Am I out of line ?

[SSMoose]

Stop inviting the parents and the kid. Keep them as friends in other circles. They feel their supervision is fine and you are not comfortable with it. You'll never be comfortable with them aboard so just stop putting yourself in that position. It's their child let them supervise however they want as long as you are not caught in the middle.

John is right. In addition, the ignorant( for all it applies to!) will sue you if something goes wrong on your boat. I don't know about yours but my liability has limits that I am unwilling to test.

[Coffeyman76]

This is always a tough one for me as I have friends with young kids and have to go over the rules upfront. I have two younger kids (getting older fast) but I took them out as babies and have always felt "comfortable" with them sort of roaming the boat in vests and not literally leashed to me like some parents are with their kids on the boat. But then again it was my boat so I didn't throttle it, always sitting on the arse, looking out for them, etc. I also grew up on the water so I just "felt" it.

SO now my son swam no vest at just over 4 and my 2 yo was close. Living on the lake having them swim was priority. He actually drove the boat (low traffic slow cruise) many many times last year so I could actually stretch out and relax for a moment instead of always driving. It was nice actually and he loved it. Believe it or not he can take me half way across the lake and get the boat right back to my dock without directions. Not quite ready to have the 4 yo docking yet however ;-)

Regardless it is your boat and your rules. As captain you ARE responsible and liable even if the parents were doing something dumb or drunk idiots. You carry the insurance and the weight of anything that would happen (always not just kids) so until they get their stuff together I support ya. Stick to your guns

[JohnnyB]

Child protective services......

[ricford]

I've always taken my kids, and anyone else's regardless of age on the boat, HOWEVER, there are always strict ground rules. Kids must where pfd's at all times, and must be seated whenever the boat is underway. I've never really had an unruly kid, though. One time when a child got off the seat I stopped the boat and waited for him to sit down. He got the message. My grand daughter is 2 now, and she is very well behaved in the boat because she has been taught early. In fact her favorite seat in the boat (and mine too) is on my knee. Oh, wait she doesn't have her pfd on in this picture. OOPS, broke my own rule.

[madcityskier]

I would agree that you should leave them on their own boat. Few things are more awkward than disciplining someone else's kid in front of them. Best to avoid it if you already know it's coming.

[Table Rocker]

When it comes to a boat owner's rules, I think DemolitionMan's avatar said it best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC2ZY2loo74

[Iskidaily]

safety first. No one has a good day on the lake when there is an accident. I've had lots of kids on lots of boats, but they (and their parents) all have to follow basic and easy safety rules. People that are new to boats don't understand why they have to listen to the rules, but they have a choice: listen, or watch from the dock.

If you are being firm but polite, you are not an a$$hole.

[willyt]

couldnt you just stuff the kid in a storage compartment or something?

[willyt]

i probably should add i dont have kids

[JimN]

So I have a very good friend who gets pissed that I wont let him bring his 15 month old kid on my boat. Meanwhile they have bought a party barge and have brought him out a few times.

While out this past weekend I watched the kid hit the deck at least 3 times from sudden throttle ups and downs...they just let him walk around or do what every, I not either of his parents stopped him from going over the rail once and stopped him from eating numerous minnows...

BTW these are the same parents who took him fishing in a 15 ft. jon boat fishing when he was 3 months old...the lake was riddled with stumps and trees. the carreir slid all over the place and a friend had to catch it from going overboard once..

Am I crazy folks or should I stand my ground ?

It's your insurance that will take a beating if the little tyke gets hurt and of course, anything that happens will be your fault, of course. Also, your gunwales are probably a lot lower than his rails, which makes his falling overboard almost a certainty.

You could always strap him to the pylon, like a mud puppy on a striped bass rig.

Think of the minnows as sushi. Or, sardines.

[LittleFuss]

The child did have a life vest on the whole time.

[JimN]

The child did have a life vest on the whole time.

Maybe you could get a little Zorb for him.

[Snipe]

thank you for the encouragment. I was starting to feel I was being unreasonable.

Unreasonable?? Absolutely not. We take our grand kids on pontoons with the understanding that the parents (our kids) will be responsible for their kids.
We love our grand kids very much and want nothing more that great memories for us and for them; but not at a cost of giving up safety. You as the operator and captain of your boat, obviously feel very responsible, and rightfully so. So, stand your ground some day they may have to thank you for that. I hope that never has to happen.

[FrankSchwab]

We take any age kid on the boat or houseboat with us. I don't have an issue with the safety of the kids - yes, it makes my job as captain harder when I have to make sure they're sitting down before I throttle up, etc., but I don't have a problem with that if the kids are having a good time.

But, if the parent doesn't show continuous, 100% attention to what their child is doing and whether the child is safe or not, I'd simply stop hanging with them - they wouldn't be welcome on my boat, and I wouldn't go out on theirs or go out on someone else's with them. I don't need to deal with the aftermath of an accident caused by their inattention.

I side with you on this one - you're not an *******, simply an intelligent human being. If you haven't explained why they're not welcome on your boat yet - do it calmly and rationally the next time the issue comes up. "Well, Bob, I really like you and Alice, but I don't think you guys pay enough attention to the safety of little Johnny when he's on the boat. I don't want to see him hurt, but I'm afraid that's what's going to happen based on what I see.". When they challenge you, simply state the experiences you've had. You may lose a friend, but that happens in life.

[broncotw]

BOTTOM LINE -- YOUR boat = Your Rules!