[YachtForums]

While doing a mailer on the PC-58 this week, a member dropped me a note...

Hey Carl,

Nice site, I enjoy checking out the new boats. Did want to point out that the model in picture # 5 in the Horizon PC-58 piece with her feet hanging over the bow is not only illegal, but if she fell overboard the lawyers would have a field day. Not to mention she would have a bad day too! Gotta watch the folks that aren't boaters .....

Otherwise, keep up the good work,

I replied with...

Yes, it's illegal for tootsies to dangle here, but I don't know about other countries? These pics were taken in the Bahamas.

Take care...

Looking for collective - worldwide - wisdom...?

[AlfredZ]

I was not aware this is illegal, yet, I have never seen anyone dangling feet off the bow while underway, I have seen done from side deck and even the stern, which made me think of a new advantage of the PC-58, which is the ability of easily with no bulwarks giving you hard time!

A correction for the email you got: if she fell overboard she will not have a day at all!

Interesting post.

Thanks.

[AMG]

Here it is not illegal, just plain stupid. These guys took the prize last summer...

[Capt J]

Here in Florida it is indeed illegal. I forget the statute that they use for it.....could look it up if you're really interested.

[maldwin]

This is the type of behavior the Darwin Award was invented for!
Best,
Maldwin

[Kafue]

I believe it is illlegal Downunder, but we see it almost every time we are out on the weekends. Sadly, it is mainly kids on the bow, while the idiot father is steering.
As for the professionals doing it, a while ago a skipper of a whale watching boat crossed the Gold Coast Seaway with the bow crammed with tourists. The result was almost tragic.

Eleven people injured as wave crashes into whale-watch boat | The Courier-Mail

[RT46]

I have a lot of time on the water going back to the 70's

my sea time includes, lakes, bays, oceans, offshore, sailing, power, live aboard, and even some commercial fishing,

I did not know that hanging your feet over the bow of a moving boat was illegial.
I thought it was just WRONG and something i would never allow.

If you or a passenger ends up in the water from the front of a moving boat your chances of serious injury or death are very likely.

As a kid I can remember the daughter of the owner of the Famous restaurant "Louies" in Manhasset Bay was killed or seriously injured in a fall off the front of a moving boat.

Please do not engage in allowing people to hang their feet over the front of any moving boat weather it is illegal or not.

[weto]

My cousin will testify as to how dangerous this is. He has scars starting at the top of his head, face , torso down to his ankles from the prop on a runabout. He was siiting on the bow and of course the boat hit a wave and he went in and under the boat. Very lucky to be alive and scarred for life.

[PropBet]

I on the other hand go against the grain in these situations. I don't believe there should be laws to prevent stupidity. I'm a firm believer of natural selection. Evolution happens for a reason.

[kkreicker1]

Don’t we all do things that might not be 100% with the law? I know that I have maybe had one to many glasses of wine with dinner and drove home. As every smart boat owner knows… Use your head.

The Horizon picture is a marketing shot showing the room that the twin bows have to offer a prospect customer. Right or Wrong… How is this relevant?

Any who… Happy Boating and be careful here in the USA. For it is “operation dry water”.

Cheers,

Keith

[jaycall]

I also did not know that was illegal. I can remember a lot of years ago, in Wrightsville Beach, NC, watching a small boat with 4-5 people sitting on the bow. The channel required a wide sweeping left turn to avoid a sand bank. This gy headed straight across the bank at about 30 knots, hit the bank and all 4-5 went in headfirst! Fortunately no one hurt. I tend to agree that you can't legislate stupidity.

[Telemachus]

Originally Posted by jaycall

I also did not know that was illegal. I can remember a lot of years ago, in Wrightsville Beach, NC, watching a small boat with 4-5 people sitting on the bow. The channel required a wide sweeping left turn to avoid a sand bank. This gy headed straight across the bank at about 30 knots, hit the bank and all 4-5 went in headfirst! Fortunately no one hurt. I tend to agree that you can't legislate stupidity.

Au contraire. Congress legislates stupidity all the time; it's intelligence that can't be legislated.

[Hattsoff]

Originally Posted by PropBet

I on the other hand go against the grain in these situations. I don't believe there should be laws to prevent stupidity. I'm a firm believer of natural selection. Evolution happens for a reason.

I tend to agree with you on this.

In IL on Lake MI it is Illegal to have limbs over the bow while underway. To me this is common sense but it never seizes to amaze me how many people I see underway on the lake or even the Chicago river (which can be very busy) with kids hanging over the bow. Crazy. It takes every fiber in my body to not call out to the captain (this person shouldn't even be called a captain) and point out what a moron he is.

[Marblehead01945]

Originally Posted by PropBet

I on the other hand go against the grain in these situations. I don't believe there should be laws to prevent stupidity. I'm a firm believer of natural selection. Evolution happens for a reason.

Until they become a ward of the state when they get hurt and our rising healthcare costs and taxes end up paying for their recovery (or not).

[Kafue]

Unfortunately the stupidity is usually not by the persons on the sitting on the bow as they generally are children.