Children on the Bow

Flytrade

Flytrade

Active Member
Feb 20, 2018
302
Bradenton, FL
Boat Info
2006 320 Sundancer
Engines
Twin 6.2L Mercruiser
While boating recently in a no wake zone, a deck boat was coming toward me with 3 children - about 5 - 9 years old - sitting on the bow, without life jackets, with their feet dangling just above the water.
While still some distance away, I turned in front of his boat and made a large X, crossing both my arms, in a message for him to stop. I told the captain that even in a no wake zone the boat could hit small waves which could dislodge the children, causing them to fall in the water in front of the boat, and they would be swept under the boat and into the prop.
I don't know what the legality is of having such children in front of the boat, but I have seen this several times before. I'm sure these are new boaters and are not aware of the dangers of having children in such a position.
If I did not stop this boat, and anything were to happen to any of those children, I don't know how I would be able to live with myself.
I would hope all of us, seeing a dangerous situation, would make every effort to promote boating safety.
 
I'm quite sure I would not have stopped for someone holding an "X" with their arms while boating. Waving arms...needing help...yeah. I'd have to assume the "X" was some invitation for confrontation. I'm surprised that guy stopped.

That said, from what I've seen bow-riding laws vary by state. 'round my parts you can have passengers up on the bow while underway at no-wake speed so long as you have high bow rails (and all appendages are inside the rails). It's not legal on-plane unless you have original equipment seating on the bow (like old Chris Crafts sometimes have).

Have you ever flagged down a car when you saw someone driving/riding without seat belts?
 
Stee6043 said:
I'm quite sure I would not have stopped for someone holding an "X" with their arms while boating. Waving arms...needing help...yeah. I'd have to assume the "X" was some invitation for confrontation. I'm surprised that guy stopped.

That said, from what I've seen bow-riding laws vary by state. 'round my parts you can have passengers up on the bow while underway at no-wake speed so long as you have high bow rails (and all appendages are inside the rails). It's not legal on-plane unless you have original equipment seating on the bow (like old Chris Crafts sometimes have).

Have you ever flagged down a car when you saw someone driving/riding without seat belts?
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The boat was going about 5 miles an hour in a no wake zone. I have never flagged down a car at 5 miles an hour because someone was not wearing their seatbelts. Not much danger there, don’t you think?
 
HawkX66 said:
Probably MYOFB... As the OP should have IMO.
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So let me make sure I got this straight. If an inexperienced boater is putting his children’s lives at risk, you would feel no moral obligation to very possibly save their lives.
 
Flytrade, thank you for intervening with this situation. I would have done the same thing.

Those kids have no idea of the hazards of sitting on the bow of a moving boat. Apparently the skipper didn't either.
 
We need more people telling us what to do. Good way to promote a sense of community. (;-)
 
In the past few seasons, I tried to educate a few boaters on the laws of our state when they were doing something illegal and dangerous to others. It always goes badly, defensive, belligerent, …. Screw ‘em, Unless they are endangering me, no longer care.
 
sbw1 said:
We need more people telling us what to do. Good way to promote a sense of community. (;-)
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You got this completely wrong. I never told him what to do or what not to do. I just explained how dangerous it was to have the children sitting like that on the front of the boat. Then, if he continues to put his children at risk, at least I can say that I try to help.
 
I'm not saying you didn't do the right thing but the approach is not one I would take. I wouldn't see this as something needing to be immediately addressed and/or a "dire" situation. Nor is it my place to provide unsolicited advice to other boaters regarding the questionable choices they may be making.

It sounds like the only law he was breaking was having the kids legs over the edge. In Michigan if the kids are over the age of 5 they don't even need life jackets up there. Truth be told I see this very scenario every other weekend in summer. That doesn't make it okay but it's certainly quite common. The USCG usually asks politely to get the kids legs inside, then they go about their day...
 
I live on 40 mile, mostly no wake waterway and witness the scenario you describe multiple times daily in season. I would not allow anyone on the bow of my boat while running at any speed, but will leave it to the individual to consider the risk/reward of their actions. Every marina in Michigan has signs posted warning of electric shock drowning yet many still think taking a dip in a marina is a good idea. You really can't fix stupid, so why even try?
 
Personally, I would never approach another boater. Not in this day and age where many have the shoot first and never ask questions. I refuse to even stop for folks on the side of the road now. There has been too many shootings or good people getting the tar beaten out of them for trying to help. If I feel there is a danger, I place the call. Let those that are allowed to shoot back deal with it. Oregon has no castle law. They have a run and hide law. So if you even try to make contact, your in the wrong.

And with that, Oregon has it so any child below 14 or 15 has to have a life jacket on at all times. And any being on the bow at any speed is illegal. I asked due to having the taller bow rails and needing someone on the bow when going through locks and docking. I was told that docking and locks at idle is ok but any other time is not. And it has to be an adult.
 
Children are clueless to the dangers and the stupid father is even more stupid. I would have made a call to the marine police to have him cited
 
play dough said:
I live on 40 mile, mostly no wake waterway and witness the scenario you describe multiple times daily in season. I would not allow anyone on the bow of my boat while running at any speed, but will leave it to the individual to consider the risk/reward of their actions. Every marina in Michigan has signs posted warning of electric shock drowning yet many still think taking a dip in a marina is a good idea. You really can't fix stupid, so why even try?
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We were in Charlevoix this summer. Dude a few slips down (in a 50+ Tiara) would toss balls for his labs around his boat for a few minutes to make sure it was safe, then he, and his grandkids, would jump off of the hardtop.
 
If the kids were under 6 years old, the driver of the boat was breaking the law. I think its not a big deal if you tell someone they are doing something dangerous, regardless of whether its against the law though. There are new boaters everywhere that don't necessarily know what they are doing. Sure they may say MYOFB. That's totally fine. People say that about a lot of things (thinking portable generators on the bow). You've tried to help, and if, god forbid, you later found out that one of the kids got hurt, you will have at least tried to warn him.
 
NYS law is that any person 12 or under must wear a PFD when the boat is underway, and they are not in an enclosed cabin. I guess I assumed that was a fairly universal law but apparently not. My marina requires all children to wear a PDF when on their docks as well.

I enforce a strict rule on my boat that no one rides on the bow when underway, except when assisting with docking maneuvers. There's no seating, and it's just too easy for someone to fall off and get struck. Bow riding just represents too much of a risk for me to allow it on my boats. That said I don't think I would stop another boater to tell them about it. I genuinely like to be helpful, but it just seems everyone is too defensive and of a MYOB mindset.
 
Creekwood said:
If the kids were under 6 years old, the driver of the boat was breaking the law. I think its not a big deal if you tell someone they are doing something dangerous, regardless of whether its against the law though. There are new boaters everywhere that don't necessarily know what they are doing. Sure they may say MYOFB. That's totally fine. People say that about a lot of things (thinking portable generators on the bow). You've tried to help, and if, god forbid, you later found out that one of the kids got hurt, you will have at least tried to warn him.
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Since July, 2016 the bow riding the OP describes is not illegal in Florida. Google will return Florida Hose Bill 703 addressing this. They removed bow riding as something that was previously considered "careless operation" or something to that affect.

https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sect...ocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=0703&Session=2016

https://www.flkeysnews.com/latest-news/article87781432.html

It's hard to ballpark 5 years old vs 6 on a moving boat so yeah...that's how they'll get ya. But if the youngest was 6 or more years old this captain was doing nothing illegal on this fine day.

https://www.boat-ed.com/florida/studyGuide/Specific-PFD-Requirements/10101002_30231/
 
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