Jim Smith wrote:

I was just reading a post and a survey concerning the licensing of boaters
in some states. The state I am in at present has no requirement for
licensing to operate a boat, but as I understand it, 31 states do.
I am curious about what the thoughts are of the people who frequent this
board. Do licenses reduce accidents and save lives? Or are they just
another beaurucratic paper job to extract more money and provide more jobs
for government workers?
I look forward to hearing your replies.

I am living in the EU, and most states there require a license. And I agree
with that. Even if you do not get a real good introduction to boating, you
get a least an idea what this is all about. You learn something about the
rules, what to do and what to avoid. In short, one is (slightly) less
clueless. Just ask the professionals what they think about boaters and why.
You will rather fast see that most professionals have a very dim view of
boaters, and for good reason
It also helps to charter a boat, since most bareboat charterers want to see
some paper which states that you have some general knowledge. Otherwise
they could have problems with their insurance.

While it certainly may be some type of overkill in some cases, in general a
boating license is a good idea
--
Hardware, n.:
The parts of a computer system that can be kicked.