I'm not damning Life jackets; I am damning stupid Laws that are written

without making good sense. Written without any real thought of being
enforced.


Of course, Thom, and the heat is a real factor just as important as any
other. Thomas will wear his harness in quiet conditions and NO
LIFEJACKET if Suzanne or I are with him on very hot days. He can't fall
off the boat with the harness and he could be hurt by the heat with a
jacket on, no doubt. We know someone that this happened to and Suzanne
says children are at a very high risk for heat stroke.
For Mooron and Bob to suggest a child needs to wear a PFD at all
times...it's not only ignorant, we've never observed anyone who does
that. It's just not possible, let alone smart.
But even on a hot day, if the boat is moving and has us working, he'll
need to wear the PFD. I have spoken to a LOT of parents about this and
in severe heat the PFD presents it's own dangers, which we'll limit
with good hydration for starters. The other thing we're being careful
with is sun exposure. We're trying to sail early in the day or in the
early evening. Until Thomas is older, we're making sailing the most
positive experience possible for him. So far, so good!


RB
35s5
NY