Rob MacDonald said: <snip> <<I have some bad news for you, Doug: With the way they are phasing in the licensing, it is still possible to buy a monster power boat, and drive it away from the dock with no credentials other than financial, and it will be that way for some time yet.>> I have not looked at the issue too closely. All I know is that I voluntarily took a safe boating course a few years ago (the kind I think all "big boaters" should take) and it was a real eye opener. What a huge amount of material there is to learn about safe boating. Everything from docking procedures to right of way, etc. If boaters were "made" to take such a course, I think it would have to make a difference. Yes, there will still be unsafe boaters out there, but less of them. Just my opinion. But what the heck do I know - I'm just another salt chuck speed bump. BC'in Ya Doug Lloyd (not my real name -- I'm really a physically challenged midget who has never been near the ocean. I live inland, and post to PW so my alter ego can get its vicarious jollies) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 08:15 PM 7/24/00 -0700, Doug Lloyd wrote: SNIP > > >I have not looked at the issue too closely. All I know is that I >voluntarily took a safe boating course a few years ago (the kind I think >all "big boaters" should take) and it was a real eye opener. What a huge >amount of material there is to learn about safe boating. Everything from >docking procedures to right of way, etc. If boaters were "made" to take >such a course, I think it would have to make a difference. Yes, there >will still be unsafe boaters out there, but less of them. Just my >opinion. But what the heck do I know - I'm just another salt chuck speed >bump. I also took a safe boating course a few years ago (US Power Squadron). Not only did I learn new things myself, but I sort of got an appreciation of what the "big guys" might be thinking which helps me predict what they're going to do. Taking the course was free except for a book fee and well worth the time. Bill Leonhardt *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Add me to the list of people who took a safe boating course. Mine was from the U.S. Power Squadron. I just felt at the time that if I was going to get into the sport it would be a good idea to learn all that I could about how to do it safely. At the time I was more into power boating, but a lot of the information crosses over nicely. Mike -- Paddling along through fog so thick that only one's thoughts are visible, your reverie is abruptly shattered by the ancient cry of a great blue heron as she lifts uncertainly from the brilliant blue of a mussel-shell beach witnessed only by the brooding, wet spruce....your passage home seems as much back through time as it does through space. Mark H Hunt *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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