The general alarm sounds at 0300 on a delivery with the owner family aboard. Everybody has a station on the muster list. Everybody except the two children in the VIP, because the muster list was written for adults. Nobody is named to carry them, nobody has a life jacket that fits them, and two crew end up doing the same job while nobody does another.
Children Belong on the Muster List
A child cannot muster themselves. Preparation means the paperwork already answers the question.
- The child is listed by name, cabin and age.
- A named crew member is allocated to collect and carry that child, with a named backup.
- The plan says where they are taken and who stays with them.
- It is briefed to the parents on arrival, in plain language.
If a child is aboard and not on the muster list, the muster list is wrong. Say so.
Life Jackets That Actually Fit
An adult life jacket on a child is not safety equipment; it is a hazard, because the child can slip straight out of the bottom of it.
| Requirement | Why |
|---|---|
| Sized by weight, not by guesswork | Buoyancy is calculated for a body |
| Crotch strap fitted and used | Stops it riding up over the head |
| Correct type for the water and use | Deck, tender and passage differ |
| In date, serviced, inflation checked | An unserviced jacket is decoration |
| Stowed where a crew member can grab them | Not buried in a lazarette |
Know the ages and weights of the children coming aboard before they arrive, and have the right jackets ready and fitted on day one.
The Paediatric-Appropriate Medical Locker
The ship medical stores are set by the flag state requirements for the vessel, and the yacht safety management system governs what is carried, how it is checked and who may use it.
- Checked against the required list, with expiry dates logged and rotated.
- Locked, and the key controlled. Children get into everything.
- Contents that are appropriate for the guests actually aboard, discussed with the captain and the medical person in advance.
- Nothing is administered to any child except by the designated medical person, on telemedical advice, with parental consent, and it is all recorded.
Being Ready Is Not the Same as Being Qualified
You can rig a perfect boat and still be useless in the moment. Equipment prepares the vessel. Only a practically assessed Paediatric First Aid course prepares you.
Onboard Notes
- Check the muster list for children this week. If they are not on it, escalate.
- Get the childrens weights from the guest preference sheet, and fit the jackets before they board.
- Confirm who checks the medical locker expiry dates, and when it was last done.
- Preparatory study only. Awareness, not first aid training. This course teaches no techniques and does not qualify you to treat a child. A current, practically assessed paediatric first aid certificate from an approved provider is required.