[sailorman_10]

I agree with Argos2020. I had my kids rock climbing, swimming, diving, hiking, etc.. as soon as they were physically able to do it. Much to the chagrin of some of my more cautious family. None were hurt and their confidence level was greatly enhanced in the process. Plus, they had some great stories to tell their friends. My grandson began sailing with me when he was 2 yrs old. He has been taught from the beginning that he has to comply with certain rules when on the boat. 1)always wear a PFD. 2) always be harnessed while in the cockpit. 3) never go forward without an adult. Now, as he and I often sail by ourselves, at times, I have to concentrate 100% on a critical task such as reefing or unreefing, docking under power or sail, anchoring or setting sail. When doing this, he has a place, in the cabin sitting down until I call him back out. This way, I don''t have to worry about him and I can focus on the task at hand. We have to teach our kids how to behave in certain situations. They are put in dangerous situations just by riding in the car. The boat is no more dangerous if they are trained for appropriate behavior. You wouldn''t allow your childern to be jumping around in the car while driving down the road. It took several outings to teach Josh how to behave and I didn''t take him out alone until he learned how. I think any age is ok as long as there is ample crew deal with the situation.