wrote:
You seem to be saying that the law should be administered on a
case-by-case
wherein we decide in the case of every individual boater

Wrong.

I am saying that *I* should not have to bear the burden of
*your* dangerous hobby.

You wanna ride around at 60 mph on PWC? That's pefectly OK.

Go ahead and do what you want. Don't crash into me, and
don't require *me* to take a course to learn safe boating,
when I've already been boating safely for decades, just
because hundreds of other people with boats like yours crash
into other boats ( & swimmers & docks & each other).

That seems very simple, logical, straight forward, and fair.


.... I still don't think the
burden is that onerous.


Well, why does your opinion control my life?




Maybe you're just saying that there should be a distinction made
between sailors and
power-boaters.

Why shouldn't there be?

When was the last time another boater, or swimmer, was
killed by high speed collision with a sailboat?



.... I don't think
certification should be required
for, say, kayakers.


Why not?

Why not require a license for swimming, too?

DSK

Dave wrote:
On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 16:43:17 -0400, DSK said:


wrote:

You seem to be saying that the law should be administered on a
case-by-case
wherein we decide in the case of every individual boater

Wrong.


I think you're conceding too much here, Doug. There's no reason it shouldn't
be a case by case determination, but with a "case" arising only when a
boater is stopped for BWI, reckless behavior or other unlawful behavior.


I am saying that *I* should not have to bear the burden of
*your* dangerous hobby.


We're on the same page here.

I think the US gov't better get busy and bring in a fairly stringent
national course/testing procedure.
Non compliance should result in a stiff fine and your boat impounded
until you take & pass said test.
You 'know it all experts' should be setting a 'good example' for newbies
and hopefully the yahoo factor by cooperating fully, supporting anything
that makes the waters safer for all.

Don White wrote:
I think the US gov't better get busy and bring in a fairly stringent
national course/testing procedure.
Non compliance should result in a stiff fine and your boat impounded
until you take & pass said test.
You 'know it all experts' should be setting a 'good example' for newbies
and hopefully the yahoo factor by cooperating fully, supporting anything
that makes the waters safer for all.

I've got an excellent gov't program that will make the
waters safer:
http://www.tintiger.net/gallery/albu...eClose_bos.jpg

Now, your job is to lure all those unsafe boaters in close
enough for grape shot!

DSK

Roger Long wrote:
You didn't answer my question. Are you a pilot or just spouting?

Roger, there was a time in my life when I made pocket money by putting
8 and 9 year old kids into boats shoving them off into lake Ontario and
yelling at them (er,, that is teaching them sailing). Not many of them
actually learned to sail well but most learned how to get on and off
the dock by themselves by the end of the course and no one was ever
hurt badly enough to need more than a little hand holding. The day
that you can get 20 preteens to take off and land small planes using
the same methodology is the day that I will admit that flying is as
easy and low risk as boating.

Anyway, we've gotten off track here. I'm sure that flying is riskier
and harder than boating (in general), but I'm willing to let you have
the last word on it. The real question is, does the government have a
compelling public interest in requiring licenses or training for boat
operators. As a life long boater who has crossed oceans in small
boats, weathered storms off shore in small boats, and completed the
course and practical work for an Australian boaters license, it is my
opinion that few if any lives would be saved by licensing because
licensing can't teach good boating and because not many folks die
boating anyway.

-- Tom.

Neither a pilot nor just spouting.

wrote

course and practical work for an Australian boaters license, it is
my
opinion that few if any lives would be saved by licensing because
licensing can't teach good boating and because not many folks die
boating anyway.

I agree with you entirely here. Somehow, I've become the licensing
advocate in this newsgroup. When I said it was strange that licenses
weren't required for boating, I meant that it was strange that a
society like ours hadn't already implemented it; not that I desire
that it be done or that it would do any real good.

Translate your experience with sail instructing into 12,000 - 20,000
pound keel boats in a busy harbor and it may look different.

The most critical phase of flying is, of course, landing. The
critical phase of that lasts about 5 seconds. When I soloed, I
figured I had spend a grand total of less than two minutes in that
critical phase of flight! By the time I had my license, it was up to
about ten minutes.

--

Roger Long

Gogarty wrote in
:

One time fee, eh? Well, I have a 1953 Georgia driver's license here
that doesn't have a photo on it, had a one time fee and is good for
life with no further tests, examinations or qualifications. I'll sell
it to you cheap. But just offhand, I wouldn't try driving with it
today.



Someone gave me their grandfather's South Carolina driver's "tag". Yes, it
isn't a license at all! It's a metal tag, similar to a dog tag. It has
just your driver's number on it. SC, backwards to a fault, used it into
the 1950's.

Dave wrote in news:qq53321rcjf7m998m3g4r4hubj6v4cum40@
4ax.com:

Let me put it bluntly, Don.


WOW! This issue has got 'em all riled up! I've never seen a good brawl at
the yacht club bar, before....(c;

On 3 Apr 2006 15:07:02 -0500, Dave wrote:

Do you have a problem with the principle of
saying people who drive boats while stone drunk should be prevented from
doing it again for some period of time?

Lock them up, nobody boats from the big house, existing law is
sufficient. Lack of a license will not stop BUI anymore than it stops
DWI. It will however create additional levels of enforcement,
taxation and harassment.

My point is a very simple concept: Keep the government away from
boating.

When I started boating as a kid marine police were virtually unheard
of, speed limits were almost unheard of, and if you got in trouble
through an act of carelessness or inexperience, that was just too
bad. Trust me, things were better then.

Meanwhile the PeeWC was invented, along with noisy go fasts. People
started to notice and say ain't it awful, there oughta be a law, etc.
The rest is history.

On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 20:02:08 -0400, Larry wrote:

SC, backwards to a fault, used it into
the 1950's.

I love South Carolina.

Just received a letter from your illustrious tax department today
saying that I was right all along and did not really owe tens of
thousands in back taxes on my boat despite their previous outlandish
claims to the contrary.

Praise be, I might once again entertain the idea of returning to
Charleston. On the other hand, maybe once was enough...

In article ,
says...


Translate your experience with sail instructing into 12,000 - 20,000
pound keel boats in a busy harbor and it may look different.

Most people sailing 12,000 to 20,000 pound keel boats pretty much know
what they are doing. They are not the problem -- if there is one. I
don't see one.