Well that is not useful, go down there some night and add cleats as needed.
Agreed. I've been tempted to do this in a few spots we like to tie up. In some cases it's lack of cleats, in some cases its the condition of the existing ones. I've often thought to myself "Who's
really going to come over and give me trouble as long as I do it properly?"
As far as boating with Little Ones goes, some advice from the guy with 4. (They are all old enough to handle themselves now but we've been boating since the eldest was 8 years old.)
1) Life Jackets, Life Jackets, Life Jackets, Life Jackets. This is done while parked to the side setting up the boat. The oldest is 20 now and we still insist on this. I put mine on too. You never know.
2) During the
entire launch phase, make sure they are away from the operation in a safe place. (Really, this should be true for any guests.) When they are particularly young, this does mean having other adult help along.
3) Do not allow kids in the boat or vehicle during the launch phase. I once re-entered my truck to pull it out of the water only to find that the transmission had been left
in reverse with my daughter strapped in a car-seat in the back. My entire world was saved by the fact that I am anal about maintaining and adjusting the parking brake on my vehicles. I think the chill from that one finally left my spine about a year ago.
4) Maintain and adjust the parking brake on your vehicles. (See
#3)
5) Bring along adult help when they are little. Not just for launch and recovery, but for the ride. There are other things that could go wrong that might demand your undivided attention. What happens to the Little One then?
6) Have a PLAN. There's a line in "The Hunt for Red October" where Admiral Thompson reminds Jack Ryan that "The Russians don't take a dump without having a plan." I tend to be that way naturally, but it's extra important when you've got kids along. Have the answer to "How will I handle x, y, or z happening?" in mind ahead of time.
