Maritime_Eng

Attached is a picture of the back seat in my 30 Motion. What we have learned over the years is that to keep someone in the rear seat of a 30ft cat it takes 3 things:

1) Foot rests- To push you body into the seat slightly and keeps your feet from flying around
2) Handles- Helps keep the person from moving side to side.
3) Velco Seat Beats- Just added security incase someone is not paying attention when the boat moves suddenly.

Twin O/B Sonic

velcro the idea. Can think of other ways to use it w/her as well
I do understand the speeds of many of the poker run boats. I read some where on here that there is only ONE offshore race boat faster than all of the poker run boats Think about that for a minute.
Even belted in it scares me silly. I've followed the dunk testing required by the APBA (and all reputable sanctioning bodies) and in a controlled environment (pool!), w/heated, clean, freshwater it's still enough to freak some people out. Now do it for real and hope your concious when the boat stops moving, you know which way is up, not tangled in rigging, can get rest of crew etc, etc.
And then if theres no one there to help you......
It happens so much faster than most know. I was at an event a few yrs back for the clip on group when there was a fatality.
We were on scene within mins, probably 100+ observers were ON scene, on the shore line and in boats both, within 30 yds of incident. Driver was not wearing a vest and hit the water @ approx. 100. I had friends in water, instantly and could not find him. They didn't find his body until 2 wks later!
Oh yeah, he had his girlfriend in the boat showing off just prior to accident when she made him drop her off.
She stood on the shore line and watched him kill him self seconds later. I helped prep his boat for the ride home after the fact w/the rest of the rescue team.
It only takes a second to turn yours and someone elses lives upside down.

bulletbob

I was at the FPC dinner in Destin last year talking to Keith with a 40 Skater and he put it in perspective for me. The canopies only protect the driver and co-pilot. At the speeds these boats run anyone in the back seat would be crushed in a stuff. I still feel safer in a cat at 160 than on the highway, in traffic, on my Harley. It used to be every 5th time I went for a ride somone would pull out in front of me or merge into me. Now with cell phones the frequency is up to 50%. I quit boating and riding at night anymore. I've been riding motorcycles on the street for 20 yrs and have never, nock on wood, had to lay it down. I hope none of you do either.

ROTAX454

1) Foot rests- To push you body into the seat slightly and keeps your feet from flying around
2) Handles- Helps keep the person from moving side to side.
3) Velco Seat Beats- Just added security incase someone is not paying attention when the boat moves suddenly.[/QUOTE]

Don, You and I have exchanged information on this subject in the past. Again, nice job in the area of passenger restraint. Question: Where did you get those nice footrests? Wish I had that much room behind the front seats as you do. Richard

thirdchildhood

iTrader: (6)

I have to disagree with the pleasure boat comment too. We are driving boats over 80 mph and stuff can happen. Who hasn't hit a giant cruiser wake or rogue wave that you simply could not see in time to take on properly? Now, that said, you definitely don't want to be strapped in if you capsize. That would be a recipe for a broken neck. You want to fly free of the boat, your tether killing the engine, your vest providing some impact protection and keeping you afloat. Hopefully you will not be injured during the ejection and you will skip across the water and be OK. I go through a routine every time I have a new guest and we are running the big water. I make sure everyone holds on and discuss procedure if the unthinkable should happen which is for the uninjured or minimally injured to immediately check on everyone else and render aid to anyone who might need it. Then someone can swim into the boat and get the waterproof box of emergency gear and hand held vhf and gps and cell phones. No seat belts!!

edit: I guess the velcro seatbelts would be OK but I personally would not want them.

Maritime_Eng

Don, You and I have exchanged information on this subject in the past. Again, nice job in the area of passenger restraint. Question: Where did you get those nice footrests? Wish I had that much room behind the front seats as you do. Richard[/QUOTE]

Hi Richard-

I actually made the footrests. The tops are battery box tops, with machined aluminum extensions and stainless steel bow rail supports. they work great and very easy to make.

Tom A.

Having a Comp, I am blessed with awesome wraparound bolster seats, footrests and grab handles for all passengers. Everyone says the same thing after a ride in my boat, "that was the most comfortable, most secure back seat I have ever ridden in".

That said, I really like the idea of a velcro lap belt in many applications. It will break away in extreme conditions but keep you in place for some of those negative G moments that can get scary.

Case in Point:
Last year at the Miami Boat Show, I went for a ride on a big cat with a very knowledgeable driver. We ran 140+ around Biscayne Bay and it was great. As we were cruising through the channel (50+/-mph) we hit a large wake at the same time the driver had turned to talk to his co-pilot. The boat hit the first wave no problem but it double popped (for lack of a better term) off the second wave creating a serious negative G situation. All three of us in the back seat popped up out of them. I was higher then the windscreen holding on by one hand, my wife was doing the same thing and my friend next to her who wasn't holding on ended up six feet in the air, landing on her and bruising his ribs. Had he gone the other way, he was out of the boat.
I would not want to be strapped in with harnesses but I like the idea of a positioning belt if you will.

Skater30

Speaking from experience, I would not change my velcro lap belt/Sparco style race seat setup in my open cockpit Skater for anything. As everyone knows, I have been over with this setup, and found it to be the safest way to be in the boat when things go wrong. The belts keep you securely in your seat, down in the boat where it is safest, and then when it is time to get out and get to the surface it is not a problem with the easily releasable velcro closure. The only time this would definetly be a disadvantage is if you are knocked unconscious, which if that happens - wether you are belted in or free in your seat - you're chances for survival would be slim to none.

bulletbob

Thanks for the pixs guys.

zzzzzz

Don't worry pretty soon some legislator will try to make it MANDATORY that every boat has belt's. for 2 reasons. anonther excuse to get pulled over to check for "other" things and another way to extract more money out of OUR pockets.