8 Ways to Enjoy Yachting with Youngsters and Teens

The key to a successful family yacht trip is keeping young people busy, entertained, and learning. By planning and choosing a yacht with the right amenities, you can turn potential boredom into lasting memories.

Girl on a Swing off the 72ft sailing yacht BONNIE LYNN, a modified version of designer Merrit Walter’s Trade Rover Schooner

This girl on a swing is part of a Seamnanship program run by the 72ft sailing yacht BONNIE LYNN, a modified version of designer Merrit Walter’s Trade Rover Schooner

1/ Fun with High-Tech and Low-Tech Water Toys

- Younger Kids: Enjoy classic toys like inflatable slides, paddle boards (SUP), snorkeling gear, and sailing lessons.
- Teens: Get a thrill from high-tech toys like jet skis, water skiing, wake boarding, flyboard-X, power snorkeling, and hydrofoil boarding (where permitted).

170ft motor Oceanco motor yacht LAZY Z stern view with slide, toys and tenders

2 / Learn to Dive

- Family members, including children as young as 10, can learn to SCUBA dive in open water with an accompanying adult.
- Many yachts offer the option to complete a PADI Open Water Certification right onboard, creating a shared, memorable family activity.

“I think the most exciting dives a family can do are their first dives together,” says diving instructor Tom Lang, co-founder of Dive Addiction in a recent article. “Trusting in each other as ‘dive buddies’ opens up a whole new dimension to boating.”

O'Shaugnessey Family SCUBA Diving Off 65ft S-Y LOLALITA with Capt. Gio. Photo by Capt. Gio in the Caribbean

O'Shaugnessey Family SCUBA Diving with Capt. Gio Damiani. Photo by Capt. Gio in the Caribbean

3 / Reach New Destinations Frequently

- Children respond well to new locations, so choose an itinerary with frequent stops and short passages between destinations.
- The crew can help create a fun atmosphere with creative theme nights while at anchor or during longer journeys.

Group of snorkelers from the sailing catamaran LOLALITA dancing on a dock in snorkel gear. Yachting with youngsters and teens.

Charter guests dancing on a BVI dock in snorkel gear

4 / Sailing with Children May Give Them a New Hobby

A sailing charter provides opportunities for youngsters to “learn the ropes” and take the helm, potentially sparking a lifelong interest in sailing.
Sailing with a professional crew also allows experienced family sailors to enhance their existing skills.

Young boy in red life jacket learning ropes on a boat. Photo by Carol Kent

5 / Take the Helm

Youngsters can gain a sense of achievement and independence by driving the tender (small motorboat) to and from shore under supervision.
Older children can take the main yacht’s wheel under the captain’s watchful eye.

Boy at the helm of boat with his Dad. Photo by Carol Kent

6 / Learn How to Spot Wildlife

Wildlife sightings (dolphins, whales, seals, otters) are a major attraction.
Encourage the use of smartphones to photograph wildlife, use identifying apps for animals and constellations, and turn sightings into teachable moments about marine biology.

Humpback Whale and Snorkeler in the Turks and Caicos, Caribbean. Photo by Capt. Gio

7 / Learn to Cook

Yacht chefs are skilled at catering to special diets and fussy eaters.
Young people often enjoy rolling up their sleeves to help the chef prepare snacks, fresh-baked bread, pretzels, or cookies for a family meal.

TCB top chef Alex Flannery offered a variety of food including his signature child's halibut with pickled cauliflower and rhubarb tacos. Photo by Billy Black Newport CYS 2022

Lemon cream cakes, fudge, and beignets prove to be quite popular.

8 / Learn to Love Oceans

CKYCI partners with organizations that help protect our oceans.

Use the marine environment as a classroom to explore ocean animals, plants, tides, wind currents, and maritime activity.
This fosters a deeper connection and sense of responsibility for ocean protection.

Happy family jumping into the water from the motor yacht LADY J

Yachts make happy family vacation on the M/Y LADY J

Parents Love to Report…

that their children are tuckered out from all their yachting activities. They also report this common mantra from their happy ones:

“When can we do this again?!”

You can start planning your “best vacation ever” with as little as a yacht, a destination, an occasion, or a simple plan, and we help you fill in the rest.

A luxury yacht charter affords kids of all ages a mix of adventure, excitement, relaxation, and new experiences, all in a very safe and comfortable environment.

Young boy on yacht in life jacket, tuckered out from boating activities. Photo by Carol Kent

The Family that Plays Together, Stays Together

There are so many ways that you can both interact and engage with children and teenagers on a boat while also giving them time to explore and learn. The environment surrounds them and it is just a question of choosing. We have listed eight ways to make a trip with children and teenagers a memorable experience for the whole family. There is much more, too!

M/Y ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM; The Yacht for Unforgettable Family Adventures

Taking your children on a yacht vacation creates lasting memories

Before we dive into our 8 Ways, let’s begin with your well-informed charter broker guiding you through the yacht options. We need to know your:

family make-up
ages
water skills
interests
quirks
favorite foods and beverages
favorite eating times
bedtime schedules, and
an overall understanding of what memorable vacations you’ve had in the past

Lifestyle and watersport toys galore onboard M/Y LADY J, 142' Palmer Johnson, in The Exumas, Bahamas

Family favorite strawberry meringue starfish aboard the M-Y TCB. Photo by Carol Kent

My Family Experience

My family has been chartering yachts since our youngest child was 3 months old and the oldest was in diapers. To this day, we still have great memories of the challenges and experiences we all had.

As they got older, ages four and five, we took them sailing in Belize. We packed our bags with Sesame Street and Thriller by Michael Jackson music tapes, and we were all entertained during cocktail hour.

Drawing stingrays, local birds, and iguanas kept the boys busy. The highlight, they still remember, was meeting Seto, a 60ft freestyle diver.

They met local Dangriga children at South Water Cay during our Easter vacation. While they were quite young, they still talk about this.

As teens, we went off to the Virgin Islands where they could take the helm, snorkel for the first time in the “fish bowl” off Cooper Island, and dance to the island music near dusk.

You can do it, too, and have fun!

Manta rays with snorkel diver underwater in Belize off 47ft sailing catamaran AUBISQUE

Manta rays with diver underwater in Belize

Underwater view in a lagoon with colorful tropical fish and sea sponge

Dive Snorkel and Fishing in Virgin Islands

Turtle sighting on a snorkel dive

Children swimming off Belize beach at Southwater Cay

Dangriga children with redheaded boy on Belize beach at Southwater Cay. Photo by C Kent. Yachting with youngsters and teens.

Starting young making new friends

Belizen children at play on the beach in Belize. Photo by Carol Kent. Yachting with youngsters and teens.

Dangriga children at play on the South Water Cay in Belize

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