Would mandatory licensing change things?

[transmitterdan]

Originally Posted by newhaul

you would think so but there was a death this weekend in quartermaster harbor this past weekend . Unlicensed operator ( required here for over 10 hp ) hit an anchored vessel .

The operator was ejected from the vessel and drowned the anchored vessel ( in a marked anchorage ) was thankfully unoccupied at the time.

What possible training could avoid this accident? Was it a dark moonless night? Alcohol involved? I feel terrible for this person’s family of course.

We get a few deaths each season from lack of PFDs coupled with alcohol. But tend to doubt training can fix stupid.

[wtmf]

you are suppose to have a license to get married and you see how well that works, 50% divorce rate. I agree with Siamese, more government doing something badly, NO THANKS. If you think about it you need a license to "drive" and many people can't even park a car. read the 4th Admenment to the CONSTITUTION, it says no one shall be deprived of life, LIBERTY, or property without out due process. LIBERTY means unrestrained movement. If you have to ask then you are not free, if you need "permission" you are not free.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

What possible training could avoid this accident? Was it a dark moonless night? Alcohol involved? I feel terrible for this person’s family of course.

We get a few deaths each season from lack of PFDs coupled with alcohol. But tend to doubt training can fix stupid.

training that would have mitigated this accident first and foremost it's against the law to operate a vessel drunk secondly not good practice to go through a marked and well known ( locally ) anchorage at night at high speed .
https://www.vashonbeachcomber.com/ne...-dockton-park/

This article has pictures.

https://q13fox.com/2019/04/01/1-kill...vashon-island/

[CSY Man]

I am all for required licensing in the US, and especially Florida.
If a license requirement would get half the idiots off the water it would be worth the cost and hardship and save many lifes.
The marine industry however are opposed to it and keep lobbying to let anybody buy big and fast boat and let them run anytime and anywhere, it is after all good for business and the Almighty $$ Rules over safety and over common sense. Amen.

[donradcliffe]

I have a shiny new California Boater Card. I took the online test, and it required me to wait for a timer at each step in a repetitious learning process, so it took me about 5 hours.

What did I learn in 5 hours?

1. You can't legally operate a jet ski at night, even if it has running lights.
2. You don't need the card if you rent a boat!

[sailorboy1]

I would support some basic licensing for boats!!!!!!

It’s useless to try to talk around the good for doing it.

[transmitterdan]

Originally Posted by newhaul

training that would have mitigated this accident first and foremost it's against the law to operate a vessel drunk secondly not good practice to go through a marked and well known ( locally ) anchorage at night at high speed .

https://www.vashonbeachcomber.com/ne...-dockton-park/



This article has pictures.



https://q13fox.com/2019/04/01/1-kill...vashon-island/

I don’t know whether alcohol played a role or not. But the unfortunate person was reported to be an experienced boater and diesel mechanic. Surely living on an island his whole life he would have picked up on the concept of not driving/boating drunk. It’s hard to see how a license can correct such a lapse in judgement.

Again, very sorry for this person’s family. They are obviously heartbroken. What a shame to lose a family member so young.

[Bean Counter]

USCG `reports for interest Sailboats are not a big contributor to fatalities. Total deaths in 2017 were 658, of these 18 were on sailboats (2.7%) across 12 million registered recreational vessels.(Vs 38k people killed in motor vehicles with 270m vehicles.
https://www.uscgboating.org/library/...stics-2017.pdf


Look at p47 for boater education stats

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Bean Counter

USCG `reports for interest Sailboats are not a big contributor to fatalities. Total deaths in 2017 were 658, of these 18 were on sailboats (2.7%) across 12 million registered recreational vessels.(Vs 38k people killed in motor vehicles with 270m vehicles.
https://www.uscgboating.org/library/...stics-2017.pdf

Look at p47 for boater education stats

Exactly. It’s an insignificant problem for sailboats, and even less so if you consider cruising level boats: 6 deaths.

The single largest problem types of boats are small open powerboats: 305 deaths.

Followed by kayaks: 94 deaths,
And then personal watercraft: 46 deaths.

As I recall, the political impetus for Canada’s licensing system came in response to a perceived problem with operators of personal water craft. But to make it “fair” it was applied to all operators of boats over a certain power threshold.

I guess I agree with with you Macblaze, it’s better than nothing. For a boater with little or no real knowledge, it probably helps. But personally I’d rather see a more targeted license system with high requirements, aimed at the problem areas.

[Pelagic]

I honesty don't know what those who are negative about some form of mandatory pleasure boating safety education are afraid of?

We are not talking about anything more than a primer on safe operating guidelines

An ilustrated booklet that can be read in a few days similar to a First Aid and CPR course followed up by a multiple choice test of each section.

COLREGS
MARINE EMERGENCIES
RADIO PROCEDURES
CHART READING
SAFE SPEED
MARINE WEATHER WARNINGS
Etc...etc..

Completion does not give you a license, but the privilege to operate a boat near others.

[conachair]

Would mandatory licensing change things?
Hard to tell.... Might be overridden by cultural influences.
For instance the uk has basically no requirements whatsoever under a certain size, win the lottery, buy a boat and off you go sailing. Yet by and large the level of seamanship is quite high with a long tradition of unenforced education and a multitude of often small self help type sailing clubs and a certain pride taken in knowing what you are doing. Still numpties about but generally most people know what they are doing. Possibly partly driven by being often a tough neck of the woods to sail with big tides, loads of traffic and often nasty weather. Actually generally in northern Europe people seem pretty good.
Head to other parts of the world where licensing is compulsory and it's fairly clear a lot of people on the water really could do with brushing up a bit........

[CatNewBee]

In many countries there is mandatory licensing for (recreational) vessel with an engine over 11,03 kW / 15hp.

But it does not matter if you have a license or not, the COLREG's apply to everybody on the water and you have to respect them.

For bicycles there is no licensing on the streets, but you have to respect the rules of the road when riding with the traffic.

[Island Time O25]

First comes mandatory licensing, then mandatory insurance, then insurance companies find more excuses not to pay claims yet still collecting hefty now mandatory premiums. And it's all for our own good. The more things change...

[CatNewBee]

Insurance is in some waters and in many marinas mandatory already.

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

Insurance is in some waters and in many marinas mandatory already.

As long as it's not mandatory in all waters and marinas there is a choice and that acts as a brake on its cost. Remove the choice across the board and see the rates skyrocket.

NH never had mandatory auto insurance (dont know if it is still the case). MA had it for decades. As a result NH rates were on the average 1/3 to 1/2 of MA's rates. I recall a friend there paying $350/yr vs me paying $700/yr in MA for an older vehicle.