legal position re life jacket for a 4 yr old?

Now where did I put that conger eel...?

I'll send a mail to him with pics of the relevant lifesavers his kids should be wearing and state I don't have them on board. I'm sure that he'd be the first to be concerned about his kids' safety. He just didn't think before inviting the whole brood along.

Meanwhile I've learnt to say 'no'.

But his ten year old is perfectly welcome to come along, but he remains his dad's responsibility.

(If you mised the conger eel thread you can catch up <u>here</u>) I think discussion of this important topic is still going strong in Scuttlebuck.
 
When I were a lad,(under 5) me dad used to tie a rope round me waist and belay t'other end round something on the boat. Theory was if I fell in he could haul me back aboard. It worked a treat. I never fell in.
He did tho......, but that's another story.
 
I think there is a current trend of risk aversion here.

Most children don't wear harnesses and lifelines at all times on boats; most children don't manage to fall in (unlike their clumsy and drunken elders); all children float (unless you weigh them down).

I don't have the statistics to prove it, but I suspect that a child is more likely to be killed or injured in the car on the way to the boat or crossing the car park. You don't hear of car drivers being sued.

People should behave in a safe and sensible manner, especially with children, but risk should be kept in proportion. My daughter has sailed since before she could walk, if I had read some of these posts as a newcomer to sailing I wouldn't have let her on a boat until she was grown up!
 
Wheeee! another chance to agree with you.

In fact I agree with every word /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

It seems to me that the actions of many are driven by fear of the sea rather than by a rational and appropriate respect of it.

John
 
If you look at the statistics as to numbers who drown off fully decked power boats in western countries one will appreciate that falling in and drowning is one of the very minor concerns of life, even for children.

Obviously one does not let a 2 year old crawl around the deck unattended, but continual wearing of lifejackets on decked power boats is really going overboard in the molly coddling for no reason at all stakes.

So, sorry, friend's family has to be made welcome /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

John
 
You're just trying to annoy me, aren't you?

It's too late. the decision's made. The relevant parties have been contacted.

Fact is, the dad's a very resourceful chap, and I'll bet he finds some kid's life jackets somewhere! In which case...
I give up: "Welcome aboard The Good Ship Lollipop!"
 
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