Lifejacket laws

[Guest]

The United States Coast Guard has ruled that with immediate effect all children under 13 while aboard recreational vessels underway, except when below decks or within enclosed cabin, shall wear a CG approved life jacket. This applies in all States except where an equivalent law is already in force. Penalty for each violation $1100.
The Irish government in Dublin is asking for public input on proposals for a law that life jackets shall be worn at all times on pleasure craft. A poll (how conducted and who by not known) shows that a majority is in favour of such a law.
Is all this getting closer to Great Britain?!

 

[BrendanS]

Everyone in my club, when on a club event, and everyone who travels on my boat uses lifejacket at all times.

Seems reasonable to me. Suspect I'd be a lot less happy about it if I was on a bigger boat

 

[Nick2]

That is the "law" on my boat and my kids have no problem with it as they are used to wearing thier "boatcoats" as they term them. The only problems we have seems to be with freinds or relatives children who may not be used to wearing lifejackets. However if they wish to be on my boat above decks then they have to conform. I would be pleased to see such legislation here as it would I am sure save lives.

It never ceases to amaze us when we see unlifejacketed kids almost hanging off the sides of boats with the parents ignoring their antics.

I dont wish to sound like a fuddy duddy but it is an important and sometimes overlooked issue. By the way I understand from the boat club we are hoping to join that ALL crew members must wear their lifejackets whilst on a club cruise in tidal waters - this to me is only common sense and we applaud this rule very much.

Nick

I am nolonger a puppet.....

 

[hlb]

So you reacon we should try and find the life jackets do you. Have not come across them for some years. Must remember to change my ways./forums/images/icons/frown.gif

Haydn

 

[Nick2]

Praps us soft southerners dont float as well as those hailing from somewhere north of Watford........Must be all those butties and mushy peas adding to personal buoyancy

Nick



I am nolonger a puppet.....

 

[hlb]

Might help if I could swim!!

Haydn

 

[stamfordian]

My kids won,t go on the water without one,they treat them the same as we treat seatbelts,there was a fair opposition for these at first but know generaly accepted,i say make it law here now.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/stamfordian>http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/stamfordian</A>

 

[sfh]

Without doubt we all have are own individual, self regulated guidelines in respect of lifejackets, safety etc. we all enjoy the freedom of the sea and the distinct lack of officialdom/laws. You can buy and operate a boat without any licences etc. do we want more laws and who would enforce them

 

[jfm]

Good practie not the same as law

Nick I dont criticise your actions or policy one bit, on the contrary I applaud them. But even if wearing a LJ is a good idea that doesn't mean it should be law. Something should only be made law if there is a wider public interest, not because it's merely a damn good idea. I would much prefer to have the choice not to wear a LJ, a choice I exercise sometimes. I dont think my failure to wear one (sometimes) encroaches on you or the gen public, so it ought not to be a law imho

 

[Johnjo]

Agree with what has already been said about the wearing of lifejackets,
But think that too much legislation is creeping into boating as it is,
without anymore. On my boat my son who is now eleven was asking this
summer if he could have a self inflating jacket but was told no,
He has to wear a conventional jacket as I do not completly trust the other
type to inflate everytime,
My own opinion is that adults should have the choice and that common sense should prevail, any doubts wear it, at night wear it with a harness,
when we are sailing my son is always harnessed come what may he is safe as
I can make him, unless he is below , first thing he does on the way up is
clip on, the consequences do not bear thinking about.

 

[Nick2]

Re: Good practie not the same as law

I agree with your position and am anti the namby pamby state etc - however some people out there need educating at the very least and quite possibly being dictated to when their actions can impact on the rest of us. I do fear that people can under estimate the dangers of water and I do not wish to be the one who fails to pull someone out alive - that will have an impact on numerous people. My point is that the educated and no doubt resposible adults who regularly head for the water are unlikely to be the main issue above children and adults unaware of the dangers.

I do think that life jackets should be at the least recommended for use as I presume that they generally are - I have noticed more people hiring boats are thus equipped so perhaps the message is getting through.

Overall I think that we don't need more red tape and legislation but possibly education on the potential dangers and how we can protect ourselves and our children without scaring anyone away.

Nick

I am nolonger a puppet.....

 

[ccscott49]

Offshore, we don't wear lifejackets all the time, even when working on deck, however we do wear one when there is a clear danger of falling in the water, this is regulated, IMHO to be forced to wear one all the time we are afloat is overkill. We should have a set of guidlines and then maybe legislation, but a blanket wear or else is just too much. leave us some room to think for goodness sake!

 

[ChrisP]

It's been law on our boat since the day the kids went afloat. Both of them were about 6 month old at the time. Made it their choice at the age of 14. They still use them on deck in any weather, It's all in the training.
Visitors to the boat with kids have no option, no jacket no ride.

Can't say that I can see a future without laws regulating our hobby. There's too many people going afloat with no idea of whats going on or how to do it. Let's just hope they're reasonable laws, I think this one is.

People seem to have strange ideas about responsibility at sea. Talking in the pub the other week about the incedent that took place in Brighton in the summer. A large number of people seem to be having a go at the prosicution witnesses in the case against the driver of the boat. He's being done for manslaughter. They think he shouldn't be prosecuted. That is until you ask "what if it wa your wife or your kids he killed because he was drunk at the wheel" would the let him off then??
The attitude then takes a remarkable "U" turn.

Do we need laws and training to a minimun standard?
Unfortunatly I see it coming, even if it's only to protect us from the halfwits.

ChrisP ;o)

What do you mean the sea gull in front's walking !!!

 

[nicho]

Mike - have you thought though, that as an automatic can also be inflated by pulling the toggle as with manual versions, the auto model has an edge if the person is knocked out and over by the boom or similar accident. Like you, I don't really trust auto versions (which I insist on for my wife who as a non swimmer may panic and fail to inflate the lifejacket manually). I don't know the failure rate of these things to inflate automatically, but I believe it to be virtually non existant, and I look upon it as an additional safey margin under the above circumstances.

Just a thought......

 

[JEG]

Sailor beware - 14 life-j tested in March mbm 2 failied to inflate & another 2 failed to ensure mouth & nose above water.

 

[sailbadthesinner]

this is me last post of 2002 as i have dived in the office to attend to some last minute stuff
but

what is the point in making it the law to wear a lifejacket without then making it the law that at least 2 people are qualified to turn the boat around and retrieve anyone who falls overboard in said jacket. what if they are elderly in a boat with high freeboard. where do you stop??? agreed it makes sense as a genral rule
my worry is pen pushers with no idea about boats may just take my train of thought up.

i think the most dangerous part is getting to and from the mooring. no of times i have seen people crowded into a tender a bit pissed and setting out into a tidal stream to their boat at night. been there done that meself. can all go wrong.


have a good christmas and new year all.
sailbad

This isn't an office, its hell with strip lighting

 

[ChrisP]

The instances of them not going of is certainly not insignificant. I've had 2 fail to go off and both times the manufacturer didn't give a toss. I know of several other people who have had the same problem.
Considering the number of people I know as a representative section of the number of people who use the jackets, thats no small percentage of failures.

ChrisP.

What do you mean the sea gull in front's walking !!!

 

[Bergman]

Amazing country

Fine you for not wearing a lifejacket - but sell machine guns to teenagers.

 

[longjohnsilver]

You haven't seen em Haydn cos I brought em home and sold them at the local boat jumble!!/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[hlb]

Cant imagine you got much for them. One was for a three year old and the other six. He's 29 now. So doubt it would fit!!

Haydn