The process started when we bought the boat and realized that, despite her advantages in several areas, there were also deficiencies. The upper deck had wide railings that a child could easily fall through; the canvas had large opening panels amidships that posed another falling hazard; and the flying bridge had no door, meaning no containment.
GLEN JUSTICEThe custom-made baby gate makes managing kiddies much easier. Above, it is depicted at half mast. Inset, you see it full size.Our plan was to corral the children on the flying bridge, and that meant changes were required, starting with a door. The solution came from our dealer, who suggested that a thigh-high removable panel made of Starboard (a synthetic substitute for marine plywood) be added to the entry. They had built a similar device on another boat in order to imprison the owner's cat. The "door" drops into a pair of rails to create a barrier, or can be removed to open the walkway. Originally, the board was too high, requiring adults to vault over, but I took it home one weekend and cut it down. The result is a system that has worked wonderfully.
We also paid a canvas company to web in the railings on the top deck with a rigid, cloth-like material that would keep children safely on board. The material was set on metal frames, which were then attached to the stanchions and railings, screwed in some places and tied in others. Over time, the attachments have popped out in several places, requiring a larger screw and some sealant. It's a quick fix, but one of the projects on my list is to thru-bolt the frames or rig a new mounting system. Overall, however, this system works well too.
Even with these improvements, it is important to be mindful of what we place on deck. Coolers, deck chairs or other pieces of large gear can be climbed, rendering any barrier useless.
As to the canvas panels amidships, we looked into having changes made and decided against it. The work was expensive and the resulting design was not ideal. Instead, we keep the panels closed when children are on the bridge. When we do open them, an adult is appointed to stand guard.
There are some things on every boat you simply have to live with.
PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION
Of course, that was just the beginning. Many changes have been made since then, some useful and some not, as we have confronted new issues. Milo is growing (he is now 3) and our second son, Emmett, arrived in December. The move from one child to two, as well as the constant evolution in their abilities to walk, run, climb, vault, throw and sometimes fly, has taught us that childproofing is a process. Think progress, not perfection.
Generally speaking, my wife and I prefer to go out with crew aboard, either grandparents or another couple, who can help with the children while we run the boat. But there are weekends when we go out by ourselves, and so I began to think about configuring the boat to facilitate these trips. My goal was to be able to safely leave the helm for brief periods – a minute or two – in order to help with the kids.
GLEN JUSTICEA Raymarine ST60 is used as a large depth display, allowing the author to engage the autopilot and help with the children for brief periods, while still keeping an eye on things.
Oddly enough, three changes that have worked well came in the area of marine electronics. The autopilot is the primary tool, and that came with the boat and works well. But I developed a list of several other items that could add to our safety and flexibility. After much thought, reading and consultation, I eventually got out my credit card.
Most of our water time takes place on the Chesapeake Bay, where extremely shallow water is common, and so the first addition on my list was a depth display large enough to be seen from the back of the flying bridge. This would allow me to step away from the helm with the autopilot engaged and still keep an eye on depth.
The solution came in the form of a Raymarine ST60, a lighted display unit capable of showing a variety of data, that was easily wired into the suite of Raymarine gear that came with the boat. The unit has worked perfectly.
We also decided to make some improvements to the lower helm station, so that I could steer from the cabin when the need arose. Again, the idea was to be able to help with the children on an isolated basis while continuing to pilot the boat safely.
Anonymous Source came with a fully-developed lower helm – including controls for the bow thruster – but it had no plotter or instrumentation. To address this, we added a Raymarine C-80 multi-function display, which provides navigation, depth and weather information – everything but radar. I agonized over whether to upgrade to Raymarine's E Series, which has better networking capabilities, but I ultimately opted to save money. By adding the GPS puck and transducer necessary to provide information to the new C-80 display, we now have a system that allows me to pilot from the cabin for loner periods, and it serves as a redundant backup to the equipment upstairs.
BETTER COMMUNICATION
Another handy item has been a VHF radio equipped with an intercom function, which allows people on the flying bridge to communicate with folks in the cabin.
