Boat hire in Rhodes - should I??

[blinder]

I’m thinking of hiring a boat for the day in Rhodes. It’s possibly a stupid and risky thing to do, or I’m over-anxious. I can’t work out which.
risks:
I would be the only adult
I am not 100% certain that my 12 yo daughter can reliably tread water
I have never been alone on a boat before and never driven a boat

safety:
the boat hire people give you full training
there are life jackets
even without life jackets, we both have personal life buoys that we can use to snorkel safely
How difficult can it be?

Please, if you’ve rented a boat on a Greek island, tell me how to risk assess this.

I did this and loved it. It was very easy and they rent them out all the time to people who are new to it.

I came back and did an RYA powerboat 2 course and then also sailing competent crew and dayskipper qualifications. We’ve since hired boats all over so be warned it can be addictive!

Have fun!

Your name checks out @SaltySeaBird! thank you for the encouragement. I’m watching YouTube boating videos!

Oh just do it. You're staying near the shoreline, there'll be plenty of folk about and it's a small sailing boat.

Sometimes you actually have to live your life and do fun stuff

urkkkkk I'm torn!

We have lots of experience in motor boats in corfu, and my kids have both done a course to be able to drive, which they did at about 14 I think. It was a full day's course, and covered all sorts as well as the simple driving - dealing with problems, safe mooring etc. I would be interested in how long you are going to get as a briefing!

We've also taken a simple boat out on the broads with a short lesson, but that's very different to the sea. Greek waters can be busy, and not everyone knows what they are doing!

I'm pretty adventurous but even I wouldn't consider this. Can you get an experienced skipper for the boat which would give you all of the fun and less of the worry?
Whatever you decide to do remember to make sure there's a ladder available to get back on the boat after swimming! It may be an urban legend but no way would I want to be bobbing in the sea until dying of exhaustion because I forget to lower the ladder before swimming!

This sounds really pretty risky to me. Why not do a half day organised.boat trip with swimming spots instead.

There is a ladder. Push button ignition. Easy to use anchor with prescribed spots to stop and swim. Hundreds of these get rented every day in Greece.
Lots of people commenting with a ‘no’ here have never done it, but I did ask for the opinions of people who have done this. Every single review on Google indicates that it’s safe and fun.
I’m torn too, but I will be putting more store in the informed opinions tbh. The busyness is a worry. I don’t fancy being crashed into.

I can't believe how risk averse some people are.

As a seasoned sailor 45 years I can't believe how folks don't understand that abroad there is less protection. The boats aren't inspected regularly, there's no RNLI no guard boats

Every single review on Google indicates that it’s safe and fun.

Dead people can't leave reviews.

Yeh, it's just drowning at sea, no big deal.

So people who rent a boat in Greece either think it’s great fun and very safe or they are dead. Righto.

i don’t want to take any unnecessary risks but driving to the airport will probably be the most dangerous thing we will do, won’t it? I would like my dd to grow up with a sense of adventure and confidence.

Some comments here have been reasonable and helpful - checking that I can start the engine, drop anchor, and climb into the boat are good tips. Apparently they do cover this in detail and ensure you can do this before you leave the bay. Getting easily navigable charts (I went for the savvy navvy app) is a good plan. Also, I plan to check the weather carefully, avoid other boats, and stay close enough to shore without running aground. I’ll make sure I can easily contact the company in an emergency. We will wear life jackets and the boats are equipped with GPS trackers.

I think that obviously accidents can happen anywhere but probably more likely on the road. I agree @Skelligsfeathers that lots of people are risk averse here. But I have a clearer sense of the risks and how to manage them now - thank you all.

I would never EVER rent a quad abroad, however, and I say that as someone with a quad licence!

Is it an outboard motor? If so does it have a Kill Cord? If you dont understend what that is and why you need one dont do it. Ribs without one are just a big killing machine.

Do you understand the difference between a buoyancy aid and a lifejacket? Will it hold your head out of water if you are unconscious? Have they been inspected? Especially the gas bottle type.

Google RYA Power Course and attend one.

Two adults on board would be entirely different. I can't believe anyone would put their kids at risk like this.

We’ve done these as a family a number of times. All great fun. They give you a clearly marked map tell you where to go/not to go, life jackets etc anchors easy to handle (they can drag though) I’m sorry I wouldn’t do it without another adult either.

My extra point is climbing back into the boat in deep water isn’t easy- the ladder starts quite high up so you have to use upper body to pull yourself up. I’m slightly overweight and always knew I had an adult to yank me out and laugh about it. If I’d been on my own I would have been panicked and day spoilt.

We never pre booked our boats from uk and always checked weather before we booked a day or two ahead once we were there. If you make a pal on holiday you could always ask them to share with you?

It might be worth also considering how well the boats are maintained, how you'd be rescued, how long it would take to get emergency treatment & what sort of emergency care would be available to you in the event of something going wrong.

Yes it has a kill switch and I plan on being hooked to it.
Yes I know the difference between a buoyancy aid and a life jacket. They are not inflatable.
jeeeez

@scothols apparently the ladders go quite low into the water but this is something I will definitely need to check, thank you. I’ve climbed up into a boat before and I well remember the feeling of the weight as I left the water!

Unless this is a joke, you don't know the difference between a buoyancy aid and a life jacket.

A bit of a red herring possibly, as many non boat people wouldn't, and that's fine. But they aren't planning on doing what you're doing.

I am not risk averse. I said upthread that I have rented a boat in the Med with my qualified husband. Having done it, I still wouldn't do it alone. And because of different sea experience (not powerboats) I know a lot about the sea, charts, coastal navigation, can use a radio, give positions, sea survival, all that jazz. So literally the only bit I'd not know would be the boat handling. I would be starting with a lot more knowledge than you, and I still wouldn't do it.

Lots of personal will have done it and had a great time, but they were lucky. Accept that a situation could happen which is beyond your ability to get out of. If you still want to do it, do it and hope it works out. But accept that it is a risk.

I DO know the differences between a buoyancy aid and a life jacket. Why wouldn’t I?? The company has 100N life jackets, not inflatable gas ones. Wtf. So many assumptions being made about me.

I understand that you wouldn’t do it, thank you. I am weighing up the risks. Genuinely, what is it that you are afraid would happen?

These reviews suggest that it’s very safe…

If you are renting a boat with a propeller with zero experience, so are lots of other people. So if you and your daughter are in the water who will be spotting for you in case another boat doesn’t see you/comes in too close/too quick?
no matter how cautious you are, there may be lots of less cautious/drunk/jet ski drivers around. Stick to snorkelling inside a swim zone, you’re almost invisible without floats etc and even the. Relying on someone being in enough control to see and avoid in good time

@SUPsUP well, that’s a very good point thank you.