Foredeck / Bow riding

petem

petem

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Joined
16 May 2001
Messages
19,106
Location
Cotswolds / Altea
www.fairlineownersclub.com
I've always been a little cautious of letting crew ride on the foredeck whilst underway. However, I had to ask SWMBO to do this recently as I realised I hadn't done up one of the zips securing the cushions down. Of course, she's got the taste for it now and thinks it's great.

I know the Spanish lifeboat service warn people of the dangers of doing this but is it really that dangerous on a 34ft boat with a good size foredeck and hand rails? Do you guys allow people to ride on the bows in calm weather or never at all?
 
When I was about 10 years old I used to sit on the foredeck, legs under the guardrails dangling over the side whilst going along at 20 knots or so, on a 20 foot Fletcher.

Nothing bad happened to me - prob wouldn't do it /allow it now though.

I think you're fine at slow speeds in calm weather though
 
If you're going to do it, make sure you have one leg either side of an upright stanchion. And be aware of risk of back/coccyx damage.
 
I certainly would never do it at planing speeds or in anything other than smooth water at displacement speeds, but then, yes we do. Our kids in particular enjoy it.

b8Ttuvu.jpg
 
Can I be controversial for the moment :confused:
Say you are on the foredeck, and the boat hits a bow wave and you are tossed into the sea. You are young and you have the presence of mind to realize that a propeller is coming you way. You dive deep. Then your life jacket pops you back to the surface in time for the prop to slice your legs off:disgust:
Did I just make all that up, or is it a possible scenario?
 
Bouba said:
Can I be controversial for the moment :confused:
Say you are on the foredeck, and the boat hits a bow wave and you are tossed into the sea. You are young and you have the presence of mind to realize that a propeller is coming you way. You dive deep. Then your life jacket pops you back to the surface in time for the prop to slice your legs off:disgust:
Did I just make all that up, or is it a possible scenario?
Click to expand...

It's always a worry. On my boat there are grab rails all down the bedding area. You can see one in the photo. The kids are tethered to it by strop so would not even reach the guard rails should they fall out the loungers.
 
jrudge said:
You have no rails !
Click to expand...

Clever boy :)

I think you would get blown off or loose your grip anyhow , rails or no rails .Its a bit like grand parents with a garden pond = under 2 y ends up face down .Or a fighting dog breed + toddler , read the news papers are full of tragedies.
There’s an inevitability.
We all sit IN the boat the cockpit/ rear sunpad is huge .

Of course folks are free to manage there own risk and do .
 
There is managing risk and then there is scared of living. Personally I think many water toys pose a far greater risk but the perception of risk gets placed into silos. So we tend to be ultra cautious on a boat as opposed to a more relaxed approach to water toy. I seriously don't consider having my kids tethered to the deck at displacement speeds any riskier and far less so than getting them on the foredeck in the first place and that even less than allowing them to swim and play on water toys.
Of course honing about in choppy or busy waters, balls to the wall is a completely different matter.
 
Only at slow speeds, in calm(ish) waters.

Frightening here to see kids with no life jackets bouncing about on the nose of a small rib that’s on the plane and with very little to hold onto. Potential consequences just don’t bear thinking about....
 
Bouba said:
Can I be controversial for the moment :confused:
Say you are on the foredeck, and the boat hits a bow wave and you are tossed into the sea. You are young and you have the presence of mind to realize that a propeller is coming you way. You dive deep. Then your life jacket pops you back to the surface in time for the prop to slice your legs off:disgust:
Did I just make all that up, or is it a possible scenario?
Click to expand...

Don't think you'd have time for that Bouba.

There are cases of kids sitting on the point end and dangling their legs down, falling off and going under the boat to be shredded by the props. I think that if you fell off the front of a 34ft planing boat you'd get pushed aside rather than being sucked under.
 
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