Deadly collision splits Sea Ray in two

Car accidents happen everyday....and everyone is licensed. I agree a Boating course should be required but it won’t stop the stupidity.

No cure for stupid, but at least a person who knows absolutely nothing about boating but wants to buy a boat might absorb a safety tip or two if he were forced to sit through a class for a few hours. Even if he doesn’t remember anything, maybe he will leave the class knowing there are some rules.
Then again.............
 
Boating license is required here in PA for anyone born after something like Jan 31st 1981. Which doesn't make sense since a 50 year old probably won't have anymore boating knowledge than a 25 year old. Maybe more responsible but probably not more knowledgeable. I don't 'need' a boating license but got one anyway as soon as we bought our first boat just to be more prepared.
 
NYS is phasing Boating Safety certificates in over a period of a few years. Additionally, the County where I keep my boat docked has required all resident operators of motor boats to have a Boating Safety certificate since 2013.
I live in the adjoining county so I’m exempt from that requirement, but I got the certificate many years ago when the State started requiring it for operators of PWC.
Not sure why a person can register a boat or PWC at the NY DMV without having a Boating Safety certificate where applicable, and without insurance.
There is a lack of meaningful enforcement too. Budgets are tight, lots of enforcement personnel are seasonal, so you don’t see a lot of enforcement going on out there.
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It’s probably due to the uptick in boat purchases this year but the sheriff is omnipresent on my lake this year after not seeing him for three years.

I have been approached on the water twice on consecutive days by the same deputy who asked about my safety gear and registration status.

If I was told that I had to take an exam and even a “road test” to obtain a license to operate my boat I’d happily comply if it would get some of the crazies under control.
 
https://streamable.com/q394gu

This weekend on Clear Lake Texas near Nassau Bay. This was one of three similar that day.

Very narrow channels and these ass hats are going wild.
The river a mile away from my house is like that. Narrow and shallow with everyone and their brother rushing to get nowhere. It's like driving on the expressway. Admiral said, "no way" so now we commute an hour to the big lake.
 
The river a mile away from my house is like that. Narrow and shallow with everyone and their brother rushing to get nowhere. It's like driving on the expressway. Admiral said, "no way" so now we commute an hour to the big lake.

I've got about 3 years left in this area, and I'm counting down the days until I can leave. Boating here is a free for all, and Bubba gets loaded up with liquor then hits the lake in his go fast. We have LE patrolling the lake, but they won't stop these guys. And the faux CG (CG Aux) only want to stop boats that have bow riders.

And forget about holiday weekends. I did that once and swore never to do it again.
 
Lots of people get driver's licenses, then speed, drive drunk, etc. You can't make people behave or have common sense. No amount of fines or jail time, other than life on the inside, will fix them. You hear about people getting their 6th DUI, and nothing changed their behavior. Darwinism is needed, and you hope that the knuckleheads hurt themselves the worst.
 
My dealer in Chattanooga has sold 4 times his normal amounts of boats Apr-Jun. It is eerie to walk in his showroom and see nothing but a carpeted floor. Add to that, he now has 20 rental pontoons and center consoles - they proudly give the renters "15 minutes" of instructions - sheeez! It's ugly in the narrow channels - I never knew how much I loved my air horns - idiots! Susan stays on the bow (we use walkie-talkie head sets) and has to tell the idiots what to do and how to get out of the way...
 
My dealer in Chattanooga has sold 4 times his normal amounts of boats Apr-Jun. It is eerie to walk in his showroom and see nothing but a carpeted floor. Add to that, he now has 20 rental pontoons and center consoles - they proudly give the renters "15 minutes" of instructions - sheeez! It's ugly in the narrow channels - I never knew how much I loved my air horns - idiots! Susan stays on the bow (we use walkie-talkie head sets) and has to tell the idiots what to do and how to get out of the way...
I've used my horn this year more than ever. Loving the air horn too! I especially love the kayakers that sit in the middle of the channel and stare at me approaching at idle speed - any only move after I hit the horn.

Last week I was coming back across the LI sound, returning to Port Jeff and behind the large car ferry about 1/2 and 3/4 mile. I watched 3 boats blast out of the harbor side by side. A 23-ish foot center console decided it was necessary to turn to his port and cut between me and the ferry. Apparently he forgot he couldn't take the large ferry wake at 30 mph, and basically had to stop dead - right in front of me as I'm steaming along. He kindly gave me a salute after I gave the 5 blast "you are standing into danger" signal.
 
as far as a license, i do know this, in maryland around the mid-80's they wanted to pass a law that everyone had to get a license. well at that time everyone who had been boating a long time said "Oh Hell no!". so the only way to get it passed was to grandfather in every born before July 1972 didnt have to get one. then it passed. last comment on this matter, will not get into a piss!ng match with the younger kids about how us old farts shouldnt be driving.
 
The license only works if there’s a regular police presence as it does on the road.

Screw up too many times and lose the privilege. Drive anyway and pay fines and/or go to the cooler.

It’s getting dangerous out there and isn’t going to get better on its own.

What I’ve noticed beyond a lack of basic knowledge is that many never attain that knowledge and don’t care to so the boat is just a missile looking for a target.
 
A guy I know is in to racing. Go Karts, circle track, etc and just bought a GoFastBeLoud boat. I see him several times a week running up and down the river, after dark, doing about 70mph.

I just hope none of the kids are on board when he totals himself and the boat.
 
Our marina has a bar so we get our share of events. I was tied up at the dock on far end of the marina last Saturday evening when out of the blue I hear a loud metal on metal clank! It sounded like someone hit a 12" steel pipe with a sledge hammer. Then I hear a woman shouting, "OMG my f'ing boat. Look what you did to it.". I didn't bother walking around to take a look. I saw the marina owner a bit later and asked him what happened. Apparently, a couple in a brand spanking new 32-34' boat tried to pull away with his aft starboard line still attached. The noise I heard was the rear cleat from the boat snapping back and hitting the steel piling. He said that the hole in the boat was quite impressive.
 
When I got insurance for the SeaRay 380 I had to provide proof of training. When I got insurance for my jetboat all they wanted was my money. The license test in Canada is non skills; it is multiple choice written. A competency test like a car would be a pain but it beats being dead.
 
I get so tired of dodging the idiot boat drivers every time Im out. Boats flying by less than 50 feet away, cutting in front of you while underway just because they choose to go where they want to go, running to close to shore, to close to others, and running too fast where the traffic is congested. Running down the wrong side of a channel and inlets, thinking there are no rules and I can do and go where i want cause its my right. Not much different than the crap on the highways we all see. Boaters were always courteous folks and would heed way to others. The new generation of boaters have money, no brains and no training and little common sense. Sorry for my rant but it drives me crazy..
 
We have seemingly tons of new boaters on our lake. All weekends look like holiday weekends. We had our fair share of uneducated or just don't give a sh!t boaters before the pandemic boating explosion. Now it's 10 times worse. More congestion, more cruisers running down the main channel on plane, more waves and much less knowledge. I'm surprised we haven't had more people killed. I see cruisers running on plane with people on the bow with their feet hanging over the sides. Bowriders on plane with people sitting on the sunpads. It's just crazy. And no one understands the right of way concepts, so you cannot rely on the the rules of the road. People pulling skiers through anchored boats, because coves are for skiing. It's been the wild west.
 
I had a “talk” with a guy on a packed pontoon boat about an hour ago who flew past my dock in a no wake zone with FOUR kids about 5 or 6 years old sitting on the front with their feet skimming the water.

It went poorly.

He was about the 10th boat to go by at 10-15 mph. He had never heard of a no wake zone and told me that he’d worry about is effing kids.

Nice, right?

As I sit here #11 just ripped past.
 

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