There is a story about two 14 years that are missing from a power boat They were last seen getting fuel and there was mention that they wanted to go to the Bahamas by some people that saw them. The boat showed up capsized (I think yesterday). I hope the kids are just being teenagers and made it to the Bahamas. How sad for the families.
I didn't grow up around boats or a boating community, so I'm not sure what is the norm. Maybe a dumb question, but you don't need a boating license to drive a boat right? Within the boating community is it the norm for teens to go out on their own?
I grew up on the water and 14 year olds out on a boat alone is maybe a little young but not so young it is way unusual. Though when I was in HS it wasn't heading for the bahamas it was staying on local rivers mostly.
My dad would let me and my boyfriend take out his little boat as teens but it was just on the river. Definitely not on a huge body of water and not in a boat that could really go anywhere. You didn't need any type of license at all back then but now you need a boating license in Ontario.
I don't think so, at least not in the way the media has presented the story (apparently one of the teens made some kind of comment via social media that they planned to go to the Bahamas). They found the boat 67(!) miles off shore, from Daytona.
The guy who sat directly in front of me in HS homeroom knows these kids/families. He is understandably distraught. I only can see his posts through friends of friends on FB, so I haven't been directly following it.
I don't think so, at least not in the way the media has presented the story (apparently one of the teens made some kind of comment via social media that they planned to go to the Bahamas). They found the boat 67(!) miles off shore, from Daytona.
The guy who sat directly in front of me in HS homeroom knows these kids/families. He is understandably distraught. I only can see his posts through friends of friends on FB, so I haven't been directly following it.
The distance is actually 77+ miles, as nautical miles are shorter.
It's more common than you might think, an organization I work closely with offers a safe boating class to the community and it's mostly teenagers hoping to get their boating licenses. Now, would I let my 14-year-old take a boat out to open water? Absolutely not. Unfortunately lots of people underestimate how risky it can be.
I live in the area where the boat was found and it is pretty normal for kids that age to go fishing like that. Being on the water is a huge way of life here. I have mutual friends of the families of the missing boys and, from what they've told me, these boys have a lot of experience being out on the water. The Bahamas thing isn't true, at least to the knowledge of the parents. There were bad storms that came through that day. The boat was missing at least one life jacket when found, so there is hope that they are floating out there and will be found soon.
You have to be 14 to get a boating license. These two kids have been boating with their families since they were infants and often took the boat out to go fishing. They were supposed to stay in the intercoastal.
So, to answer your question, it has a lot to do with the kids and growing up around boats/the water.
ETA: PDQ this story is local to me. We've had awful storms here daily since they went missing. I hope they are found safe.
“Life is not orderly. No matter how we try to make it so, right in the middle of it lose a leg, fall in love, drop a jar of applesauce.” - Natalie Goldberg
Post by jeaniebueller on Jul 27, 2015 9:05:53 GMT -5
I read that they were not supposed to go out on the ocean alone, so it sounds like they didn't have permission to do what they did. I could see allowing a responsible 14 year old to take a boat out on an inland lake for fishing, etc.
We live on the coast as well and teens have always been on boats growing up. But there is no way we were allowed off shore at that age. We had to stay in the intercoastal and rivers. Even the most knowledgeable boaters need to be careful in the rivers too, tides are tricky and the depth can vary so much you could find yourself beached or stranded easily. There have been a lot of missing boaters here recently. Boats are also notorious for breaking down. I think two 14yo is too young to be out alone with $100 in gas money and a day of fishing. They don't have the maturity or life experience to make the best decisions in a bad situation. Boats and open water deserve as much or more respect than a car and you can't drive a car at 14 (legally). I'm not blaming them but in answer to OP's question, it can be a normal occurrence but should come with restrictions as well. I really hope this story has a happy ending.
It is very regional and depends a great deal on the parents and how much experience their kids have.
I grew up around boats, and while there was no way I would have been allowed to have taken my Dad's fancy power boat out at that age alone, I regularly went out on the St. Lawrence in our sail boat with my younger brother and sister starting around age 14. This was in Prescott which is a really busy area of the waterway. We once got stuck on the American side by a wind change and my Dad had to cross the border to rescue us. Can you imagine telling a border guard now that you let your kids sail across and now they are stuck in the US? This stuff was so much easier pre 9/11.
Nowadays there are licenses required in Ontario, but back then it was just being introduced. I actually have no idea what the minimum age would be.
I will pray for those boys. I really hope they are found.
I think TR was just making a joke about boats guzzling gas which is true and also fuel docks are so much more expensive than gas stations, $110 doesn't seem like that much gas. I don't know what kind of boat it was but not enough to make it to the Bahamas from Florida. I hope those boys are found safe with life jackets on. I feel so awful for their families. When you grow up on the water I think it gives you a false sense of security when weather can just fuck you so quickly especially in open water.
Like I said, I'm not familiar with boating, so what do you mean they weren't allowed in open water? So they were only supposed to be in a lake or river, but they didn't follow the rules and went in to the ocean?
Like I said, I'm not familiar with boating, so what do you mean they weren't allowed in open water? So they were only supposed to be in a lake or river, but they didn't follow the rules and went in to the ocean?
Intercoastal or protected water is different than wide open ocean or gulf. We live on tampa bay (which feeds the gulf of mexico), but on a protected inlet for example. As a kid I boated around the intercoastal or stayed in marked channels close to the shore of the bay. I would not have gone out into the middle of the bay or out into the gulf of mexico.
I grew up on boats. My brother started taking us out to water ski when he was just a teenager. Open water was not allowed for us but teenagers often think they are invincible. My brother and his friend got into a lot of trouble once for taking the boat out to ski with just the two of them. You are supposed to have 3 on the boat, one in the water, one driving, and one watching the person in the water. My brother got his head split open by the knee board but his friend was able to pull him into the boat and drive him back to shore alone. My dad took away boat privileges for a long time after that.
Like I said, I'm not familiar with boating, so what do you mean they weren't allowed in open water? So they were only supposed to be in a lake or river, but they didn't follow the rules and went in to the ocean?
The open ocean. They were supposed to stay in the intercoastal, which is salt water, but calm waterways. There are a million calm places not in the open ocean to boat here.
“Life is not orderly. No matter how we try to make it so, right in the middle of it lose a leg, fall in love, drop a jar of applesauce.” - Natalie Goldberg
We used to take boats out to block island alone starting around 16 or 17 when I was in high school. Before that we would stay closer to shore. Living in a coastal area pretty much everyone had a boating license and most families were comfortable with it. I think it really depends on the experience of the teen and the parents comfort level.
I could take out our boat (similar to the one these kids were in) at 15. We live in Puget Sound, though, and my dad knew I wasn't going to go through the straits to open water. Sounds like these boys were well-equipped and capable, but maybe they didn't tell their parents their plans? I don't know. I hope they are found.
Post by chickadee77 on Jul 27, 2015 10:06:37 GMT -5
My H grew up being able to take the tender out on his own in the Bahamas around 8 years old or so, but he and his family spent lots of time on the water. I think I would be comfortable allowing it as a young teen, provided they had the skill, experience, and a good knowledge of basic survival skills.
Like I said, I'm not familiar with boating, so what do you mean they weren't allowed in open water? So they were only supposed to be in a lake or river, but they didn't follow the rules and went in to the ocean?
Intercoastal or protected water is different than wide open ocean or gulf. We live on tampa bay (which feeds the gulf of mexico), but on a protected inlet for example. As a kid I boated around the intercoastal or stayed in marked channels close to the shore of the bay. I would not have gone out into the middle of the bay or out into the gulf of mexico.
For example - this is an actuial picture of where I go saltwater boating with my H (we also boat in the river).
There is the intracoastal which is affected by the tides (and creates cool beaches when the tide is out!) and the inlet is there at the top. The inlet leads out to the sea. The Intracoastal is a very calm and fun place to boat - lots of fishing and beaching areas. It appears the guys were supposed to stay in an area like this and then they took off offshore.
Boating safety is a required part of the PE curriculum at my high school. A lot of kids growing up had their own john boats and would take boats out for fishing or watersports with friends. I think you had to be 14 or 15.
The family has updated and said that they think the kids used their cooler as a floatation device. It was not on the boat when it was recovered. Hoping for a miracle.