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monikah 
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Joined: 30 March 2008
Location: Wellington
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 Topic: know anything about boats?
Posted: 03 November 2008 at 12:51pm |
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so my husband has been saying for ages he wants a boat so ive kinda decided im gonna buy him one. my dad is a yachty so ill be able to find one ok but what i want wondering is if you need to do any kind of course or license to drive it. im just looking at at 12 - 15 ft outbound motor that is fairly closed in. ie has seats down the side and rotating seats for the driver and main passenger, but do they let any idiot ie my husband drive them or is it going to cost us a fortune in classes and stuff to start with. i dont want us to fork out 5k and then have to spend heaps on top of that. also does anyone else take their babies on boats and how do you control them? i know i grew up on one but i dont know from what age and im trying to figure out what safety procedures id have to put in place to make sure my baby doesnt throw himself off the side somehow
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clover
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Joined: 21 July 2008
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Posted: 03 November 2008 at 12:55pm |
I know there is a course you can go on about skippering (sp) a boat because my dad and my brother did it years ago. I don't think you have to do it by law though.
In terms of babies on boats, you'll need to make sure that you get correct sized lifejackets (which would cost you a fair bit to continually upsize). Personally my children will not be on our family boat until they are old enough to understand the rules and dangers and have had swimming lessons.
There is lots of good info on the Marritime NZ website here
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ohanlon82
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Posted: 03 November 2008 at 1:09pm |
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it pays to do a Day Skippers Course (just 1 day course) DH did it last year i think it was...
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clover
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Posted: 03 November 2008 at 1:35pm |
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Also, quite often certain areas will give an afternoon or evening course about specific things to do with boating in that area. For example my parents lived not far from Raglan and the Raglan boating club (or might have been surf lifesaving) did a short course on negotiating the massive sandbar they have just off Raglan beach.
I know that here in Wellington they've done courses on the dangers of the straight to novice boaties as well.
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Mikaela
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Posted: 03 November 2008 at 1:36pm |
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Anyone can drive a boat in NZ without a license of any sort - but that's only if you are NOT taking paying passengers (which I don't think you would be).
I very strongly recommend him doing the Day Skipper course that ohanlon82 mentioned - it's only 1 day but it could teach him something that could save his life.
As for babies and boats - well, it's a personal choice but even with life jackets and safety equipment, I wouldn't be taking Alex on a boat until he is old enough (maybe four??) to understand and obey safety instructions that I give him. I earned my living working on boats and ships of various sizes for seven years before I got married, and I saw too many accidents and worries involving babies and toddlers for me to ever want to take my own on the water.
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Kellz
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Posted: 03 November 2008 at 1:37pm |
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Yep, contact your local costgurad for cost and schedlue of sessions for day skippers certificate.
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Kellz
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Posted: 03 November 2008 at 1:40pm |
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We are going to be taking Isla out on FIL's boat this summer, but it will only be in the harbour, not out at sea, and wont be long enough for her to get too bored either! We will be getting a lifejacket that she can step into (like togs), rather than one that just does up like an adult one, so there is no chance of it riding up over her face if she does end up over board. Despite DH being experienced fishman/skipper, and only gonna take her in the harbour, FIL would not take her nefore now ( she just turned 2 ). Smallest life jacket is from 5kgs.
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MummyFreckle
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Posted: 03 November 2008 at 1:48pm |
Check out http://www.cbes.org.nz/ for information on courses. TBH I wouldnt be comfortable taking Oli out on a boat unless the person in charge (skipper) had done their Boatmasters. I think you need to feel completely comfortable that they know what they are doing. I think that the best lifejackets for babys are the Baltic Baby ones....but would be worth contacting the coast guard and asking for advise on maintaining safety with a baby.
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tishy
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Posted: 03 November 2008 at 2:29pm |
Definitely do the day skipper / boatmaster course. Speaking as a scuba diver I've seen some horrendous activity i.e. boats going full throttle over dive flags (this indicates there are divers below) 
We've also had to tow in a boat that was half submerged.
US: "Did you put the bung in?"
THEM: "I don't know it's not my boat" 
It's DHs dream to have a boat in the near future also. I'm not sure at what age I'll be happy to have the girls on the boat but not until we feel confident about their safety.
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monikah
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Posted: 03 November 2008 at 2:54pm |
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hmmm i know we wont be going far at all. ill keep the boat at dads yacht club but i can prbably leave the baby with someone there or with someone in my family and use it for 'us time' until the baby is older. mite be a good chance for dad to spend time with baby since he practically lives at the yacht club in the weekends. im definitly going to make DH do a course at some stage and ill probably do it to as ill be taking the boat out as much as he will be.
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clover
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Posted: 03 November 2008 at 3:16pm |
 tishy wrote:
US: "Did you put the bung in?"
THEM: "I don't know it's not my boat"
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Haha, my dad, who is an experienced boatie did this once!!! Just plain forgot.......
Thankfully we weren't too far out into the harbour and just got straight back to seaview to get it out of the water. Left her on the trailer for a while and then went straight back out, with the plugs in of course 
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know anything about boats?
