Want to find out more about living and sailing on a boat with children before you commit to a change of lifestyle or find some tips and tricks you could use yourself if you already live aboard? Read on to find out how Malin manages it!
Malin (33) and Johan (43) live aboard their 1988 Najad 440 with their baby girl, Vera (who’s nearly 1). They have sailed extensively over the past four years travelling from Sweden across the Atlantic and into the Pacific on their first boat (Ran). After deciding more space was needed to welcome their new arrival, a new owner was found for Ran. Malin and Johan are now back in Sweden living aboard their new boat (Ran II). Plans are being made to head south again once they have completed some upgrades to Ran II.
Tell us a bit about yourself...
What are your names, where is home and when did you leave etc?
We are a Swedish family (Malin, Johan and Vera) who have been sailing since 2016, and liveaboards since 2014.
We left our home town, Malmö, in the middle of the winter and sailed for close to 4 years on our first boat Ran. She was a 40 ft custom built aluminium sloop from 1987. We sailed to the Pacific where we turned north and explored Alaska and British Columbia before making our way down to Mexico.
When I got pregnant in 2019, we started thinking of getting a bigger boat. The timing was perfect since we were planning to stay in Sweden for a while to have the baby. We sold the boat, went boat hunting and 3 months later we welcomed our daughter Vera and got the keys to our new boat during the same week!
Ran II is a Swedish Najad 440 from 1988 who has many of the features we were looking for; center cockpit, cutter rigged and well maintained. She has a new engine and is a solid, quality boat.
Why do you choose to live this lifestyle?
We wanted more freedom in our lives and we both love traveling so what better way to travel than with your home?! It’s not always easy but we love to have so much time together and explore the world by boat.
What do your friends and family think about you living and travelling on a boat?
They love it and think it’s so cool! Of course they miss us and especially Vera 🙂
Did you spend much time aboard while you were pregnant?
Yes, the whole pregnancy and it was so hard! We sailed along the US West Coast and I suffered from really bad pregnancy nausea which triggered seasickness so I was seasick on every sail and even at anchor. It got easier as we arrived in Mexico and stayed put. Being a liveaboard and pregnant wasn’t hard though but I missed taking warm baths!
How old was your baby when she moved aboard?
The first time she was onboard the boat she was only a few days old and her first sail was on New Years Eve when she was just over 4 weeks. We moved aboard full time when she was 8 weeks old.
What modifications have you had to make to your boat since your baby arrived?
We have installed a bicycle seat on a Lagun bracket in the cockpit (we bought it as a kit. See pages 13 + 14). It turns almost 360 degrees, is easy to remove when we need more space, she’s secured with a harness and she can watch outside when we are doing things and while sailing. It’s great! When she was younger we used the lee cloth in the saloon when she was playing on the sofa. We’ve plugged electric outlets and next up is to put netting around the lifelines. In general boats are good for babies since the interior often has round edges and drawers are already secured.
What pieces of equipment do you have onboard for your baby that you consider to be vital?
Life vest is number one for sure. We also want to have an Epipen or similar in case she would get an allergic reaction while being far from civilization.
Do you have any funny stories that involve your baby you'd like to share?
This summer we travelled through the Göta Canal, a canal that connects the west and east coast of Sweden. Vera sat in her captain’s seat and it was so fun to see her wave and smile to the spectators in the locks.
What are you doing to make sure your baby is able to socialise with others?
One of the best things about traveling is all the people we meet. And there are also so many families in the sailing community. There are forums online for sailing families where you can look for other boat families in your area.
How do you keep your baby occupied onboard?
She’s still little but she has toys and books but really she likes to play with whatever. It can be a line or a clothing pin 🙂
What do you do with your baby while you're on passage?
We play on the cockpit floor or down below, look outside the windows, hold the lines, steer the boat, listen to music and sing.
How does your baby cope when it gets rough?
She hasn’t been affected so far but it might change as her sense of balance develops.
Have you had any surprises along the way?
Not really, more a realisation of how you have to re-think everything and lower your expectations on how much you can get done. And that everything now takes at least 3 times as long.
What's the best thing about living onboard with a baby?
To be with them all the time and see all her developments and to explore everything through her eyes and together.
What's the worst thing about living onboard with a baby?
I guess the confined space can be hard sometimes especially if you’re on passage or at anchor and it’s harder to go ashore.
What tips and tricks have you picked up along the way to make your life easier?
To keep it simple. Living on a boat isn’t harder than living in a house, it’s just a little bit smaller and different.
What does the future hold for you?
We are currently in our hometown doing big boat projects and plan to sail south early next year. We plan to sail to the Mediterranean and spend the summer there and then head towards the Canaries and the Caribbean. If the situation in the world allows it of course.
What advice would you share with a sailing Mumma-to-be?
Go for it! It’s super cosy and you will experience so much together!
Find out more...
I hope you enjoyed reading this interview and finding out more about living on a boat with a baby.
If you’d like to find out more about Malin and follow her family on their journey, you can visit their website here and follow them on social media.
