I’ve witnessed a grown up person slip and drop between the boat and dock when climbing onboard, breaking a bone in the process. She couldn’t have climbed back on to the dock herself, luckily I was able to help her. There was a story in Yachting World some time ago where a man drowned between his boat and the dock.

In my boat kids keep their life vest always on when on deck or in the cockpit, regardless of whether the boat is moving or not. And I’m thankful for this as last summer my 1 year old was feeding ducks with bread crumbs, and fell in. It was easy to pull her back to the boat as she was happily floating, but without a life vest this would have been a life threathening situation. What if she wouldn’t have resurfaced? I also keep a dive mask and fins readily available for that unlikely situation.

When underway kids are also tethered to jackstays or strong points in the cockpit.

Only when they are inside the cabin they can take off their vests. This has been a rule, and they totally comfortable with it, and as it’s non negotiable they can’t even consider going without.

A practical, time-tested policy for liveaboard families is to assume that no matter how much you coax, beg, cajole, implore, or even tackle them on the transom and wrestle them into the smelly things, your children will go overboard someday without. It is in their very nature. Gravity is stronger for children. So is the lure of the forbidden.

My policy on PFDs?

The Rule: You Must Wear Your PFD When Underway.

The Reality: Regularly throw your children off the bow without so much as a second thought or a backward glance. It’s a long way down, and the last thing you want is for the kid to be surprised when she hits the water.

I’ve got a five year old and a two year old, and we’re liveaboards on a 47′ catamaran. If they’re in the cockpit, no PFD required. If they set toe on the combing behind the cockpit (it’s a 1″ step up, but still with railing and lifelines to above their heads), the PFD goes on. This is while we’re underway or while we’re tied up.

I’ve never bothered with the PDF while they’re on the dock. They tend to want to hold hands, they know that if they’re going to look over the edge at something, they need to be on their bellies, and besides… they’re never on the dock alone.

One thing I think is really really important to consider, is that the PFDs most folks put their kids into are seriously uncomfortable. Those Mustang kids PFDs would drive an adult mad within minutes, so it seems really unreasonable to demand they wear them all the time. I know there are also problems (depending on your kid, natch) with offgassing of the nasty foam used in most of the cheaper PFDs.

My older boy wears an Astral “Otter” PFD, and loves it. It’s comfortable, doesn’t restrict motion, doesn’t offgas, is sturdy, and looks very very cool. (http://picasaweb.google.com/TeamHudson/SailingAndStorytelling/photo#5154767221907497250)
My younger wears a Salus, now, but will upgrade within another 5 pounds of growth or so.

I am also fascinated that in the UK, you can get kids PFDs that are comfy and easy to wear, *with* integrated harnesses, and you can’t get those in the US that I’m aware of. The dichotomy between the American paranoia about “always put them in PFDs!” and “let’s not manufacture much that’s reasonable for them to wear” just baffles me.

Woah, touched a nerve there. Maybe I better go blog on my own site…

I always wear mine on the rescue boat. It makes a point and it is a lot easier to ask folks to put theirs on if I’m doing the same.

Richard