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Insurance
Keep Your Children Safe Onboard
Boating is a great way to spend quality time with your children. There are many tasks that can be assigned to your children to help teach them responsibility while boating, making the adventure fun as well as educational. Nature also provides them with a great deal of learning and allows them to escape the urban life with which they may be so familiar.
However, if children will be part of your boating plans this summer, there are a few things to consider when purchasing family boats.
- When boating with children, consider family boats that have a cuddy cabin. Runabouts, bow riders and deck boats are often equipped with a small cuddy cabin to offer a comfortable centre to kids if they need a nap or are getting too much sun.
- Speaking of sunlight, be sure to bring along sufficient child-safe sunblock for long excursions. People often do not take into consideration the amount of time that they'll be exposed to direct sunlight while boating and children are much more sensitive to sunburns than their parents.
- Life jackets are essential for adults and even more so for children. Buy a good, high-quality Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) with a collar that turns a child face up in the water. It must have strong waist and crotch straps and a handle on the collar. For good visibility, look for life vests of the bright yellow or orange variety, though newer PFDs with psychedelic colours or hearts are often a big hit with fashion-conscious kids.
- Attach a plastic safety whistle to the life jacket and teach your child how to use the whistle before you get out on the water.
- Also prior to departure, teach your children proper boating terminology. The use of terms such as Starboard, Port and Aft could be life-saving in an emergency situation.
Children love the water and most children love the experience of being on a boat. Just remember to exercise caution at all times and teach your children the responsibilities involved with boating. Just because they can't escape, doesn't mean they can't get into trouble.
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