Advice for young family entering tug-life

[Kpeters]

Any advice for a young family looking to buy our first tug? We currently have a small day sailboat, and have cruised extensively on a large sailing catamaran in the past. Now we have a 1 year old and I'm eager to get back on the water, but on something more comfortable and more reliable, for lack of a better word, than a sailboat (waiting for the wind and weather to be right, oh crap the outboard is not working again). I'd like to hear from anyone on a 21ec or r25 with a young family. Is it a nightmare taking babies under 3yo out for a weekend on the boat? Day trips? Should we wait until our kids are a little older before we buy a tug? Is the layout of the boat kid friendly-ish?
We currently cruise the raritan bay with hopes of relocating to the chesapeake in the next few years.
Thanks all! -Kate

 

[knotflying]

Buy the biggest one you can afford and are comfortable with maneuvering. A one year old can probably bunk with you and your wife in the v-berth, but as they get older it may get tight and then there is either the table or the cave. A lot of us use the cave for storage so using that for sleeping will cut down your storage space. If it were me I would go with a used R-29 if your budget does not allow new. As far as a child on board, they require oversight diligence regardless of the size of the boat. Probably a one year old is more manageable than those rambunctious 2 and 3 year olds who like to examine everything they can get their hands on.
Enjoy the hunt!

 

[SnugTug]

Kate -

We did lots of research before deciding on our R-27. Our primary focus was on family fit. We have two grown boys and a 5 year old girl. Best advice is to get on board with the family - sit, stand, lay down, move around the boat with all hands aboard. This is the only way to feel the fit of any boat.

In the end, our 5 year old daughter "picked" the R-27. She claimed the cave for herself And has since decorated her "room". Granted, we have lost precious storage space, but she's very happy.

Suggest you not worry about the baby at ages 1-3. Instead, think about how the toddler will move around the boat safely in great years ahead.

Great boat for us.

Good luck.

 

[Spinner]

Boating with children is wonderful (I speak as one of those former children)!

I grew up boating since birth. My parents and the four kids boated all summer long, long weekends and one long 2-3 week) trip every year. By the way, we had a 25 foot cruiser, and graduated to a 29 foot boat when I was a teenager. It can work!

 

[Bruce Moore]

If you haven't already, read The Curve of Time for a little inspiration. It's a much-loved classic in our Pacific NW waters, but the experiences are relevant to family boating anywhere.

Cheers,

Bruce

 

[spierp]

We're only 3 months into our R-25SC, got it in March when our first (ben) was 5 months old. Somehow in the last three months we've already put over 50 hours on the engine and done 3 overnights, all with the baby. I'd say it's definitely comfortable at this point, but he's not mobile yet!

For naps during the day we put Ben in the v-berth. At night we lower the dining table and put this portable crib there.
http://www.amazon.com/Lotus-Travel-Crib-Portable-Playard/dp/B00AKKDSNG

Personally I don't we could do smaller than the 25, but that's just us.