Mothership - water-log
planning out, packing up and paying off to the big blue... 5 years, 32 countries, 2 oceans, 2 babies en route and 18,000 miles so far
water-log
Welcome aboard the Mothership...
...the nuts and bolts of what works for us and our little baby girl Rocket, and now the new addition, Indigo.
How on earth do you go about raising a baby on board a sailboat? Well, I should be honest here and acknowledge that we're new to this whole parenthood game. We are simply making it up as we go along but we have some very handy friends. Living on a boat really makes you more aware of the environmental impact that you have. We have to consider everything that we produce and consume, plus harness the power of the elements. Also, we're on a really very teeny budget and are mostly relying on hand-me-downs from friends.To that end we are trying to put our position to a different kind of use. Mothership catalogues how I'm combining motherhood and sponsorship, all whilst on a sailing boat. Having a baby or two onboard hasn't somehow meant that our boat budget has increased so we're trying to balance this out by reviewing products by testing them out in this harsh environment. These amazing companies have donated their products to us to experiment with in exchange for our unusual images and honest reviews of how their products translate to a life afloat. But, they are companies and products that we have sought out due to their environmental ethos and selling products that we're really proud to represent and be ambassadors for. To learn more about any of these, click on the company logo to visit their websites. Enjoy! x
gDiapers:
Sleepyhead:
Phil & Teds:
We've been using gDiapers cloth diapering products with Rocket since day 1 and have found they work well for us. It's a simple system and the bright colours and fun designs of the gpants make them a great piece of clothing as we're mostly living in the tropics so she doesn't wear much else. The 100% biodegradable inserts are also flushable or compostable. We use these ones when we're doing long passages at sea and want to conserve our water without adding nasty disposables to landfill. But, even with our water limitations, we've had great success using the cloth inserts too and really recommend them. Trust me, I'm no domestic goddess and if I can use cloth nappies without even having a washing machine then anyone can. It's a fantastic design and she seems to love them! Click and to read more on the gDiapers blog. We're one of their 'On Location' featured families. For my gDiaper + Rockin' Green laundry on a boat method click
Now that Rocket is on solids we need somewhere to keep her secure while she eats - a hard task when the boat is always moving! We're using the 'Lobster', a clamp-on high chair that can also fold away for easy storage. We love that it means she can join us at the table and we can all eat together. It's even working well on our odd-shaped oval table and seems to be very easy to wipe down to clean. We've taken it out to restaurants and it's come with us when we're staying with friends. Also we have the 'Traveller', a portable playpen and cot. Although it's very lightweight it's incredibly strong. Once she started crawling it came into it's own as the only way to keep her safely contained on our Pacific crossing. Both products have proved immensely useful onboard so far and I imagine will only become more so as our family grows. We're now also trying the 'Metro' and 'Airlight' baby carriers, more on both of them soon. Click for our full write up on the Phil & Ted page and click for our recent visit with them.
Rocket has used this baby pod since the day she was born and it has been the perfect way for us to co-sleep with her with confidence. She also uses it as a lounge bed and general hangout space. Plus it's travelled with us as carry-on luggage so that she can have her same familiar bed anywhere! She can even sit up in it now that she's getting bigger and stronger and it keeps her somewhere soft and safe while we're underway. It's had the rolly anchorage test for sure! We now also have the Sleepyhead Grand onboard, which is the next size up. Perfect for a snuggly familiar toddler bed pod. Click for the Rocket on the Seven Seas album and the Sleepyhead facebook page.
Rockin' Green:
Ella's Kitchen:
Nature Baby:
Arriving in New Zealand after more than 3 years in the tropics was certainly a shock to the system! So was having to make sure that we had warm layers of clothing for our little girl, who had spent her first 16months in nothing much more than the gDiaper pants. Nature Baby aims for children to experience a pure and chemical-free world, so they make clothes using the softest organic cotton and gorgeous merino wool. No pink and blue boredom here either, their colours and designs are fun, interesting and fairly unisex. As well as providing us with some beautiful snuggly warm layers and an essential sunhat for avoiding those kiwi rays, they've also let us trial their organic skincare baby soap and body wash. They smell so delicious that Rocket is getting baths much more often these days! Check us out on the Nature Baby journal
One of the problems about travelling is that you can't always track down environmentally friendly options. This was particularly the case with detergents. Also, we're keen to use something that we know will be gentle on our little one's skin but tough on those cloth diapers. We first heard about Rockin' Green through our friends at gDiapers. It's biodegradable, contains no phosphates or optical brighteners and even comes in a recyclable bag. Having first tried their Classic Rock soap in 'bare naked babies' scent we're now going to trial the 'motley clean' fragrance. They also have soaps that specifically target the ammonia residue left n cloth nappies. Plus all the formulas are easy-rinse so not a problem with my water limitations. So far they work really well and I'm impressed!
Starting the process of introducing your baby to solids is messy and daunting. To add to this I had the extra challenge of preparing to set off on our longest journey so far, the Pacific crossing. Not only did I have concerns about having access to the right types of fresh fruit and veg to provide a nutritionally balanced diet I was also finding that the stores near us put extra salt and sugar in products like baby rice or porridge. Ella's Kitchen makes organic and healthy baby food that also comes in neat little pouches which will really help to make sure that we're able to give Rocket a broad spectrum of foods, no matter how rough the sea gets. They worked extremely well for us, especially when sailing across the South Pacific during the time that we were starting Rocket on solids.
Chooze shoes:
Organic Babies:
Bambu:
Who says that left and right always have to match? A growing toddler who wants to walk everywhere needs something to protect her little feet. Chooze shoes encourage freedom and self-expression by each pair being non-matching and yet stylish and co-ordinated. They have some great designs, in bright colours, and are tough and durable, withstanding all the puddles and scuffs that kids can put their footwear through. Rocket learned to walk around 14 months old which also saw us getting ready to leave the sandy beached of the south pacific and spend a bit more time in the towns of New Zealand. It rains a lot there too so we needed to find a first pair of shoes for her so she could walk as much as possible whenever we went ashore. It was a brand new experience for her and the shoes took some getting used to but she loves the ritual of putting them on to go out and taking them off when we get home. We also get positive comments on them wherever we go.
When it comes to looking after our newborn's or toddler's soft and sensitive skin we were slightly worried about what the effects of a life at sea would be. Lots of fierce sun and salt water are harsh on the toughest adult skin. Organic Babies / Children have kindly offered us to try out their organic baby skincare products onboard. Currently we're using their sun protection as New Zealand has very little protection against the sun from the ozone layer. So far their sun cream has been easy to apply, which is no mean feat when dealing with a squirming baby! And it's even sensitive enough that if a tiny bit strays into her eyes it doesn't sting. Their shampoos and baby washes smell lovely and Rocket really likes the lightly flavoured toothpaste. We're also using their Green People shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and sun lotion for adults, which are just as mild and gentle on sensitive adult skin. Plus, no nasty chemicals go into anything they make, which means nothing bad washing into our oceans either.
I've always hated that so many things for feeding babies and young children are made of plastic. Why not use the much more aesthetically appealing and sustainable material of wood? Bambu makes all sorts of products for the home out of sustainably-sourced bamboo and they now have a range of childrens' items. Our absolute favourite is her baby bowl made of one 'cell' of a bamboo stalk. She also has their fork, spoon and sporks to experiment with, and our mealtimes are becoming more and more fun and messy in the process! It's also all part of us aiming to keep our boat and home a little greener and to help promote eco practices. Who needs more plastic in the world, overspilling from landfill and polluting our oceans when there are alternatives like this that involve great design. Plus, they are really pleasant to use and even to wash up, making the cleaning process after each feeding that bit more enjoyable.
Studio Skinky:
Love Mae:
Klean Kanteen:
Studio Skinky sent us their lovely 'Playon Crayons' for us to get Rocket started on drawing. They come in bright packs of either primarys or pastels. Unlike normal kids crayons these are much easier for little hands to grasp, as our little girl started using them from 18 months old. They have great toy value all of their own as well as they stack to build little towers and roll about nicely too. We've found them much tougher than ordinary crayons, they also don't stain and are totally non-toxic, so safe for your little ones to play with endlessly with no worries. Rocket also adores her 'Tortellini cushion', a toddler-sized cushion that buttons closed or opens for them to sit inside it. She loves having her own special seat for reading or drawing. They're also specially designed for being comfortable to use when you're breastfeeding as well so we're sure it'll come in handy for baby no.2!
Since learning more about how to live a bit greener on board we were keen to reduce the amount of plastic that our baby comes into contact with, especially when it comes to her food. Love Mae produce gorgeous bamboo dinner sets and utensils for toddlers with really fun animal designs on them. The divided plate can help to make meals a bit more exciting, as any novelty is good when getting your baby to try new foods. We particularly like how slender the fork and spoon are, despite being made for little hands. The material itself feels really nice to hold and helps us feel confident that she's eating off something safe and free from toxins. And it's really nice to be able to give her a strong durable material that she can't break easily but it looks beautiful as well.
Removing as much plastic as we can from Rocket's everyday life means that we're trying to apply it to her drinks containers and milk bottle too. Klean Kanteen produce durable foodsafe stainless steel cannisters and bottles in an effort to refuse single use packaging. Life on a boat means that you consume a lot of water, particularly in the tropics. Rather than re-using plastic water bottles with the possibility of chemicals leaching into your food and drinks, we wanted to try these instead. They even have kids canteens that Rocket can use for water and a bottle for her nightly milk. Their screw on lids are bpa free and we've found the bottle much easier to keep clean and more leak-free thatn her old plastic one was. They also have insulated canteens that you can take with you and get your fresh smoothie or coffee put into instead of using a single use cup. Great for us and better for the planet.
Wishbone:
Bowron sheepskin:
Jenny and Rich of Wishbone Design Studio have let their parenting experiences and ethos lead their product development resulting in the oh-so-beautiful, practical and transformative Wishbone bike. They have been kind enough to join us on our sailing journey and Rocket is now the proud owner of her very own Wishbone. This 3-in-1 bike starts out as a balance trike, then changes to a balance bike and then an even taller balance bike, to grow and change with your child as their skills improve. It's a gorgeous bit of design and tough and sturdy too. It also comes flat-packed in a box, meaning it can be de-assembled too (very handy if you're travelling by boat and space is at a premium!). They even have a version made from 100% recycled materials. It's a NZ company but these amazing bikes are available worldwide. Rocket loves hers and is now speeding up and down the dock and harbourside with it!
You can't have your children in NZ for any length of time without letting them snuggle up on a sheepskin rug. I had one when I was a babe and it's lovely to be able to give that to my kids. Warm in winter, cool in summer, their infant care range combines the necessity for practicality, durability and safety with the desirability of softness, comfort and luxury from a natural material. Rocket's Bowron sheepskin rug is a playmat, a place for cozying up to read and a supersoft nap spot. We also are experimenting with one of Bowron's "cocoon" sheepskin-lined sleeping bags and a carseat liner to keep our little ones snug as the weather turns cold in New Zealand. Mmmmm, so warm and sleepy.
If you found this page by searching for putting 'baby on a boat' into Google then you'll probably want more information from people with a lot more experience. There is a really welcoming virtual community of sailing parents out there. Everyone who has a family on board comes up with a different set of things that work for them and we tend to swap our recommendations and ask each others' advice. We are fortunate enough to have access to some really fantastic blogging sailing families who write about what has worked for them. These brilliant boat mamas and papas are my go-to place for parenting info afloat and I've learned so much from their advice and help. They write far more extensively about how to bring up baby on a boat, so rather than make my own poor attempt, I suggest you please check them out:
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