Boater operator certificate
 

Washington state wants to institute a revamped law to require boating
drivers licenses. To those in states who have such laws, what are the pros
and cons of your system and does it prevent accidents etc or is it just
another red tape gizmo to collect money for the state?
Thanks in advance
Gordon

is it just
another red tape gizmo to collect money for the state?

These things are always noble experiments that go totally awry because the
government does it.
Political pressures from the boat industry will dumb this thing down to nothing
more than another tax.

Washington state wants to institute a revamped law to require boating
drivers licenses. To those in states who have such laws, what are the pros
and cons of your system and does it prevent accidents etc or is it just
another red tape gizmo to collect money for the state?
Thanks in advance
Gordon

Where did you hear that?

As far as I know, there is no proposal to require a license to boat.

A group called WAMBE (Washington Alliance for Mandatory Boater Education) has
drafted a bill that would eventually require anybody operating a boat powered
by more than 10HP to carry a card that certifies they have completed a very
basic
boating safety course. At this point, they are still looking for a legislator
to sponsor it. Similar proposals have died in committee during each of the last
several legislative sessions, so there is no big push on "by the State of
Washington" to pass this proposal.

Even if the proposal passes, there are some important differences between a
boating safety education card and a "license". To begin with, a license has to
be renewed at regular intervals, and a fee is customarily collected at each
renewal. The boating safety education card, once issued, is good for the life
of the card holder and never needs to be renewed.

Another major difference between a license and a boating safety card is that
the court system can revoke a license if somebody misbehaves while pursuing the
activity permitted by the license. The proposition drafted by WAMBE calls for a
card that is irrevocable, as it should. One either has acquired the knowledge
represented by the card, or has not, and future errors, accidents, or crimes
won't change the fact that the card holder completed the minimum education
requirements.

The proposal sets the fee for obtaining the card at $15. This is not an annual
fee, but a once-in-a-lifetime expense to offset the cost of adding a boater to
the database and issuing a card. The only other fee a boater might be faced
with is a similar charge to replace a card that gets lost or stolen.

I don't know about others, but $15 just about pays the sales tax on one of my
regular visits to the marine supply store. A lot of guys burn $15 worth of gas
in a matter of minutes. The state isn't going to wind up with a huge slush fund
processing applications and issuing cards at $15 each, and in the grand scheme
of boat expenses $15 might as well be $zero.

One of the reasons previous proposals have died is that some of them didn't
have a funding provision built in. The $15 is supposed to correct that.

Qualifying to carry the card is extremely easy. Anybody who has passed a course
such as "Boat Smart" or any other short, introductory safety course offered by
the USCGA or a Power Squadron need only present a their certificate of
completion, from any time in the past, and they will be
issued a card.

Those who have been boating for a number of years and are confident that they
have a good body of knowledge about boating safety do *not* have to sit through
several sessions where an Auxiliary or Squadron instructor lectures on the
diffrences between the types of PFD's, the dangers of hypothermia, basic
equipment requirements, etc. There is a provision for a "challenge" test,
rather than attending a formal class. Those who can pass a challenge test
demonstrating that they know as much as the graduates of an elementary,
introductory safety class never need to set foot in a classroom. Those who
*cannot* pass such a test belong in the classroom, IMO.

If the bill passes next year, the boating public will be required to comply by
age groups. The youngest boaters will have to comply right away. Boaters who
are currently at or approaching retirement age will have until 2016 to acquire
a card.

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 16:12:02 GMT, "Gordon" wrote:

Washington state wants to institute a revamped law to require boating
drivers licenses. To those in states who have such laws, what are the pros
and cons of your system and does it prevent accidents etc or is it just
another red tape gizmo to collect money for the state?

Canada recently brought in a licensing requirement. The red tape and
operator cost has been negligible as it is a one time license without
a renewal requirement. The big plus is that kids under 16 can no
longer legally drive jet skis. However, the rules don't seem to
prevent a couple of inexperienced 19 year olds from legally renting
one *right now* on some kind of provisional license.

I think it's a good thing, if only because it makes it clear one
should have some qualification before jumping into a boat and hitting
the throttle. The testing is so simple that anybody should be able to
get one after reading the Coast Guard Safety Brochure, so it is not
much of a hurdle to clear. Quite possibly the bar should be higher.

Ryk

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 16:12:02 GMT, "Gordon" wrote:

Washington state wants to institute a revamped law to require boating
drivers licenses. To those in states who have such laws, what are the pros
and cons of your system and does it prevent accidents etc or is it just
another red tape gizmo to collect money for the state?
Thanks in advance

About 11 years ago, a PWC/Boat accident on the CT river in Haddam
resulted in the legislature over reacting and passing the "Water
Vehicle Safety Act" or something like that requiring a Safe Boating
Certificate - basically a license.

As usual in this state, the system is totally furbared. If you own a
PWC and a boat, you have to take one class to a combination
certificate, if you only own a PWC you have to have a PWC certificate
or only own a boat you have to have a boating certificate.

The best part is that the syllabus for all three state approved
courses are identical.

The state only accepts USCG, USPS and a couple of other "certificates"
as a substitute for the state course. Oddly enough, those
certificates are good for both PWC and Boat certificates, but not the
state course.

You couldn't make up a dumber, lameass system if you tried.

Does it work improving safety?

Maybe. The PWC operators I see are just as arrogant and stupid as
ever, the boaters are just as stupid and arrogant as ever so I guess
not. I know it hasn't decreased the accident rate any.

Later,

Tom

It's a friggin 20 buck tax grab with a ridiculous exam that proves nothing
regarding operator competency!

You now need one despite the fact you might have a Master/Minor Waters
certification.

It's ridiculous.


CM

"Ryk" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 16:12:02 GMT, "Gordon" wrote:

Washington state wants to institute a revamped law to require boating
drivers licenses. To those in states who have such laws, what are the pros
and cons of your system and does it prevent accidents etc or is it just
another red tape gizmo to collect money for the state?

Canada recently brought in a licensing requirement. The red tape and
operator cost has been negligible as it is a one time license without
a renewal requirement. The big plus is that kids under 16 can no
longer legally drive jet skis. However, the rules don't seem to
prevent a couple of inexperienced 19 year olds from legally renting
one *right now* on some kind of provisional license.

I think it's a good thing, if only because it makes it clear one
should have some qualification before jumping into a boat and hitting
the throttle. The testing is so simple that anybody should be able to
get one after reading the Coast Guard Safety Brochure, so it is not
much of a hurdle to clear. Quite possibly the bar should be higher.

Ryk

"Capt. Mooron" wrote in message
...
It's a friggin 20 buck tax grab with a ridiculous exam that proves nothing
regarding operator competency!

You now need one despite the fact you might have a Master/Minor Waters
certification.

It's ridiculous.


CM

It might keep those rum guzzlin' characters from terrorizing decent sailing
folk in Mahone Bay......then again maybe not!

Just another tax.

--


Keith
__
....at least I thought I was dancing, 'til somebody stepped on my hand.
"Gordon" wrote in message
...
Washington state wants to institute a revamped law to require boating
drivers licenses. To those in states who have such laws, what are the pros
and cons of your system and does it prevent accidents etc or is it just
another red tape gizmo to collect money for the state?
Thanks in advance
Gordon

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 12:07:36 -0500, Ryk
wrote:



I think it's a good thing, if only because it makes it clear one
should have some qualification before jumping into a boat and hitting
the throttle. The testing is so simple that anybody should be able to
get one after reading the Coast Guard Safety Brochure, so it is not
much of a hurdle to clear. Quite possibly the bar should be higher.

I am also in Toronto, Canada, and got my certificate in the context of
Canadian Power Squadron courses. Not a bad thing, and the red tape is
minimal.

While you can just "sit the test" without prior instruction, the
advent of this licencing requirement is getting more people into Power
Squadron courses, which is gradually upping the knowledge level of
recreational boaters generally, or so it appears to me.

At least it's no longer "zero".

R.

"the court system can revoke a license if somebody misbehaves while pursuing the
activity permitted by the license. "

I know of a few marriage licenses that need revoking....