Aft-facing seats

[kaulbr]

My boat has these flip-up aft-facing seats. I realize it'd be idiotic and illegal for anyone to sit back there when the boat is cruising along but I'm wondering if it's legal at no-wake speeds. I know many of you might chime in and say it's just a bad idea but my question is - is it legal. And if it's illegal, how is a seat like that differentiated/defined from a seat within the boat?

 

[Scott Danforth]

those seats are for when anchored only.

 

[GA_Boater]

When a passenger falls into the water and sticks a body part into the prop as they thrash around, you'll know why.

That's unless you can figure out how to travel at no wake speeds with a motor that's turned off. Not in neutral, off!

 

[briangcc]

Graphic but as mentioned above sitting on one of those seats on the transom, getting tossed overboard while underpower and having a body part come in contact with a prop will be like putting a frog in a blender. Gives new meaning to the word Chum.

The difference is that inside the boat, if you fall off that seat you're going to hit the floor (or some other object). You won't be exposing body parts to a spinning propeller.

The heck with a legal/illegal stand point - it's common sense not to do it.

 

[kaulbr]

As I said, I'm VERY aware of the danger, the fact that it's a bad idea, poses a great amount of risk, shouldn't be done, etc. My question was simply - is it legal? I'm curious to know how the law addresses seats like that.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I'm curious to know how the law addresses seats like that.

with a decal that states read the manual in iso-grams.... no words needed. as long as this decal is somewhere visible by the operator, the boat manufacturer could put a guillotine on board.

 

[H20Rat]

When a passenger falls into the water and sticks a body part into the prop as they thrash around, you'll know why.

That's unless you can figure out how to travel at no wake speeds with a motor that's turned off. Not in neutral, off!

How about if i get rid of the prop? Seems to be the argument everyone is using, so is it legal on this boat?

So to the OP, every state's boating regulations are somewhat different. I dug into my state's, and didn't see anything that could be construed to make that illegal, other than potentially the 'don't do reckless things' statement that I'm sure every state probably has. Again, jet boat (or inboard) + PFD is no more reckless, actually potentially safer, than most watersports.

 

[dwco5051]

PA Title 30, 5123(a), 105.3 Unacceptable Boating Practices

(1) Operate a motorboat at greater than slow, no wake speed with a person riding outside the passenger carrying area or while a person is riding on bow decking, gunwales, transom or motor cover. It is not a violation of this paragraph to ride on the motor cover of an inboard motorboat while underway at that speed if the motor cover is designed by the manufacturer for the operator or a passenger to ride on it. For the purposes of this paragraph, the passenger carrying area is defined as the space intended by the manufacturer for persons to sit or stand while the boat is underway. This prohibition does not apply when the operator of the boat is docking, mooring, anchoring or rafting the boat.

This is from Pennsylvania law but your state may be different. I do not think that if I wrote a citation under this section of the law it would hold up in court even at above no-wake speed. At no wake no case.

 

[jimmbo]

Stupidity is not illegal

 

[H20Rat]

It is not a violation of this paragraph to ride on the motor cover of an inboard motorboat while underway at that speed if the motor cover is designed by the manufacturer for the operator or a passenger to ride on it.

So... Per that, it is legal at no-wake. In the pic the OP posted as well as my jet boat cover, she is on the motor cover, and the manufacturer certainly designed it for someone to ride on.