Tips for Boating Safely with Kids

Nothing is more important than safety when it comes to boating, and that goes double when you have children onboard, since you need to keep a sharper eye on them.

Your boat might already have some “childproofing” safeguards in place, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to do your part to make your boat safer for kids. We recently published a post about making your boat dock safer for kids, and now here are some tips for making your boat safer for them as well. 

Always Pay Attention

You know how it goes: take your eyes off a kid for one second and that’s when they get hurt. Now, we’re not saying you have to watch kids every single second they’re on the boat, but you should pay close attention to what they’re doing.

Young kids tend to touch everything they see, so never leave the keys in the ignition. Also, keep a close eye on the helm, as there are lots of cool-looking buttons and knobs in this area curious kids might want to touch to see what they do. 

When you’re on deck, always be within arms’ reach of young kids, especially toddlers, as they have a knack for tripping and falling. You’ll want to be within reach of catching a kid if they’re about to fall off the boat. Also, make sure the cockpit door is secure and stays closed to prevent curious youngsters from wandering around where they shouldn’t be, like unsupervised on the swim platform.

Childproof Your Boat 

Always keep cabin doors locked, and make sure you don’t let younger children go down there unsupervised. As mentioned, kids tend to touch everything they see, so keep electrical outlets covered when they’re not in use. Also, install latches and locks for all of the drawers and cabinets, especially the ones that have sharp objects and hazardous cleaning supplies. 

The same applies for the cockpit, which should be clear of any objects like dock lines kids could trip over, flare guns they could mistake for toys, or fishing hooks they can cut their little fingers on. Basically keep anything they could harm themselves or others with locked up safely. 

Have Child-Sized PFDs on Board

You know to keep enough life jackets and other personal flotation devices for each person on board, but do you also have age-appropriate child-sized vests? 

As your kids get older, you’ll want to make sure you replace any life jackets or vests they’ve outgrown with new ones to fit their growing bodies. It’s also a good idea to get in the habit of putting your kid’s life vests on before they get on the boat, especially if you’re dealing with a stubborn child that doesn’t want to put one on after takeoff. No life jacket, no boat ride!

Always Have First-Aid Kits on Board

Like life jackets and PFDs, you probably already know to have a waterproof first-aid kit or three on your boat, but it’s good to check each kit to make sure it has essentials like alcohol wipes, antiseptic spray, bandages, eyewash and gauze, as well as any medications your child might need like asthma inhalers, for example. 

Inspect Your Boat for Potential Child Hazards

At your grown-up height, there may be some potential hazards for kids you can’t see from your point of view while you’re standing up. When inspecting your boat, make sure you crouch down and/or crawl to spot any potential hazards a child might see (and want to touch) that you can’t. 

Keep Your Boat’s Deck Maintained

Children or not, you want to keep your boat’s deck clean and well-maintained. But kids in particular do like to run around carelessly, so you’ll want to keep the deck clean and free of obstacles. 

To keep kids and adults alike from slipping, use non-skid deck cleaner and place non-skid step pads around the deck. Place towels around the deck floor too to protect kids from slippery wet spots. If your boat has a wooden deck, loose or rotten boards are a tripping hazard. Inspect your wooden deck regularly for protruding boards and nails, and make any repairs necessary to make it safer for kids. Also, inspect the ladders off the swim platform and any other part of the boat for loose or broken steps. 

Docking a Boat Safely with Kids on Board

Mooring a boat can be challenging for even the most experienced of captains, and it can be even more challenging with children on board, as they can become a distraction. 

Patience and concentration is required, so if you have a child or three on board, you need to balance docking the boat while making sure the kids are safe. It’s important to let children know what they should (and should not) be doing while the Captain is about to dock the boat. 

One good approach to pulling this off is to have one adult keep the kids in check while the Captain stays at the helm and concentrates on docking. The Captain could remain at the helm with the kids while the first mate prepares the dock lines at the bow, but then supervision of the children should immediately return to the first mate until the Captain completes the docking process. 

However it’s handled, just make sure the children remain quiet and seated with their hands and feet inside the boat until it's completely docked. Then, help kids get off the boat and onto the dock safely by holding their hands.