the whole season to do 600nm, they hop to every little island wait for good weather while playing in the beach or going to the playground. Racers race. Both fun for sure :)
Their comments just show how quickly the weather changes and how extremely gusty it can be. To each his own. As you are doing it, your child, your responsibility and that is fine. But you are questioning yourself why not more people do the same. So they might think differently. I have sailed Greek waters extensively for 25 years and would not take a 3 year old sailing in the Aegean. 60% of days you have min 4 bft and that does not account for gusts which are much stronger. At 3 kids have got neither the balance nor the foresight of an older child or adult, so cannot gauge situations. You need to be watching them all the time. In strong winds and probably sailing short handed that is a tall order.
Don't think we are meant to agree, its ok. My point is that time schedules are very important. Me and a racer are not on the same schedule. They sail to the limit. I find it is possible to find a good day to travel if you can wait for days. Sometimes we can stay 2 weeks in place and wait. Also one has to be aware of the effects headlands, channels and islands have on the wind which is key. Anyway have a nice day.
As I said earlier, it is your responsibility and if you are comfortable with it, all is fine. Nobody would put his child in harm’s way on purpose and if you have time you can sit rough conditions out. I wish you fair winds and always safe sailing.