# Children's safety



## BigMoe (Oct 24, 2006)

Could someone give me some advise on where to purchase safety harnesses for young children. I have a 5 and 10 year old who will be new to sailing.

Moe
[email protected]


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Any good marine chandlery will have safety harnesses for children. I got mine at either defender.com or worst marine.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Your child must wear a life jacket. So you should just tether the rear of the life jacket to the lifeline.


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## Jim H (Feb 18, 2006)

West Marine sells them, but they are spendy:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc.../child harness/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0

I've been tracking Ebay to see if they come up for less $$$. Surf's idea isn't bad, but the life jackets my kids wear (Mustang) aren't set up to withstand a shockload. The West Marine harnesses look safer and look easy to wear under a life jacket.

Of course, I'm thinking of going offshore with kids. For the protected waters we sail, we don't worry about harnesses for the kids (age 7 and 9)-- but they always wear lifejackets.

Jim H


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Most life jackets do not have a sufficiently strong anchor point for use with a tether.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I disagree. Kids weigh very little. I used one with my daughter for 3 years. Now my buddy is using my daughter's set-up.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Maybe in the case of the five-year-old, but a ten-year-old may be heavy enough that the PFD doesn't have the strength to support him, especially if he falls across the boat from the windward side to the leeward... which may result in shock loading of many times his actual body weight.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Just another opinion.....

I would hesitate to tether children down in anything but extreme conditions. I think it's better to get them accustomed to moving around on the boat and learn how to cope with the motion. Ten year-olds are most certainly old enough to start helping out with the sailing as well.

On any reasonably equipped boat there should be enough security in the cockpit and within the lifelines for all but the youngest children. They must learn the first 3 rules of sailing at an early age:
#1 Stay on the boat
#2 Stay on the boat
#3 - Stay on the *&%$# boat.

If they learn to rely on a harness, the first time you decide it's not necessary is the day they'll go over the side. We sailed with our kids from "days old", only tethered them in once about age 4 or 5 in a lumpy crossing - in all the time we cruised with these kids not once did anyone go overboard by accident. They grew up learning "one hand for the task, one hand for you".


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Both of you guys are idiots with way too much time on your hands. (nice guys but idiots). Any child under 14 must wear a life jacket according to the USCG Regulations. You cannot substitute a harness for a life jacket. So get the combination if you must have a child in a life jacket.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Surfesq is calling other people idiots with too much time on their hands?!.....and the definition of irony is?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Yes, our resident barrister resorts to insults when any one disagrees with him or calls his houseboat a barge....or a land-locked condo... since it hasn't seen the water and has some pretty permanent looking steps leading up to it. I don't think he's ever planning on floating it.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Surfesq said:


> Both of you guys are idiots ... Any child under 14 must wear a life jacket according to the USCG Regulations. QUOTE]
> 
> Unfortunately, you're wrong. Check your facts.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

He often is...just hates to face the truth of that fact....


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

We use the Mustang PFD's too. You will see in many of my past threads that I am a big fan of them. I will tell you that they do work!!

Saw something new at West a few weeks ago. I might consider it for offshore. It is a auto inflate for kids. I think it had D rings.. cannot remember now. For some reason, this was the first time I have seen them. Made by Sospenders, as I recall. 

As far as the tether and LJ's in general, I will share what we have been doing for some years: No going forward without an adult during the day. No going forward at all at night. If we are anchored, you can go without a LJ, but not forward without supervision. If we are moving, you have to wear a LJ unless you are down below. No going into the cockpit without an adult outside. Sound strict? Maybe, but my kids have not fallen off the boat yet (now the dock and boarding is a different story).

Keep them in a LJ and they get accustomed to them. Any question, just PM me.

- CD


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## Jim H (Feb 18, 2006)

Cruisingdad said:


> We use the Mustang PFD's too. You will see in many of my past threads that I am a big fan of them. I will tell you that they do work!!


Yup-- here's a pic of my son from our Cal 20 daysail last Sunday










We were lucky because they gave away free Mustangs to thousands of kids at the Portland boat show last year, and we snagged one for both my son and daughter. I hope they do it again this year.

Jim H


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Jim,

Ahh... another future sailor!!

PS All with kids, Mustang makes two kinds. For the older kids, the barrel type shown below is without a doubt the way to go (as Jim has shown). For the younger, I reccommend in the strongest terms, the jacket that has the crotch strap, zipper, and head support. Especailly the head support, because you want to make sure that when they fall in, they come up Face UP and supported out of the water.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

*FYI for you Maryland Sailors*

*New Life Jacket Law for Children Becomes Effective April 1, 2006*
On April 1, 2006 a new Maryland law governing personal flotation devices (PFDs) for children goes into effect. Under the new law, if a child is less than 4 years of age or weighs under 50 pounds, the child must wear a PFD with specific additional safety features including: *a strap that is secured between the child's legs to fasten together the front and back of the PFD; an inflatable headrest or high collar to keep the child's head above water; and a web handle to ensure the ready accessibility of the child from the vessel.* Read more.. 
Effective June 1, 2001, all children under the age of 7 must WEAR a United States Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Device (Life Jacket - Type I, II, III or V) while underway on a recreational vessel under 21 feet in length on Maryland waters. Recreational vessel includes motorboats, sailboats, canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and any other device capable of being used for transportation on the water, when the vessel is being used for other than commercial purposes.

The Life Jacket must be the proper size for the child and must be in good and serviceable condition. 
*This requirement does not apply when:*

A vessel is moored or anchored.
A child is below deck or in an enclosed cabin.


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