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New Jersey operator licensing
Every time I hear of a kid killed on a jet ski I think mandatory training is
a good idea. Just as disturbing is knowing that there are plenty of "Rodney Dangerfields" on the water (whenever I'm out there) exercising their right to display their wealth or credit line with acres of fiberglass and not a of clue of what they are doing. You can tell these guys as they are the ones blasting past small craft without even a glance back to see if the small craft survived the tsunami of a wake the huge POS threw. I'm split on the subject of an operators license, but leaning hard towards it as a good idea. If you've ever ran a boat in S Florida during a weekend and aren't one of those who can't seem to grasp a basic like passing to starboard, you might feel the same way. During a race put on by Cocoa Beach Yacht Club (Port Canaveral), a "captain" (of a big, expensive boat) hailed a Trident submarine that was in the approach channel and told them they would have to fall off as "We have the right of way as we are a sailboat under sail in a race". Hell, just teaching these boneheads the pecking order might keep them alive! Probably should be kept at the State level, and States should institute out of necessity and not as a revenue generator. MMC "Roger Long" wrote in message ... Interesting thread on the Wooden Boat Magazine forum about New Jersey being one of the first states to establish licensing for recreational boat operators. I haven't tried to parse it to carefully (can't think of any reason I would ever go to New Jersey, let alone stay there the triggering 90 days) but it sounds like it could apply to non residents or someone passing through (slowly). Has anyone here been tracking this? NJ boat dealers must be having cows and kittens all at the same time. As a just (self) grounded private pilot, it does seem strange to go out and do something that involves just as much responsibility and requires just as much skill (at least to do safely) with out all the training and oversight involved in flying aircraft. Boat licensing is probably overdue but I still hate to see it coming up over the horizon. -- Roger Long |
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