19 days at sea, a 47-foot sailboat, 2 kids and zero screens
Crossing the Pacific Ocean with two young kids might sound like a wild idea — and okay, it kind of is — but it turned out to be a lot more fun (and surprisingly manageable) than people imagine.
We spent almost 20 days at sea on our 47-foot sailboat, Mama Beluga, with Charlie (3 years old) and Léon (2 years old) crossing the Pacific from the Galapagos to the Marquesas.
Space is definitely limited — think floating tiny house — and when the boat starts rocking in a good swell, walking can turn into a bit of a wobbly dance. The boys learned quickly how to move like little sea creatures, crouching low and grabbing handrails like pros. Still, falls and bruised knees came with the territory.
Keeping Toddlers Busy at Sea
Our cockpit was the kids’ main hangout — it’s shaded, safe, and it’s where we can keep a close eye on them. We always had one eye on the horizon, and one eye on whichever toddler was trying to “fix” something with a spoon.
Our golden rule on the boat is that you always know where the kids are.
We don’t use screens onboard, so we had to get a little creative — which actually turned out to be a lot of fun. Here’s what worked:
- Books. So many books. Favorites were read a dozen times, but they didn’t mind.
- Playdough sessions on the cockpit table — bonus points for Seb making extremely realistic crocodiles.
- Legos and playmobils, a classic.
- Coloring and sticker books, always a winner.
- Fishing rods made from string and sticks — we fished for socks, soft toys, and paper fish.
- Dance parties to our favorite songs — always a hit on calmer days.
When the swell picked up, activities got simpler — and that wasn’t just about balance. Our main goal became keeping the boys from getting seasick. That meant lots of fresh air and horizon-gazing.
Sometimes we’d hum songs or make up silly sea stories, but honestly, just being outside and looking far ahead works wonders — for all of us.
What It’s Really Like
Was it peaceful 100% of the time? Of course not. But it also wasn’t as stressful as we thought it might be. The boys adapted quickly to life at sea, and we got better every day at balancing safety, supervision, and play.
We had our worries, of course — being so far from help means you’re extra careful. But we also had an incredible amount of quality time together. No rush, no errands, no distractions — just us, the ocean, sometimes a fish, and a whole lot of toddler energy.
Final Thoughts
If you’re thinking, “Wow, that sounds like a handful” — it can be. But it was also full of those simple, happy moments that make the big journey totally worth it. We’ll always remember the little giggles from the cockpit, the excitement when we spot a dolphin or whale, the wild fishing stories that Charlie insists we retell everyday, and the smile on Léon’s face when a booby landed on our pulpit.
Would we do it again ? Absolutely.
Even if, for our next Pacific crossing as a family on a sailboat, we end up eating homemade sourdough pizza in front of a cartoon… we’ll just pretend nothing happened.