“Crossing the Atlantic with these two is not something I would recommend,” says Stef Stevens, mother of seven-month-old Roux and two-year-old Jesse. “But I have no regrets about sailing with family either.”

When Stef and her husband Rich set sail from Jersey to Grenada they knew it was going to be hard, but as Stef puts it, life would be busy anyway, so “why not chuck in a couple of night watches and see a bit more of the world?”

The first challenge was selecting the right boat. They already owned a family share in a Beneteau Oceanis 423.

While Rich and Stef loved sailing the yacht, their business – a RIB tour company operating in France and the Channel Islands – meant they only managed 10 days a year aboard.

Wanting to sail in the winter, they tried charter holidays in the Caribbean, Whitsundays and BVI.

Eleven years into the RIB business, and with two young children, the couple felt it was time to sell up and ‘make the most of the winters’.

Pinnacle is a Nautitech 46 Open catamaran. Credit: Stevens Family

They considered keeping a boat abroad but didn’t like the idea of leaving it every year, so instead decided to buy one and sail it around the world.

The Beneteau wasn’t an option for that, so their share was sold back to the family.

For Stef, who knew she’d be spending a lot of time in the cabin with Roux and Jesse, a catamaran was the only option.

“I’m not the sailor, Rich is, but when we decided to do this as a family, the multihull was non-negotiable!”

They bought Pinnacle, a Nautitech 46 Open, and in November 2024 set sail for the Caribbean on the ARC+, the sister event to the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, which has a stopover in Cape Verde.

On board with them was Stef’s father David and Rich’s brother Jonty.

Always with a lifejacket, children are also clipped on to an adult when on deck. Credit: Stevens Family

The first leg – to Mindelo, Cape Verde – was the roughest, with Roux spending a lot of time in his carrier and Jesse in a soft cordoned-off area in the saloon.

“A boat, even a catamaran, is a small space for children when you compare it to a house on land,” says Stef.

“You don’t have gardens and parks, so you have to find ways to entertain them; for example, constantly rotating toys to keep them away from screen time.”

Despite it being ‘a bit rocky and rolly,’ none of the family suffered from sea sickness, and the second leg, to Port Louis in Grenada, was much calmer.

There were even a few days mid-Atlantic when they put a ball pit and a paddling pool on the bow.

“They both had little baths in a saltwater pool. It felt very luxurious,” says Stef.

Jesse was aged two and Roux just seven months when the Stevens family set sail. Credit: World Cruising Club

The kids reached key milestones during the passage.

In Gran Canaria Roux was commando crawling on his belly, and by the time they reached Grenada, he was pulling himself up onto the furniture. Meanwhile, Jesse cut his first two teeth and learned to use the potty.

“He got a huge round of applause – everyone was there to watch!” says Stef. “We gave him stickers and cookies too, which really tested my provisioning!”

Stef has bought reusable nappies for Roux, but isn’t ready to take on the additional workload of washing them until Jesse is dry at night.

“We’re down to two a day now, so getting there,” she says.

Being skipper, Rich was needed a lot on deck, so Stef took charge of the children, as well as the cooking and cleaning.

Jigsaw play mater is soft underfoot. Credit: Ali Wood

She spent much of the time indoors, particularly as she was breastfeeding, but was grateful for the panoramic view of the ocean, which you don’t always get on a monohull.

It also meant she could nip outside and help with sail changes, while still keeping an eye on the children through the glass doors.

The layout was a benefit for Rich too. “It’s all open, everyone’s in one place and the helm is on the same level so it’s not like having a flybridge where I’d be up there and out the picture,” he says.

“If we were on a monohull and Stef and the kids were stuck down below it would have been a lot harder I think.”

They managed the watch schedule so that Rich would be free from 6pm till 8pm so he could help with dinner at bath time.

“At home, I’d always put Jesse to bed so it was nice to keep up that routine, but sometimes I’d be suddenly busy and couldn’t help.”

Guest berth doubles as a play room and can be zipped shut. Credit: Ali Wood

Stef took the 11pm to 2am watch. “That was my choice, I liked sailing into the night and then handing over to Dad and Jonty.”

Another advantage of a catamaran is there’s a lot less motion. Stef points out that Roux wouldn’t have been able to stand or Jesse run around if the boat was rolling.

The couple removed the door between their cabin and the small ‘office space’ that they converted into the nursery.

“Knowing the kids were in eyesight in the cabin space was reassuring,” says Stef. “You do feel vulnerable and scared for their safety even in the calmest of conditions, but they are children and you’d be the same on land crossing a road!”

“It definitely wasn’t easy,” adds Rich. “These guys like to pull everything, and they had to be barricaded around the boat. But they still had a good space to run and crawl around in.”

A catamaran offered space that would be hard to match in a monohull. Credit: Ali Wood

They also bought a subscription to offshore medical support, which provides full paediatric care and antibiotics.

“It’s really substantial, though quite expensive,” says Rich. “We only used it a couple of times and both of them were actually on land. Very minor things, like when Jesse cut his head while in a supermarket, but you’re paying for that service so any doubt and you can use it, which is a great reassurance.

“Being a part of the ARC was such a comfort, ticking off all the safety things that you need when you’re travelling with young children.”

On deck, Jesse was either clipped to the boat or wearing a lifejacket. Roux was strapped to Stef all the time, or being held, so he didn’t wear a lifejacket.

Stef was grateful to have her dad and Jonty with her, who were always on hand to read to Jesse.

A wooden train set gives hours of fun. Credit: Stevens Family

“He loves books – we have a whole library on board, and the Duplo train set was a hit, too.”

“They loved it,” says Rich. “Now and again when we got close to another boat Jesse would be like, ‘big boat!’ and there would be lots of smiles. We saw a few dolphins, which is always exciting, and shooting stars, sunrises, sunsets – all of the things you want kids to be excited about.”

Amazingly, sleep – a big challenge for any new parent – wasn’t a problem onboard Pinnacle.

“There were slaps and uncomfortable noises at times – at one point the downwind sail fell in the sea and we were stomping above their cabin trying to pull it up, but they didn’t wake,” says Rich.

“We’ve never been a tip-toey family. Jesse was just 12 days old the first time he went on a boat so they’re used to not having perfect sleeping conditions.”

Grandad helped out at mealtimes. Credit: Stevens Family

Stef and Rich managed the shift from European to Caribbean time by working to sunset and sunrise.

“We gave ourselves an extra hour of life over four days,” explains Stef. “Because we did it in increments everyone adapted. We’d say, ‘hello moon, hello stars,’ and it just made sense to Jesse that it was night-time.”

The daytime was more challenging. Just as Stef would get one boy down the other would wake. “I definitely didn’t twiddle my thumbs!” she says. “I didn’t read any books but I was still able to bake banana cakes, cookies and fresh bread. Morale was high on board!”

When it came to preparing meals, Stef was glad she’d splashed out on a Vorwerk Thermomix – a portable cooker, blender, food processor and more.

“It’s my luxury item,” she says. “It’s amazing! I’d be feeding Roux and making paella at the same time, you can just chuck the ingredients in and leave it.”

Induction cooking hob saves having to carry too much gas. Credit: Ali Wood

She also used a low power induction hob. “We try and use as much electric as possible and limit gas as it’s safer and you don’t have to carry the gas bottles.”

There were times though, even with a hands-on crew and high-spec galley, that Stef found herself utterly exhausted.

“Personally, I’d have liked to have done more sailing, but it didn’t work out that way. I remember day eight was a low point. I just needed mum support around me.”

The closest Stef got to this was via Zoom calls with friends back home, something she did twice a day using Starlink.

The family did not suffer from sea sickness, which made the Atlantic crossing easier. Credit: Stevens family

“It was nice to reach out to friends. Some are having babies now, and yes, I do sometimes feel I’m missing out, but then we’re here, spending all this time with our kids and watching them grow. It’s amazing.”

• The Stevens family have been cruising the Caribbean coast and aim to transit the Panama Canal early in 2025 for the South Pacific. Follow them on Instagram @sailingpinnacle

Sailing with family: Top tips for kid-proofing your boat

• Pin up photos of friends and family so the kids can remember faces
• Hang sensory toys around the saloon
• Rotate toys so the kids don’t have too many at once. Ours love Duplo, magnetic blocks, cars, trains and lots of books
• Plan various activities such as Play-Doh, painting and drawing, baking and puzzles
• Keep older clothing stowed away and swap or donate used clothing to other parents
• Use stair gates in the saloon. The stair gate for the crew sleeping area is zipped off too for additional soundproofing from Jesse and Roux!
• Stair gates are also used outside so the cockpit is totally enclosed
• Netting around the decks helps prevent items from being thrown overboard!
• Jesse particularly likes a potty outside so he can enjoy the sea view
• Both boys have a high-chair. Not only is this their dining table but it helps restrain them when needed
• Fans are handy in hot climes
• We chose a big boat so friends and family can visit. But when they’re not visiting, the guest bedroom doubles as a playroom and can be zipped closed
• Soft, giant jigsaws double as play mats, and a baby monitor can be used when you’ve not got eyes on them (though we do all the time right now)
• Don’t be afraid to modify your boat (maybe removing doors, etc) to optimise living space
• An outdoor bin for nappies is a must!
• Upgrading galley equipment – for example, with a Thermomix and induction hob – is money worth investing as it buys you time to do other things
• Occasional toys such as a bubble bath and ball pit are great for days at anchor

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