Fatal Boat Wreck at Barkley last week

Lets require everyone to take a boater safety coarse. Sure lets add some more cost to everyone out there. Thats what we need. No matter how you take a boater test or try to regulate some new license its going to cost money to do this. Who will pay that bill?

Lets start policing ourselves and use some common sense on the water. I don't need the government or someone else out there running more of my life. I pay plenty of money to the government already for nothing, I don't need to pay more.

Charlie

AMEN!

[QUOTE=TR21Bassin;429953]Lets require everyone to take a boater safety coarse. Sure lets add some more cost to everyone out there. Thats what we need. No matter how you take a boater test or try to regulate some new license its going to cost money to do this. Who will pay that bill?
Charlie[/QUOTE]

It's that type of mentality that will have to change.

As for who is going to pay for it? What do you think citations are for? By putting the mandatory coarse completion into effect, you create a means for officers to collect money to support the examinations from those who neglect to comply. The ones who neglect to comply with the safe boating campaign are probably the ones who need to take the course the most.

Even if the test costs you a one-time fee of $20, I think you could live with it. If you get a discount on your boat owner's insurance because of it for every year thereafter, you would recover that $20 and then some just in your first year.

Spending $20 and taking maybe 20 minutes to pass an online course would be well worth the benefits that would come from it. It won't cure all the problems, but for every person that learns to veer right when meeting head-on, the greater the chances of saving lives.

Such a program would help offer peace of mind to tournament co-anglers who get in boats with total strangers. The co-angler's life is in the hands of the boat operator, and right now there is nothing to ensure that the boater knows how to navigate safely or know what to do in an emergency situation.

[QUOTE=TR21Bassin;429953]Lets require everyone to take a boater safety coarse. Sure lets add some more cost to everyone out there. [/QUOTE]

The Class is FREE! There is only a cost if you want to do it online..

If you have a group of people, they willcome and do it for you. After I took the class at the marina, we got the CO to come to our rescue squad meeting and did a class for the rescue squad. He said if you can get a group of a dozen or so people he would come teach it.

[QUOTE=TR21Bassin;429953]Lets require everyone to take a boater safety coarse. Sure lets add some more cost to everyone out there. Thats what we need. No matter how you take a boater test or try to regulate some new license its going to cost money to do this. Who will pay that bill?

Lets start policing ourselves and use some common sense on the water. I don't need the government or someone else out there running more of my life. I pay plenty of money to the government already for nothing, I don't need to pay more.

Charlie[/QUOTE]

Agree 100%!!!

If these boaters were first year boaters it might be an education problem however looking at there age I would bet they were both experienced boaters. I think the problem was probably carelessness of maybe impaired vision from sun or fog watching the electronics or a combination of circumstances. I do think we need educated boaters but I do not think this accident was from being uneducated boaters. When you drive a boat you can be easily distracted and I think the non boater can help by being another set of eyes and alert the boater when they see another boat.

I would say a vast majority of people who have boated all their lives in KY still do not know which is Starboard and which is Port. Something that simple could make a huge difference, especially if a non-boater DID know, used a term in split second situation and the driver didn't know which was which. What happens when an experienced boater who doesn't know he's in a situation where he is to show his red light reacts differently than another boater who is expecting the proper reaction? The boats could turn into each other (and usually do). How many of you know what you are supposed to do if you are entering a main waterway from a tributary?

Tournament fishermen do lead the way in proactive actions by requiring life vests and safety checks, etc. There is nothing that says clubs and organizations can't be further proactive and require their members to be water certified. Nothing says they can't lead the way even if it isn't a state or federal requirement.

There is nothing that says fishermen, in general, can't lead the way in being proactive even if it isn't required.

I don't really fish tournaments and even though I read the regs, I haven't been certified. I plan to change that and I plan to get mine.

Not one of these suggestions is worth the time it took you to post it, unless you, and I mean all of you, also make the suggestions in writing and send them to the Kentucky Governor, your state Senator, state Representative, the KY Department of Fish and Wildlife, and maybe also the US Army Corps of Engineers. Then on top of you sending in your suggestion(s) you will need to get MANY THOUSANDS more people to also make the same suggestion(s). It would also help if you and the other thousands of people can show how your suggestion(s) can also make money for the state, otherwise I doubt seriously if you will be listened to. These posts may make you feel good but without a groundswell of citizens demanding something be done to improve safety on the water, nothing will change.

Grumpy

Look, I am 40 and have only had my bassboat for 3 years. No offense to people I have talked to but how do I knpow they told me right? I have no idea how to follow channels, which is really the safe side to overtake or pass- when meeting someone. There is alot of things I dont know that I do, age has nothing to do with it. I wasnt raised around bassboats nothing but jonboats so this is still new to me. When I fished the crusade with tholt99 a few weeks ago at rough, I let him take us out.. no way was I going to try to figure out how to handle all that traffic but I need to. I will look into a class for sure and Im not embarrassed to say it either.

[QUOTE=artcarney_agr;429986]
Such a program would help offer peace of mind to tournament co-anglers who get in boats with total strangers. The co-angler's life is in the hands of the boat operator, and right now there is nothing to ensure that the boater knows how to navigate safely or know what to do in an emergency situation.[/QUOTE]

If your that scared stay home. Doesn't seem to be an shortage of co-anglers out there.

Yes $20 is not a big deal and thats not my point. My point is I don't want more government regulation. Lets keep big brother out of our pockets and out of our lives. I'm tired of paying for everyone elses screw ups and problems.

Charlie

[QUOTE=dc chopper;430075]Look, I am 40 and have only had my bassboat for 3 years. No offense to people I have talked to but how do I knpow they told me right? I have no idea how to follow channels, which is really the safe side to overtake or pass- when meeting someone. There is alot of things I dont know that I do, age has nothing to do with it. I wasnt raised around bassboats nothing but jonboats so this is still new to me. When I fished the crusade with tholt99 a few weeks ago at rough, I let him take us out.. no way was I going to try to figure out how to handle all that traffic but I need to. I will look into a class for sure and Im not embarrassed to say it either.[/QUOTE]

This is exactly what I mean and I applaud you for recognizing that you don't know everything you think you should and taking the time to learn. People need to be responsible for their own education and learning how to operate properly. We shouldn't have to have government regulation to make people us commong sense.

What's next, government regulation on the proper way to use toilet paper?

Charlie

Here's my boating bible, and it has kept me out of trouble (with the boat...not the cops) for years. At $18 bucks, its a cheap education, and tells you all about everything from channel markers, running in fog, docking, anchoring,electronics, power systems, water systems, etc.

[url]http://www.amazon.com/Chapman-Piloting-Seamanship-Small-Handling/dp/0688168906[/url]