Boating Safety - What to Do
 

All last week I watched some boys (I'm guessing ranging in age from about 7 to 13) riding up and down the shoreline in a small outboard boat with a <25HP motor. It looked like great fun until the oldest of the group started standing on the gunwale while the boat was bouncing along at full speed and jumping into the water. This happened several days in a row...and what was even more disturbing is that I believe that the parents may have been watching from the shore. I couldn't find anything specifically addressing this in the NH Boaters Guide...but by virtue of the fact that you are not allowed to sit on the gunwales....being the genius I am....I'm assuming (and simple logic says) that standing and jumping from the gunwales would be against the law as well. I'm reluctant to say anything (due to a very close encounter in Center Harbor last week when I spoke up about something that I observed and almost got my "clock cleaned" by the parent) but I would feel absolutely terrible if I stood quietly by and one of the boys ended up getting hurt. What say yee?

I'd say, copy some pics on-line of propeller injuries, and leave them on the parents dock.

My three cents (due to inflation)

1) It would be a stretch but maybe they could be cited under - 270:29-a Careless and Negligent Operation of Boats. – Any person who shall operate a power boat upon any waters of the state in a careless and negligent manner or so that the lives and safety of the public are endangered shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

2) Boys will be boys and it probably wasn't as dangerous as it looked. He would have to jump in front of the boat to get hit by the prop.

3) Some parents raise their kids differently than you think they should.

[QUOTE=jrc;207602]My three cents (due to inflation)


2) Boys will be boys and it probably wasn't as dangerous as it looked. He would have to jump in front of the boat to get hit by the prop.

I couldn't help but picture this scenario: Boy up front topples sideways into water. Boy steering boat sees the other fall over, immediately pulls the steering handle of the motor sharply to the side to make the boat turn in the other direction. The prop thus is aimed right at where the first kid went overboard.

And girls will be girls. WE have some girls who go by all the time in a Boston Whaler and the other day one was standing up front doing a little dance. The driver took off and yep, the girl went flying onto the seat. I don't think she really got hurt, but it couldn't have felt too good.

[QUOTE=DickR;207627]Exactly!

boat safety
 

Well, I want to hear the "clean clock story"!! I once scolded a kid in the supermarket who was out of control, and was picking up and squeezing Habanero peppers (they are beautiful colors). His mother promptly dashed over to clean my clock... I told her that her kid would be going to the ER if he now touched his eyes or other delicate parts of his body because of the oil from the peppers. Bottom line is: people can be total jerks, and you can't save 'em all. It's easy to fall into the water from a moving boat whether on the gunwales or not. Hope nothing serious happens, though.

Ok, we are all around the virtual campfire on the island with a beverage of choice, tell us the story.

I think his parents were too busy driving this boat to notice that their kids were trying their hardest to lose a limb!!!


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I guess "boys will be boys" is dated, should be "kids will be kids". Remember no running with scissors.

I love stories about "clock cleaning", please tell...

IMHO...

If I saw the kids doing that, I would call them over, tell them to be careful nicely, and not worry too much. No need to be angry or stern. IF and that's a big IF a parent were to say something to me about it, I would explain what I saw and what EXACTLY I said and HOW I said it. I would not EVER call the MP for something that while kinda dangerous... is pretty trivial.

In my neighborhood growing up, none of the parents hesitated to correct a misbehavior.... and we misbehaved ALOT!

Woodsy

I would do the same. When I think back about the dumb stuff I got away with, injury free, wow...

I think the big question here, is did the parents really see the kids being kids in an unsafe manor.

My thought would be to talk with the Parents.... let them know what you saw, and then drop it...

Don't try and tell the parents how unsafe it was or anything, just mention what you saw, and that you thought they should know.... and leave it at that...

That how we always handle things in the area's where I grew up... and occasionally I had to face the Music, for my actions... That I thought nobodies parents saw...

I thought there had to be a licensed operator in the boat that is at least 16 and may have read wrong but thought you said the boys were 7-13). If this is all accurate, the law broken is the age requirement and probably that none of these boys are holding a Safe Boater certification. If they were holding the certification, I would suggest that this person was sleeping during class.

I might talk to the parents to make sure they knew what was happening and that the boys are probably in violation and that MP has a very aggressive presence on the lake "just being helpful" but if the parents said "mind your own business"....I would just remind them that I was only trying to help and move on with a smile. If I thought the operator was a danger to me or other boats in how he was operating, I would report that to MP.

I know if I saw my boys doing that, I would pull the keys for a week from them. Second time would be for the season.

<25 HP I think is different.

...yes, just confirmed the 25 HP law. Looks like a 6 year old can drive a boat with 25HP or less by himself in NH....scary.

Also found this: "New Hampshire also prohibits overloading your boat and allowing people to ride on the bow, gunwales and transom"

Back in the days
 

I started driving when I was about 6, a small whaler with a 50 horse Merc. By the time I was 16 I graduated to a Hydrodyne with twin Quicksilver Mercs. When I was 20 I was driving a Sutphen drag boat with a blown 640 Ford. So I was a bit of a whipper snapper in my time.

My wildest ride was a Top Gun with twin ILMORS off Aventura FL. Man! did I cross that one off the bucket list!

My last post on the subject...I guess that I've gotten too old to realize that kids will be kids and therefore will probably not get hurt. It's 8:00 and the sun set at 7:56 tonight and the skiing continues without running lights. An accident waiting to happen.