A while back I was stopped by the Coast Guard because one of my guests was sitting on bow with his feet dangling off the sides. We immediately complied with their request to sit on the deck. Does anyone know why this is a no=no?
Safety Issue?
- Thread starter lehighsail
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. . .Maybe he could have slid off the boat, between the pulpit and edge of the deck if you hit a wave or wake. . .or turned too hard? If he fell in the water you would have driven over him. . .maybe even turning him into shark chum 
Possible? Sure, anything is possible. . .probable? I doubt it. . .
Possible? Sure, anything is possible. . .probable? I doubt it. . .
If the person lost his/her balance and fell in they could be run over. Possible concussion, followed by drowning, and much distress. If motoring, potential dismembering. All bad stuff.....
Not maybe. This has happened at least twice in MD that I am aware of. In one case the prop was also involved and the person was very dead. As you can see in a few posts below, this is not rare.
Bow riding is specifically illegal in MD and it is enforced strictly when seen.
http://thedailyrecord.com/2010/08/02/us-coast-guard-cracking-down-on-‘bow-riding’/
http://gulfport.injuryboard.com/mis...eads-to-boating-accident.aspx?googleid=244786
I'm wondering how one changes his headsail or handles his anchor without spending time on the bow? I have seen a number of boats with SEATS built into the pulpit for.... sail handling purposes, I guess. Most race crews station a foredeck crew, or bow man..if you will.... at the very pointy end for various tactical reasons... starts, overlaps etc.... what's up with that? Will the Coast Guard hand out tickets during your local club race?
This is how New York State views bow riding. It is illegal here.
SL 12. Reckless and Careless Operation
SL 12. Reckless and Careless Operation
All boats must be operated in a responsible manner and in accordance with capacity plate and speed restrictions. Failure to do so is considered reckless and careless operation. New York State law also prohibits operating or manipulating a device for towing a person in a reckless or negligent manner that could endanger life, limb or property of a person, or cause a person to collide with an object or another person.
Bow Riding
Bow riding can be very dangerous, unless the vessel has an open bow designed specifically for passengers. If the boat hits a large wake or wave, or makes a sudden, sharp turn, the person riding the bow may be thrown overboard. Once in the water, the vessel's forward motion will quickly cause it to run over the person’s body, possibly inflicting as many as 100 separate propeller cuts from a single pass. To prevent such a tragedy, boat operators should insist that their passengers take a seat, and stay in that seat, while the boat is underway.
Not true...
So working the foredeck IS legal...and you may have no choice but to send someone forward in heavy seas if the jib skirts or furling gets tangled. That's what harnesses, jacklines and PFDs are for. So if it's dangerous to be on the bow of your boat while docking, wear 'em! And also work on your docking skills! :dance:
What IS dangerous, btw, is jumping off the boat to the dock while it's moving. A miscalculation or sudden unexpected movement by the boat can put you in the water instead of on the dock...NEVER do that! Instead, use a boat hook...that's what they're for!
I'm not sure whether it's a CG reg or just a law in most, if not every, state...but it's not BEING on the bow that's illegal...it's sitting on the bow with legs dangling over the side that is. Those laws require that all body parts must be inside gunwales or toe rails while a boat is underway....so not only is it illegal to ride on the bow with legs dangling over the side, it's also illegal to sit on the cockpit transom or gunwale. 'Cuz a big wake or a sudden jibe can toss someone riding on the bow overboard...and it's not just YOUR prop that can endanger someone in the water...they can get run over by another boat.
So working the foredeck IS legal...and you may have no choice but to send someone forward in heavy seas if the jib skirts or furling gets tangled. That's what harnesses, jacklines and PFDs are for. So if it's dangerous to be on the bow of your boat while docking, wear 'em! And also work on your docking skills! :dance:
What IS dangerous, btw, is jumping off the boat to the dock while it's moving. A miscalculation or sudden unexpected movement by the boat can put you in the water instead of on the dock...NEVER do that! Instead, use a boat hook...that's what they're for!
My guess would be that yours was an innocent 'mistake'. It's a 'one-size fits all' rule that applies more aptly to power boats that are bouncing around in the rough waters of a congested body of water. I suspect that you may have been ghosting along under sail with few other boats around and certainly no chance of a rogue wave and probably no opportunities to be taken by surprise by a large powerboat wake when a coastie happened by with little other concern than to reprimand you for your trivial offense (under the probable circumstances). Otherwise why would they have noticed your infraction?
This is the whole problem, none of these laws consider that there are some us out there with some common sense. In an effort to keep folks from hurting themselves, they have gone way overboard in trying to legislate common sense and thought...much to the dismay of the majority who vie daily for darwin awards in spite of the USCG. Those candidates continue to win in spectacular fashion. Meanwhile we get cited for sitting on the rail or working the bow.
Sadly they may be right..as on any weekend you could fill a note book with situations that could have been altogether avoided with 2 seconds of common sense...not to mention the damage, $$$ or pain involved.
what's next? I can just see some coastie or sherrif telling the "rail meat" crew during a race that they can't hike out, because their legs are dangling over the side... sheesh!
Peggy has it right...
I was cited by MD DNR for having my feet stretched out over the bow's toe rail while lying on a sail bag when we were returning to a marina after a race, doing about 5 knots. Just a warning, not a fine.
While they were citing me, a powerboat went past at speed towing a very young child on a tube in a busy channel. I pointed out the danger in this but the DNR guy said that was OK because they had a lookout facing aft and the kid had a PFD on.
Go figure...
I was cited by MD DNR for having my feet stretched out over the bow's toe rail while lying on a sail bag when we were returning to a marina after a race, doing about 5 knots. Just a warning, not a fine.
While they were citing me, a powerboat went past at speed towing a very young child on a tube in a busy channel. I pointed out the danger in this but the DNR guy said that was OK because they had a lookout facing aft and the kid had a PFD on.
Go figure...
And on trapeze boats, where 100% of the crew is outside the boat.
I have never heard of enforcement while a boat is under sail, just under power. This is the only written refference I have found:
_________________________
MD SL 12. Reckless and Careless Operation
Negligence or gross negligence in operation of a vessel resulting in the endangerment of lives and/or property is prohibited. A civil penalty may be imposed by the USCG for this offense. Violators may be subject to a fine of up to $5,000 and or imprisonment for up to one year, or both. In the State of Maryland, the penalty is a fine of up to $500 for the first offense.
Examples of actions that may constitute negligent or grossly negligent operation include, but
are not limited to:
1. Operating in an area designated for swimming only.
2. Operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
3. Operating the vessel at excessive speed near other boats or in dangerous waters.
4. Dangerous water skiing practices.
5. Bowriding or riding on seatbacks, the gunwale or transom.
I'd vote for the first guy or gal who says their first action as an elected official would be to eliminate all existing laws and start over.
I'm with Stu but I'd go a bit further and just not elect anybody.
Everywhere I turn I hear about how natural selection is how species get selected for continuation/elimination. I suggest we try that.
Also, can someone tell me why I have a seat on the bow that I can't use. I got the PDF thing that is certainly commonsensical. Can I use the seat when under sail? At anchor? Clearly I can swim off the stern while at anchor which would imply I can also sit on the bow (with a beverage). Being boarded by the coasties and getting arrested for being under the influence while sailing on the anchor would be a very bad way to end a sail IMHO.
Everywhere I turn I hear about how natural selection is how species get selected for continuation/elimination. I suggest we try that.
Also, can someone tell me why I have a seat on the bow that I can't use. I got the PDF thing that is certainly commonsensical. Can I use the seat when under sail? At anchor? Clearly I can swim off the stern while at anchor which would imply I can also sit on the bow (with a beverage). Being boarded by the coasties and getting arrested for being under the influence while sailing on the anchor would be a very bad way to end a sail IMHO.
If there is a seat on the bow, you can use it. What you can't do is sit on the edge of the deck and dangle your legs over the side. All body parts have to be inside the edges of the boat.
Can I use the seat when under sail? At anchor? Clearly I can swim off the stern while at anchor which would imply I can also sit on the bow (with a beverage). Being boarded by the coasties and getting arrested for being under the influence while sailing on the anchor would be a very bad way to end a sail IMHO.
What part of "while underway" did you not understand?
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