Why is it illegal to sit in the transom seats underway in a jet boat?

[F.M.]

Or you end up in the ER, cost hundreds of thousands to keep alive, then ship you off to a nursing home and all of that forces all of our insurance rates up. So its not just about being a nanny state, its about saving all of us money. Money is of course the root of all evil....including government regulation!

Just for the record, I don't allow my children to ride in the back of my or anyone else's truck.

 

[Dan_NC]

I always assumed places that outlaw wake surfing was due to the erosion, among other issues, that big wakes usually cause. Not to mention, wake surfing can be a real menace when at anchor in a quiet cove and that is all too tempting for someone to make a pass through.

 

[Dan_NC]

Or you end up in the ER, cost hundreds of thousands to keep alive, then ship you off to a nursing home and all of that forces all of our insurance rates up. So its not just about being a nanny state, its about saving all of us money. Money is of course the root of all evil....including government regulation!

I could make a very valid argument to the contrary, but out of respect to @Julian, Jetboaters.net, and my fellow Yamaha fans, I will pass this one up. I'd rather see everyone on the water and hope that everyone has a safe upcoming boating season. The information of CO is much appreciated, always a good reminder that any toy can be a recipe for disaster.

 

[Canuckjetboater]

They must never ride on the back of a dive boat.. I think more exhaust gets pulled into the passenger area than doesn't.

@ifly4fun .....oh man if you really want to get nauseated just ride the back 10 feet or so of a diesel dive boat. The back-drafted diesel fumes (+CO) will make anyone ill! BTW .....well known fact that cruisers 30 feet+ back-draft CO as well as the tell tale fumes. On time at the helm I felt really drowsy then my CO monitors went off . I was doing 30 mph in a big cruiser. I asked the Admiral to take the helm, about 5 minutes later I felt really nauseated and this from a guy who can stand on a dive boat rocking from all directions and not get ill.

 

[Sbrown]

The easiest way I know of to check for back draft is to place a smaller flag in a temporary stand on your swim deck and then drive your boat at various speeds. If the flag starts pointing forward, instead of to the rear, there's your backdraft. For the record this usually occurs more on boats with enclosed cockpits, less so on boats like ours. Not that its impossible, just not super common.

 

[Julian]

Another example:

www.hccommunityjournal.com/tncms/asset/editorial/2c3903cc-f1fb-11ea-9314-0f8c02b6e971

 

[drewkaree]

another another issue to think of, that we don't consider, is the danger of a prop if someone were to fall off the back of your boat. around me, often times I see pontoon boats being pulled over because they are allowing the kids to either sit back there or aren't paying attention to what their kids are doing, and they are way in the back. Depending on the placement of your motor, you may never have an issue with someone falling overboard, but with some of the newer placements, you wouldn't be able to get your hand on the throttle or turn the key off before you amputated or potentially kill someone

 

[Nordicron]

GREAT question! Its all about $, if there werent regulations then the water patrol wouldnt be able to write tickets! No reason people shouldnt be able to sit on the back of these jet boats as well as many other wakeboats specially those with fresh air exhaust style systems when surfing or even when pulling someone as your supposed to be watching skiers anyway. Outdoor environment with how these motors exhaust into the jet wash there is very little concern for CO and even less for falling off and hitting head. I think the way the law reads in WIS is people must be fully inside the boat, so all those boats with transom seating would be illegal to sit in when underway.

 

[Babin Farms]

GREAT question! Its all about $, if there werent regulations then the water patrol wouldnt be able to write tickets! No reason people shouldnt be able to sit on the back of these jet boats as well as many other wakeboats specially those with fresh air exhaust style systems when surfing or even when pulling someone as your supposed to be watching skiers anyway. Outdoor environment with how these motors exhaust into the jet wash there is very little concern for CO and even less for falling off and hitting head. I think the way the law reads in WIS is people must be fully inside the boat, so all those boats with transom seating would be illegal to sit in when underway.

You might want to read this thread and articles on the subject. When I have been on the swim deck diagnosing something while underway I can smell the exhaust .

https://jetboaters.net/threads/riding-on-the-back-of-the-boat.30029/#post-488120

 

[Nordicron]

You might want to read this thread and articles on the subject. When I have been on the swim deck diagnosing something while underway I can smell the exhaust .

https://jetboaters.net/threads/riding-on-the-back-of-the-boat.30029/#post-488120

this article is somewhat a different animal, sounds like this kid was in the boat. so my post in that thread.

 

[Farny]

Former Kerrville resident shares story of 9-year-old son’s death as warning

Cassandra Free, who was a Kerrville resident and a coach at Tivy High School, is living in Broken Arrow, Okla., now. And her family recently suffered one of the worst

www.hccommunityjournal.com

CO2 can be deadly - err on side of caution

 

[HangOutdoors]

@Nordicron Couldn't agree with you less. It's not all about the $'s. There are CO fumes back there on the jet boats as well as many other boats to a lesser degree and to a larger one depending on condition of the boat. There is no way I would allow my kids, family or anyone else ride back there.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Former Kerrville resident shares story of 9-year-old son’s death as warning

Cassandra Free, who was a Kerrville resident and a coach at Tivy High School, is living in Broken Arrow, Okla., now. And her family recently suffered one of the worst

www.hccommunityjournal.com

CO2 can be deadly - err on side of caution

Pretty sad and powerful article of the danger that could arise.

 

[Sbrown]

Pretty sad and powerful article of the danger that could arise.

OK, so that kid wasn't riding on the back of the boat, he was IN the boat in the backseat. So now what? Don't allow anybody to ride in the backseat while underway?

 

[Beachbummer]

Maybe we need a CO detector in the boat? I have two in my house since I have a gas furnace, It couldn't hurt.

 

[Farny]

Thinking it’s something that the boat engineer/designers should address somehow. Some modification. May be rare In occurrence, but one lost is one too many.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@Beachbummer I was thinking that. Put one one transom and one in the back cockpit. Would be an easy mod, something digital with adjustable alarm.

@Sbrown Its not about allow, its about being safe. If it was in the backseat, that the article suggests, then there may be a bigger problem. What if he was on the platform, or hanging over the back of the boat, etc. Which would of been illegal, potentially, and who knows if the parents would of indicated that which would most likely be negligence and prosecution. Who knows.

The bottom line is the it was CO poisoning from somewhere in the back of the boat. I am not interested in what the law indicates I can and cannot do, there are many things I can do that are legal that are pretty stupid and dangerous. I am more concerned about safety and things I can do to prevent/mitigate such a tragedy.

 

[ripler]

The boat I am in the process of buying has an engine that burns clean enough that there's no need for a fresh air exhaust, in fact they void the warranty if installed.

 

[Babin Farms]

Carbon Monoxide

 

[AZMark]

Thinking it’s something that the boat engineer/designers should address somehow. Some modification. May be rare In occurrence, but one lost is one too many.

These boats should have the exhaust pipe that extends back and down like the surf boats. It would probably make them quieter as well, those exhaust outlets are totally out of the water when we're on plane.