Kids and Boat Ramp

Probably a dumb question and I'm sure I know what most people will say, but I'm curious as to what people do with their young kids while launching the boat.

Last year a guy had his truck role down the ramp into the water with his daughter in a car seat. He got her out through the back window without much problem but it could have been interesting.

With the way idiots drive at ramps I always wait until I can bring along another adult that can wait with the kids on shore as I launch, but that cuts down my fishing time with them considerably, especially with last minute trips. My wife is only good for 1 or 2 fishing trips per month.

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

My youngest of four is 14, so I'm probably out of practice on this, but I'd think if you have kids young enough to be in a car seat and don't now how to swim, that there should be 2 adults onboard. You can't be in control of the vessel and watching the kids at the same time.

Our kids grew up with a pool and once they were 3 they could swim better than me, so I think I'd probably have them stand on the dock if I were by myself with them. The risk of your car rolling into the water is pretty remote, so if they weren't strapped in and were in the car and the windows were down, then I don't think that's unsafe. Likewise, you could put them in the boat, but there is a much greater chance of the boat getting free, than your tow vehicle going in the water.

Even older kids can be at risk. My daughter took a hard fall on the ramp a month ago because the water level was way down and the ramp was very, very slippery more than usual. I also have seen kids (not mine) dart across in front of me when I'm backing down the ramp.... dogs too. You have to assume that adults are not going to watch their children, unfortunately, because there are a lot of moron parents just like there are a lot of moron boat owners.

I watched a guy one day launch a boat with about 5 middle school aged girls. He put 4 of them in the boat and left one holding the rope as he backed the boat down the ramp. I didn't think this looked like a good plan, but I'm hesitant to tell someone they are an idiot and it didn't look horribly dangerous. The problem was the docks went out at an angle from the ramp, and the rope the girl was holding was only long enough for her to hold the tip end of it. Stands to reason as the boat goes out into the water that its going to either pull her into the water, or she's letting go. She let go. So there were four 12 year old girls in a boat that was now drifting out into the lake. The man finally realized it (the girl said nothing when she dropped the rope and he kept backing) and dove in and swam out to get the boat back.

So I guess I would say if they are young enough then you need too adults. If you have no problem tossing them off the end of the dock and watching them swim back, then have them stand in safe place while you do your work.

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

X2 on the "more than one adult" for very young children. You don't want them alone in the tow vehicle for the reason you posted above. You don't want them near the water while your attention is on launching your boat. And you don't want them anywhere near the ramp. Your only choice is to have someone with you to watch them, or leave them with non-fishing wife.

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

I have 4 kids aged 4 - 10. When we boat it's always 2 adults so we can get the kids on the dock (with life jackets) and I don't have to worry about them while I back down the ramp. Plus I don't have to worry about them walking in the ramp area while others are moving the vehicles/boats.

Sometimes one of the older kids will help me, so they'll either be in the vehicle with me or launching / retreiving the boat with me. We have a few cheap butterfly nets so the kids on the dock stay occupied while they're waiting.

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

ever think of shutting off the truck and taking your keys while launching?..... That way they can't touch anything that would cause problems......

Otherwise, if possible, go to a launch with a park or something (county park kind of thing) and they could go there. Otherwise find a more remote (one lane) launch where you don't have to worry about a lot of traffic.

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I've taken my two little ones with just me before and it was more stress than I bargained for. Now mom comes with or kids stay home with her. One time I was out on the river and my motor died with a huge set of barges bearing down on me, luckily the kids were not with that time.

Also what gets me are the guys who back down the ramp with the windows all the way up (I assume because they have the a/c on), get out, close the door with the truck running and no passengers in it. So what happens if/when the power door locks engage and lock them out??

Leaving young kids alone in a vehicle on the ramp is dump regardless of if its a new vehicle or not. Some people haven't heard of Murphy's law until its too late

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

I bungee cord them to the t-top.

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

OK, one thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is life jackets. Whenever I have a child with me they put on the life jacket while I'm getting the boat ready to launch and keep it on until they're back in the truck for the ride home. If I only have one child with me they stay right with me while I launch. If I have more than one child with me, well I don't know the answer to that because I won't take more than one if I'm otherwise by myself.

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

Well, we have the same rule now with our grandkids as we did when our kids were growing up -- you are either in the boat or in the vehicle. One or the other -- and you stay put! My wife is always there to assist. After 35 years of boating, we have our system that's pretty smoth and works.

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

Shamus O'toole said:

I bungee cord them to the t-top.

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Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

Shamus O'toole said:

I bungee cord them to the t-top.[/QUOTE

That's the best idea yet! Safe and efficient, and I'm sure even law enforcement would agree once they thought about it.

After watching the idiots at the ramp today I felt a little scared for my life, much less the kids. They have a major bike path that goes right by the ramp also, it's comical to watch.

I always put jackets on the kids right away as I prep the boat. So far haven't taken them out by myself. They're pretty fish like and more mature than me, but still hesitant to try it by myself. I know you can't prepare for every improbability, I'm sure statistically you're more likely to get killed driving to the ramp. Thanks for the responses.

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Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

My boy is almost 6, and has had swimming lessons but can't swim well by himself. If we go to an empty ramp I've let him stand nearby while I launch. Lately I've had him stay in the car with the windows down and unbuckled. When loading he's either in the car or the boat.

I think in the car, unbuckled, with all windows down is best in general.

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

Dad takes child out of seat and places child in rear of vehicle. Note: if hatchback, open hatch so child can stand up and watch. If Pickup, keep tailgate closed so child doesn't stand up and ....... Now dad is no more than three feet away from child while launching and retrieving vessel.

On another note......Hire a swimming coach to teach child to swim at the earliest age as possible.

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You really should always have two somewhat adults in a boat anyway for safety. What if you have a health issue? Can your 10 year old get back to the launch?

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I get boat lined up w ramp to edge of water, load the 6 yr old. jump in and talk the wife back into the water. She parks the truck and brings the 2 yr old down w her. Only take 6 yr old w/o momma. Load 6 yr old, float it, climb in, unhook bow. Tie up at dock, take boy w/ to park truck. Opposite to load, pretty simple.

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Youngest I've launched with is 8, but here are my rules.

The life jackets go on when I am preparing the boat for launch. Then the kids go to the courtesy dock. They like to stretch the rules, so basically they know "they must be standing on wood". Before this rule their idea of where the dock ended sometimes extended too close to the ramp. They wait for me to back down, launch, and tie off the boat. They then wait for me to park (within sight of the ramp), and come down and we all board the boat.

I feel pretty comfortable with this arrangement, especially now that my kids are older. We use the same procedure regardless of if we have multiple adults around. I don't want them on the boat or in the launch vehicle. The 8 y/o always had older siblings with them.

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

I never let any one ride in the boat before its in the water.
when my kids were younger they waited at the dock until I
got the boat there then they waited in the boat until I got
back from parking the truck. Life jackets went on while preping
the boat in the pre-launch area.

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

When I was young my dad was pretty strict about how he wanted me to act at the ramp. By the age of 7 or 8 I was driving the boat while closely supervised. I was always pushed to do things beyond what most parents would let their kids do at that given age so my abilities came early. Even drove the car while sitting in moms lap when I was a toddler. Was pushing a lawnmower at age 6 and riding the mower at age 7. I'm a firm believer in starting them off young.

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

Our kids were almost born in the boat. As babies, mommy held them out of harms way while I launched the boat. At an early age, it was a strict rule that they stood within my sight, on the dock if there was one. NEVER, NEVER in the car or boat!! And NEVER behind the car or boat. That parking pawl in the car can break at any moment and it will go plunging into the water. Rarely will the parking brake hold on a steep ramp. I've never lost a rig yet, and don't intend to. But nobody is going down with it if I do.

BTW, I did lock my keys in the car, engine running, while retreiving the boat one time. That was an embarrasing moment.

Re: Kids and Boat Ramp

Yup. "Windows down" when launching.