Another child injured

[C2 RIBS]

BBC News - Boy caught in boat propeller off Porthmadog, Gwynedd

Caught by propellor

[Bizzie]

Shocking and so sad! We dont take anyone under 14 on our boat. Wonder how many of the skippers that catch people in props have at leadt PB2 or are experienced?

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Bizzie

Shocking and so sad! We dont take anyone under 14 on our boat.

last one was 14 so not sure how some arbitrary age limit makes you safer. Drive appropriate to the conditions and passengers. If you are intentionally putting people in the water brief them on your expectations of them.

Wonder how many of the skippers that catch people in props have at leadt PB2 or are experienced?

the rnli managed to do it to one of their own crew a couple of years ago so training won't completely eliminate risk. Presumably their will be maib investigations which might give lessons for us all to learn. Although obviously like everyone else on here my boat handling skills are perfect and my judgement makes the perfect balance of decisions between adventure and risk all of the time.

[Nick Hearne]

Originally Posted by Bizzie

Shocking and so sad! We dont take anyone under 14 on our boat. Wonder how many of the skippers that catch people in props have at leadt PB2 or are experienced?

Do you not have kids then?
No point in having a boat if you will not take the kids out on it for me!

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Bizzie

Shocking and so sad! We dont take anyone under 14 on our boat. Wonder how many of the skippers that catch people in props have at leadt PB2 or are experienced?

Been taking our daughter out on boats since she was a baby, she's grown up with boats, divers etc. She was gutting mackeral at 5 years old (with scissors, I didn't let her near the filleting knife until she was 7) & diving at 12. I can't see what age has to do with it She hasn't got a boating qual to her name apart from a lifetimes experience(she's 21 now), I'd put her up against any fresh off the course PB2 holder anyday

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Been taking our daughter out on boats since she was a baby, she's grown up with boats, divers etc. She was gutting mackeral at 5 years old (with scissors, I didn't let her near the filleting knife until she was 7) & diving at 12. I can't see what age has to do with it She hasn't got a boating qual to her name apart from a lifetimes experience(she's 21 now), I'd put her up against any fresh off the course PB2 holder anyday

Well said.

[Portholme]

Another one for experience over qualifications. My son has pb2 and while I think he is safe in easy conditions he just doesn't have sea mile experience and will only get that over time. He probably learns more messing with the SIB than anything else, because can make a mistake and get a bit wet without scaring himself or me!!

[Portholme]

Oh yeah foot to say. We had twelve year old girls out yesterday for a days ringo riding as a birthday present. It was my daughter telling her friends how to keep safe.

[Doug Stormforce]

Originally Posted by Bizzie

Shocking and so sad! We dont take anyone under 14 on our boat. Wonder how many of the skippers that catch people in props have at leadt PB2 or are experienced?

As poly sais an arbitrary age restriction does not make you safer, just means that if your dangerous it's older people that get hurt.

My 2 yr old sailed his first 80 mile passage in a force 6 before he could crawl. He has been out in 2 of my RIBs and in fact I picked him up from his grand parents on the Island last week by RIB. If he wants to he will be driving RIBs many years before he is fourteen and my job is to teach him how to do that safely.

[GordyP]

Originally Posted by Portholme

Another one for experience over qualifications. My son has pb2

I think you need both to be fair.

I have come across plenty of people who claim to have 20 years experience, it's worth feck all if it's 20 years experience of being useless!!

At least your son has done some training on which he can now build on with experience.

[Mextli]

When I do Cover/Rescue Stuff where people might end up in the water, I have home-made a propeller-cover. I have never needed it to date, but it puts your mind at rest.

Though, it wouldn't have made any differences in this case. I doubt that you use a propellor guard in the open sea..

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Mextli

When I do Cover/Rescue Stuff where people might end up in the water, I have home-made a propeller-cover. I have never needed it to date, but it puts your mind at rest.

That concerns me because:

(1) how do you know how effective a home made prop guard is? could it actually present an entrapment risk etc.
(2) the fact it puts your (or anyone else's) mind at rest means you/they may be taking bigger risks than they need to be.

There are a few threads here on prop guards if you search for them you might find interesting reading.

[Mextli]

Thats an interesting view.

I'll keep that in mind when building a new one for the next outboard.
As i said, i've never needed it. Though, i have never dealt with any people unconcious, just with capsized sailing boats, and people floating around who could still paddle to the boat.
Same, all my rescue trials were done on flat water.

I've tested the cage with a stick though, but you're right, it might have been a bad idea.
The new outboard on the new boat will stay cover-free then and i'll drive extra-careful

[SPR]

http://www.rya.org.uk/sitecollection...d%20policy.pdf

is the rya prop guard policy

[Mextli]

Thank you very much for the link - The next outboard will definitly be without prop guard.
Thanks again