Harry Krause wrote:
TomC wrote:

http://yorkdailyrecord.com/newsfull/ci_5791744
Don't know all the particulars; apparently, a new inexperienced boat
owner
and passengers. How tragic. So, if somebody asks you if a boating
course is
necessary........
TomC



A rigorous boating safety/practical skills course, followed by an exam,
should be mandatory for anyone who wants to operate a boat.

Indeed - and certainly not one of those quickie one day courses some
organizations give, but the real thing like United States Power
Squadron's 8 week Boating course.

I still don't get it. To drive a car here in New York (and most places)
one must go through a hefty licensing procedure including classroom
training, on road training, a written test and a road test. To operate
a power boat, which is far more complicated than driving a car, all
anyone over 18 needs are the keys. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Congrats to New
Jersey, Connecticut and several other states that now require mandatory
boater education (although its too bad that they only require the basic
8 hour course - hardly enough). Now its time for all the other states
to jump in.

And to the old timers who say they've been boating all their lives and
don't need any safe boating course, and least take a NASBLA approved
test to see what you know/don't know. Hell, if you can spend 2 days
waxing your boat and every weekend off fishing, you can spend an hour to
take test. If you pass, great. If you fail, well, stop whining and
take the course.

Larry Weiss
"...Ever After!"

ps: Here's a test question a lot of stubborn old timers don't get: Are
there ever instances when a power boat has priority over a sail boat?
If so, what are they?