Scotty & Jacques,
I've been following this thread for some time. At this juncture I think you
have hit a nodal point.

While I very much agree that while some regulation is good, a LOT is not
necessarily better; how do you 'regulate' the 'buyer'?

Lets leave the 'diminished capacity by self-applied substances' factors out,
and focus on the basic stupidity of actions we've probably all seen;
- a 'typical' small Aluminum 'jon boat' {12 to 15 feet}, built by a well
known manufacturer, with all the attendant safety and 'anti-litigation'
items included in it's design, construction, and labeling. It is out on a
large, active river {the Delaware, in this case}. Maybe a 10hp o/b and the
following 'cargo' . . . 4 adults plus 4 children plus various hampers &
coolers . . . NOT a single PFD in evidence . . . freeboard about 6 inches.

- a small 'runabout' {15 to 17 feet} with o/b, the same active river
[Tugs/Towboats {with & without barges}, freighters, tankers, & large wake
throwing powerboats], with NO anchor, radio, 'cell phone', reserve fuel.
Adrift, trying to 'flag down' a small sailboat to 'call their friends'
because they are in trouble.

I have no idea what happened to these people . . . hopefully they all
survived. The individual with the "$100,000.oo high-speed powerboat" that
was running at night, wide open with his young child driving, when he ran
DIRECTLY into an ILLUMINATED channel marker post, did not. What IS certain,
is that the design & materials of the boats they were in had NOTHING to do
with THEIR circumstances.

'Natural Selection' is the concept of the 'Annual Darwin Awards' that get
published on the 'net and some newspapers. Some 'candidates' are simply more
eligible than others.

Regards,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop
{PS: In 'another life' I worked in engineering and was contemplating
applying for my PE cert. Another engineer, who had one, advised AGAINST it.
When I asked him, his answer was simple & straight forward . . . "because
THAT's who they go after when ever anything hits the fan !!"
"Jacques Mertens" wrote in message
. ..
It's not natural selection against creativity but the opposite: I want
that
creativity to be out there, free from regulations and count on natural
mechanisms to balance things.

SNIP