Frightening incident Sunday

[Planty]

We have had one occasion where if our 12 year old (at the time) hadn't been able to up anchor and manouvre very skilfully our 43 out of a situation not created by any of our negligence etc. Could have had very dire consequences for others, where was he to get that sort of expertise / experience unless we had given him the opportunity under other circumstances, so don't flame people for having youngsters on board and taking part!

 

[fireball]

Noooooo ... surely we have to introduce new laws to govern how old you must be before you are allowed to step on the boat, another law for the minimum age per HP. Oh and for good measure an Age limit per foot for mooring .... that should keep the pesky little blighters un-interested and bored with boating until they are at least 60....

 

[PEJ]

I have 6 kids and they are always arguing and flighting about something but I tell them when we are on the boat they are part of a CREW and as such have to cooperate with each other, behave and do as they are told when it comes to orders from the skipper etc. They understand this perfectly well.

Once the fenders are in and the ropes stowed it's back to "that's my seat!" "no it's not!" "that's my sun cream" "no it's not! "they're both the same" "no they're not" etc, etc,

 

[Richard10002]

[ QUOTE ]
Dad steps off the stern to tie up leaving daughter in control of bow thruster shouting instructions from finger.

[/ QUOTE ]

In a perfect world dad would have lassooed the cleats from the boat, remaining on board all the time... or the girls would have done the lassooing.

 

[glenndraper]

fraid i dont agree with comment its better to be alone than with two kids- far too easy to slip and bang head without anyone to do anything to help

 

[Dave_Snelson]

This whole catalogue sounds utterly daft. 8 year old girls in charge of bow thruster?????? In a marina?? Whats he thinking of??

Why can't Dad single hand a 34 footer??

As for the rest of it??? Jeez, what its all coming to??

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Exactly.....

Coming soon..... the debate about whether we live in a world where all risk is removed, and kids have forgotten about taking some responsibility....

I regularly let my 8 year old take the helm under power, including in close quarters... he's quite competent to do so.....

And, as Fireball points out above... at 8 years old, I was sailing miles on my own... and my kids were/are doing the same...

This argument seems to have ignored the kids experience or otherwise....

 

[Renegade_Master]

Dont know why he stepped off to tie up, much better to lasso the bollard or cleat the tie off on the boats cleat. In fact we never recommed stepping off the boat with a rope should be no need..

 

[Major Catastrophe]

I think the others have forgotten that the incident happened because the girls started fighting. If there had been just one girl, it prolly wouldn't have happened.

 

[Searush]

I regularly moor up as if single-handed when the family are on board. I set fenders, fasten on bow & stern warps & step ashore with both in hand as boat arrives alongside with very little way on. I leave engine running in neutral just in case I fail to moor up first time (hasn't happened yet) I can then tie off bow & stern in the best order for circumstances. Always under control.