Video from Mercury Marina stay and Sportsboat Meet

matt13

matt13

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You may remember my post a week ago about staying in a marina for the first time, anyway last friday the family came down to the boat as I had moved it from Saxon Wharf to Mercury for the night, my son then stayed over with me for the night. I was then joined by some crew for the day (mlines and son from the forum) and met up with some other boats from the Sportsboat Forum for a trip over to Wooton Creek only 2 boats made it over due to various engine and prop issues but all in it was a really great weekend...look out for the special guest appearance by 'Thanks Mum'!

 
Great video, catches the essence of it all nicely, BUT.......

on the better safe than sorry principle, kids should have crewsavers/lifejackets on always when out and about on boats and pontoons. Not inside the boat obviously, although no harm in it as then no necessity to put on as they go out, but always unless holding someones hand, as your daughter was.
 
chief1 said:
Great video, catches the essence of it all nicely, BUT.......

on the better safe than sorry principle, kids should have crewsavers/lifejackets on always when out and about on boats and pontoons. Not inside the boat obviously, although no harm in it as then no necessity to put on as they go out, but always unless holding someones hand, as your daughter was.
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What nonsense !! It is entirely down to the parents to decide on the degree of risk and hence need for an LJ, based on the surroundings and their children's behaviour. This doesn't mean they Should ... Always do anything at all.
 
moodyNick said:
What nonsense !! It is entirely down to the parents to decide on the degree of risk and hence need for an LJ, based on the surroundings and their children's behaviour. This doesn't mean they Should ... Always do anything at all.
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Look great video, everyone having a great time.

BUT got to not agree here. The Hamble River flows fast in or out through Mercury Marina, and a trip off a pontoon is all too easy, and kids don't get a choice on their safety, they just take it for granted. Even the most diligent parent can be distracted, and even a few feet away is too far if they fall in without a Life jacket on.

So please have them wear their life jackets when on the open deck or playing on the pontoons. Its certainly the rule on our boat and will remain so. The only time they venture along a pontoon without their LJ is when going to or from the boat, and running is absolutely forbidden., with or with LJ.
 
Not going to dish out advice (except on crabbing- bacon all the way!) but will point out in my time with my two boys both have fallen off pontoons. Neither bumped their heads luckily but they were pretty shocked and glad to be wearing life jackets! Only lesson I learnt was not to use gas self inflating versions as they go of with a bit of a whoosh and can be a bit shocking in them selves! Orange cheap foam ones were the best! They just dry out.
 
targa31 said:
Not going to dish out advice (except on crabbing- bacon all the way!) but will point out in my time with my two boys both have fallen off pontoons. Neither bumped their heads luckily but they were pretty shocked and glad to be wearing life jackets! Only lesson I learnt was not to use gas self inflating versions as they go of with a bit of a whoosh and can be a bit shocking in them selves! Orange cheap foam ones were the best! They just dry out.
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Fair enough, you and Supaheat6k have real evidence of children falling in. My experience is that in 50 years of sailing, I havent fallen in at all (except when dinghy sailing), and having managed a marina for the past 4 and half years, I can count the number who have fallen in on the fingers of one hand, and all adults.

My point is that we should leave it to parents to make decisions, not tell them what they should or shouldnt do.
 
moodyNick said:
What nonsense !! It is entirely down to the parents to decide on the degree of risk and hence need for an LJ, based on the surroundings and their children's behaviour. This doesn't mean they Should ... Always do anything at all.
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Agreed re it is down to the parents, but if the worst happened, your life would be ruined twice over, racking yourself with guilt as to whether, if the child had been wearing a life jacket, they might have been saved.

I am speaking from experience here, because when crabbing off a pontoon on the River Laita in Brittany, which has strong tidal flow, a friends child just gently toppled over the edge and disappeared under the water. Thankfully our Australian au pair was a very strong swimmer, was in the water in a flash, managed to find the child and bring her to the surface in very short order but was already twenty yards away from the pontoon, and it was a very sobering experience from which we all learnt a big lesson. The unexpected happens when you least expect it.
 
Certainly don't wish to tell parents what to do but when we start boating we all have so much to learn and don't always see the hazards. I feels its incumbent on the experienced to gently offer advice if it helps. I certainly appreciated the advice given to me early doors.
 
I am fortunate to have boated since 1977, so have some experience to draw upon.

I once became acquainted with a family who had lost a very young kiddie, and the ironic thing was this kiddie was wearing a lifejacket, but was travelling in a shopping trolley down to the pontoon, it went off the edge and the poor kiddie was trapped inside the upturned trolley. A real freak accident, and an utter disaster for that family, But IMHO they were doing the right thing in the first place - no one could risk assess what happened to them.

Fortunately my kids have not been in, but a close friend boater (at Mercury by the way) daughter has and they were off ashore so She didn't have the LJ on, just mis-judged the step off the back to the pontoon. No harm done then, but her Dad had to go in after her.

I've been in once in a very cold Port Solent in a February, and didn't have a LJ on, I was completely sober, but was wearing full foulies and I was able to grab the nearest pontoon cleat - mind you I couldn't get out unaided, and by f**k was it cold.

The simplest message is that of the RNLI - only works when worn. I was a complete LJ sceptic roughy toughy sailor for years. On every time I go out now. Experienced skippers should know and always act on their duty of care to others they take boating who do not necessarily understand the risks of the sea and boating, and this especially includes children. I am not sure many parents who boat do qualify for the experience merit perhaps necessary to make such a sound judgement, especially on a pleasant fun day afternoon. I myself have also made stupid decisions when boating, so there by the grace of god go I.

My kids will continue to wear their lifejackets. If I upset someone by being vociferous on this subject I do not care.
 
Thanks for the lifejacket concern to be honest it does get a bit common for this forum to veer off into preacher mode sometimes. However we do have lifejackets for the kids which they do wear this was the only time ironically while filming they were not wearing them and I was an arms length away all the time. I don't need to be told by someone I've never met how to look after my kids no matter how much they feel they just have to tell me but I understand the reason behind it is a positive one.

Anyway can we draw a line under the lifejacket subject and either enjoy (or not) the video of a happy family boating weekend.
 
Well said Matt. Great day out wasn't it :cool:

I know that you take their safety very seriously so if you're happy so am I :) You don't need lectures on H&S :rolleyes:

Your kids looked really happy, I wish I'd got mine onto boats earlier.
 
Only just fell over this thread !!!!.......... love your little girl's "sunny,s" !!.....great to meet you at last, great vid and a "guest appearance" as well....LUVIT !!
 
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