Without knowing this man personally, it would be impossible to ascertain whether he is the victim of bad luck, or simply incompetent. In life, there is luck, good and bad, but most reasonable and intelligent people do not factor it into their life's equation. However, there are many incompetent people on the
water today whose only ticket to
boating was a sufficient pocketbook to
purchase a
boat. I am continually amazed how many sailors/cruisers I have met that truly do not know how to sail their boats in all conditions, plot a fix or LOP on a nautical chart, take a bearing, factor set and drift, establish a running fix, or operate their vessels without a
GPS along a coast. Many do not have even the slightest idea how to operate or maintain the mechanics of a
boat where a
single breakdown becomes critical as we witnessed in a recent discussion about a boat in
Nassau. Competence and being well prepared for any contingency is the key factor and as Weyalan mentioned earlier, how many times should the taxpayer be responsible when a
rescue is effected multiple times endangering not only the life of the rescued but those of the rescuers as well?