Youngest Gaffer joins the EC Cruise, 2024

Josh Masters shares his thoughts of taking baby Max, aged 18 months, on the 2024 East Coast Cruise.

Sailing as new parents certainly has its challenges, you’d think there would be an elevated sense of awareness and guard given the risk of head hitting, getting knotted in ropes and falling overboard, but in reality it seemed almost easier than life on land. Bear in mind this is Dad’s view of things . . . if you ask Mum, Alex it might differ slightly!

I think it was the compact nature of life onboard the family boat ‘Clytie’ and the simplicity of stuff that made things with an energetic 18-month old fairly straightforward. With the distractions of normal life left on land, we connected more with the present, somthing I think everyone could do with more of. Sure there was sand everywhere and by the end of the week most things had a hint of mud. But to me that’s just sailing on the East Coast done right! Part of me wants to also feel that the success of sailing with a little one is attributed to the deep family connection with the boat. Max is the sixth generation sailing on ‘Clytie’. But I think this is just a nice thought. In reality it’s probably just the sailing and salt air that I’ve known from when I was Max’s age that puts me at ease as a parent. This,, in turn reflects in Max. Who knows really?

Having a small person did mean there was slightly less late night beach fires, rum tots and talks under the stars, but that didn’t matter. I was now the parent not the child. Like an old memory surfacing it opened a new perspective, fond, familiar and full of rewards. A new generation for ‘Clytie’. A new memory for Max. And a new Young Gaffer.

Words by Dad: Josh Masters