guest´s kids on board

I had some scaring experiences on guest´s kids on board, in particular when they try to replicate what skipper is doing in the helm...
Do you have experiences on this?, which is the best way to avoid such risks?
Many times guests act with their kids as if they would come to your house and they release them in the garden while having a beer....

Very strict rules here they

wear jackets 100% of the time

under 8 they are not aloud near the helm

and under 10 parents have to flush the head

outside the cabin 8ish and under they hold parents hand

seems I come up with new rules every time

and I really try to keep little kids to a minimum

Yep, need a briefing with the kids and the parents before leaving the dock. No touching breakers and helm controls. Jackets on unless in cabin. No kids on bridge unless ok by me, and with a parent.

Even kids that are normally unruly seem to get it. Part of the briefing is if anyone gets out of hand, they are going in a cabin with a parent and the boat is returning to dock to unload them. Never had but a few very minor issues. Never had to drop any off.

Clear rules on the outset.

We have our grands on the boat from time to time and there's never been a problem. They are 4 & under and have been taught not to touch ANYTHING! Parents are cautioned to keep them under close watch and they're allowed on the upper helm if accompanied by a parent.

In my opinion, it's easier if they're family like nephew/niece or grandchild. As Capt, I set the rules, but some non-family parents take offense at others correcting their children. Like others, I lay out the rules and press the parents to watch their own kids. I tell them that if there's a problem, I will talk to the child about it, but expect the to follow the rules.

It seems that often it's the parents' lack of supervision that results in problems with the kids. The parents need to stay attentive when their kids are onboard.

Next let's talk about those who bring their dogs onboard!!

alberto said:

Do you have experiences on this?, which is the best way to avoid such risks?

Click to expand...

We don't allow kids on the boat, period.

My grand daughters and many of their friends have cruised with us since they were toddlers, all great kids, never a problem and some of the best days I have spent on the water.

Marin said:

We don't allow kids on the boat, period.

Click to expand...

Best policy! OMG, now I am feeling like a curmudgeon.

Marin and Don

not a curmudgeaon maybe just safe

my boat is not layed out well for kids

I can understand why you would not want children on board from a liability and danger aspect but how else do you get them interested in boating as an interest/hobby/lifestyle? I'm sure many people got the spark from being a child and going out with someone. Any kid that wants to get out of the house from playing video games and be on a boat has promise and should be taken out. Any kid that is on a boat and gets unruly should be thrown overboard and the parent should be encouraged to swim after them.


It upsets me as a pilot to see such high security at small local airports where you get questioned for even watching in the parking lot let alone actually walk out on the airfield to take it all in. It promotes growth and interest...

Skinny

I like that mainly the parent part

Thanks! I'm not a big fan of people...even worse seeing a parent that cannot discipline a child or looks at you negatively for disciplining their child in a dangerous situation. The parents should have probably been qualified a little better before letting them come aboard.


And I quote Louis CK, "why do I care, they are your shitty kids..."

Skinny said:

And I quote Louis CK, "why do I care, they are your shitty kids..."

Click to expand...

[unlike]

Ski in NC said:

Yep, need a briefing with the kids and the parents before leaving the dock. No touching breakers and helm controls. Jackets on unless in cabin. No kids on bridge unless ok by me, and with a parent.

Even kids that are normally unruly seem to get it. Part of the briefing is if anyone gets out of hand, they are going in a cabin with a parent and the boat is returning to dock to unload them. Never had but a few very minor issues. Never had to drop any off.

Clear rules on the outset.

Click to expand...

some of the best time i have had on a boat is witth my kids is when they and ther freinds were aboard, fishing,swimmimg off the boat, and hanging out.

Yes they need the briefing as Ski described above PLUS almost constant reminders to not run or jump but they finally get it.
And they all get a chance to run the boat because then I know exactly where they are and what they're up to. Plus it gives them bragging rights with their friends.
They also all get a job of some sort so they feel like they are
part of the crew.
So far they have all survived

Skinny said:

I can understand why you would not want children on board from a liability and danger aspect but how else do you get them interested in boating as an interest/hobby/lifestyle?

Click to expand...

You make an important point. I believe that kids are influenced by experiences in ways that will affect them the rest of their lives. In the early 90s we invited good friends to accompany us on one of our narrowboat cruises in the UK. Their daughter was then 5-1/2 years old, and she came, too. Now, we'd known Amanda since the day she was born and we were with her a lot, so it wasn't like having someone along who we'd just met or saw only occasiontally.

She had a great time, and in turn helped make the trip memorable to us. But what's really interesting is that to this day (she's 25 now) she remembers things about that trip that the rest of us have forgotten. And she has a love for travel and experiencing new things that I suspect is rooted partly in that narrowboat trip in England and Scotland way back when.

Our policy about no kids on our boat is not rooted so much in safety, although that's certainly a consideration as others have pointed out. Our policy is based on the fact that, with the occasional, very rare exception of kids like Amanda, most kids we see these days are unruly, ornery, spoiled, whining, rude brats that need to be taken out behind the woodshed and have the daylights spanked out of them. We won't let them on the boat because we can't stand them.

The only kids we ever have on board are grand kids. So, there parents (our children) know the rules. Life jackets, etc. and I love them on board. Especially when the parents (our children) stay home and we get the grand kids for the weekend. I do know that the grand kids like a marina better then the hook. Other then that, nothing special.

Marin said:

Our policy about no kids on our boat is not rooted so much in safety, although that's certainly a consideration as others have pointed out. Our policy is based on the fact that, with the occasional, very rare exception of kids like Amanda, most kids we see these days are unruly, ornery, spoiled, whining, rude brats that need to be taken out behind the woodshed and have the daylights spanked out of them. We won't let them on the boat because we can't stand them.

Click to expand...

Don't you only allow 13 people to board your boat? I seem to recall that from another post long ago.

People without their own children often only get a skewed perspective of children today. My kids and their friends and the kids of my friends restore my confidence in the next generation.

Maybe traveling in a larger circle of friends will change your perspective on most kids today.

The reason why I opened this thread is the following:

Two years ago my neighbor was having visitors with kids. I was watching.
He was in the fly and started the engines. An adult was there with a kid about 4 on his legs.

The skipper came down to release the ropes, and suddenly in the fly, the kid left his father and pushed both throttle lever to FOT !!

The boat made a big jump ( about 600HP 2 engines) pulling from the rope not yet released and breaking it by the base of the Steel spring which came like a whip to the people in the transom. She moved through the access cannel to the boats in front.

Nothing else happened after the skipper put back the levers in the lower helm...

A teenager in the transom had an anxiety attack. after seeing the rope and the metal spring moving at her back as a snake..

This was two years ago, but,

My eldest daughter, 33 today, did the same in my boat when I was giving the rope to the sailor. She was also 4 years old at the time.

Kids emulate adults. In both cases they pushed the levers forward.

Pushing backwards would be even more dangerous...

Just for thinking...

FlyWright said:

Don't you only allow 13 people to board your boat? I seem to recall that from another post long ago.

Click to expand...

Don't know where that figure came from. The most people we have ever had on our boat at the same time is eight including ourselves, when we took people I used to work with in television in Hawaii who've moved here on a picnic run to Sucia island. It was a bit of an Elvis Preseley reunion--- three of us had run cameras on Elvis' live from Hawaii concert way back when.

Oh, I just realized you are probably thinking of the number of friends we have in total who we would consider taking out on our boat as guests on a cruise. So yes, you are correct although the number has increased a bit as a result of Amanda's marriage and the daughter and son-in-law of friends I worked with in Hawaii moving to this area. So now it's 17.

My comment on kids today is not based on the children of just our small circle of close friends. They are mostly grown or in college now, anyway.

It's based on what we see around us everywhere we go-- restaurants, stores, on planes, at airports, etc. Based on the behavior we see exhibited in these public places, today's kids-- by which I mean children up to their early teens perhaps--- for the most part appear to be a giant pain in the ass. The credit for which we give to the parents.

Wow, you know there are kids who aren't "unruly, ornery, spoiled, whining, rude brats that need to be taken out behind the woodshed and have the daylights spanked out of them."

In fact id say a majority of kids aren't that bad. you notice the ones that are trouble. meanwhile, a majority, more or less do what they are ask and are trying to learn to someday continue on traditions of boating.

Back on topic...Ski has the right idea. Give a list of expectations and consequences for not following those expectations. Something that i have always found to work is asking the kids (including my own) "why do you think this is a rule, why would i make you do/not do this".

The original question was about helm controls, why not use their curiosity to teach them what the controls do? in a safe area i let my daughter take the wheel, with my hand hovering above, i let her apply throttle. AND SHE LOVES IT. it gives her ownership of the boat...which gives respect for the boat, respect for me, love of the water and the same smile that is on my face is on hers when the engine starts.

Marin said:

We don't allow kids on the boat, period.

Click to expand...

That's a shame. I brought my kids up on boats......Some of the best experiences ever (for them and me)....

I was brought up on boats and my kids also

so I struggle with some of the kids of today or the parents or something

we also have a hurricane deck boat that I bring kids out in

Marin said:

(she's 25 now)

Click to expand...

Any chance she lives in North Carolina

Teach 'em how to do it right.

Skinny said:

Any chance she lives in North Carolina

Click to expand...

LOL...You dog!

Skinny said:

Any chance she lives in North Carolina

Click to expand...

Actually, she does right now, although she was born out here in Washington.

Here is a photo I took of her this September when her parents and my wife and I spent the month in France. Amanda and her husband of two weeks had asked if they could join us for the second week of their honeymoon (first week was in Spain). Very much surprised that they wanted to spend part of their honeymoon with the grownups, we all agreed.

Photo was taken in the town of Albi. The cathedral in the background-- St. Cecile--- is the largest brick buidling in the world. Albi is the home town of the fellow our boat is named for, Jean-Francois de La Perouse.

Marin said:

her husband

Click to expand...

Oh well...still in the market for an anchor...

Seriously, I'm 31 and still single. You'd feel my pain if you could actually get someone interested in going on a date at this point only to hear that their hobbies are taking pictures, listening to music, and hanging out with friends.

Well, nice try Skinny. You'll never know if you don't ask.

Gulf

funny but true