Bill requiring testing for boaters is introduced..

[gpd955]

Please don't think

that I am against safer waterways, boating education, etc. I think that the nail wa hit firmly on the head...it's about money...bottom line.I was speaking to a friend at the NJSP Marine Unit when I was setting up this class for a group of friends and co-workers and he told me that the state's goal is to make this "class" internet based. Pay the fee, take the test, get the card. Oh well, at least a new saying will come of this-"You need a license to sail a boat, but any *butt can have kids!"Thank you emoticon inventor!

 

[gpd955]

Brian

Did you want the NJ law or the Calif. bill??Anyway, here's the NJ one.http://www.njsp.org/maritime/pdf/title13chapter61.pdf

 

[George]

Safe Boating

Requiring people to be licensed to operate an automobile does not seem such a radical idea to me. Similarly, I also don't see anything wrong with requiring people to demonstrate they understand some basic concepts of safe boating. The Power Squadron's one day "Boat Smart" course is a good model. http://www.usps.org/e_stuff/BoatSmart.htmlBeing licensed has not eliminated automobile accidents and it won't prevent problems on the water, but my guess is that it would save a few lives.

 

[jlp]

Take the Oregon test online

Oregon has required the test for a few years.Test is online, cost nothing to take until you pass.$24.95 when you passtake the test:http://www.boaterexam.com/usa/oregon/overview.aspxjeff

 

[Capt. Kermie]

P.C.O.C.

PCOC = Pleasure Craft Operators CardHere in British Columbia and it is likely Canada wide we have the PCOC license. It is only 35 common sense questions and you pass. I took it as part of my Power Squadron class and easily got 34 out of 35, the one wrong answer was from not reading the question properly otherwise I would have got 35. It is amazing how many boaters only go that far and then hop in their boats. I did the whole 14 week Power Squadron course and can say you get out of it what you put into it, I got 95% of a 100 question test at the end and they require an 80% to pass. The PCOC is a joke compared to the Power Squadron course and IMHO the Power Squadron course should be the mandatory requirement for all boaters. I also had a month long sailing course from the YMCA in my youth but it did not include the written detail of Power Squadrons, it was all hands on sailing in a 26' Thundebird. (Never forgot it). Although it sounds like another tax grab, considering how many morons are out there, it is long overdue. Just my $.02$ worth.

 

[soling42]

Fla too

Fla only mandates that 16y/o and younger be licensed, book test or on-line, cost $15(a reasonable fee). Check your state here:http://www.boat-ed.com/We have had so many tragedies on the water that anything would be better than nothing. Personally witnessed a sailor tragically being rundown on a quiet evening last week by a power boater who had rocketed past us, inches away, just an hour earlier. Sank the 24'sailboat and injuries were involved. Ignorance can't be legislated away but a required course may give one person some pause when running full out across the bay. My biggest concern is the exempted wealthy ego yuppy in his new enormous tub plowing through a busy channel while running his blender(saw this two days ago)."Creative taxation" needs to be fought everywhere but my kids will take the Fl required boating test along with a powersquaron course before soloing anywhere. Increasing our wisdom should be a lifelong habit.Aloha, and be safeMichael and Kelli

 

[Ross]

To give you an idea of how useless that exam is

Without knowing anything about Oregon boating laws I scored 78 % with 80% required for passing.

 

[Jerry10776]

Got an 85 on the Oregon test but I still think

enforcment (or lack of) is part of the problem. We had at least two dead because of DUIs on this part of the Illinois River last season. One operator was a Peoria cop --- go figrue. Get the jerks off the water!!!

 

[Phil]

Test the Marine Police in NJ

Are they making the Marine Police take the test. A number of years ago while boating in NJ it seemed that the enforcement officers had an extremly marginal knowledge of the rule & regulations. This while making me take a course in order to operate my PWC but feel free to operate a 60' yacht, great. Once while driving a 25' walkaround I had drop off plane and turn to avoid a collision with a marine police boat, I was the stand on boat, oops, wake up guys. Had the marine police repeatedly circling my wife and daughter who were on a sunfish while they looked through the book of laws trying to find out if they could ticket them for not having the boat registered in NJ, NO is the answer, my wife finally yelled at them to either stop them or get away. Stupid is as stupid does. The test don't matter.

 

[Steve Dion]

.... and you see how much good driver's....

We all know how much our driver's licenses do on the road. Over 50,000 people are killed on our highways each year. Probably 99.5% of the people have driver's licenses but it does not help very much does it?I personally think that this is a waste of time, money and resources. It proves nothing and will be very difficult to enforce.

 

[Ross]

When I took the on line Oregon test

it was pretty plain that the target group was trailer weekend power boaters. There were at least six questions that addressed water skiing and as many more on PWC. There were questions that concerned meeting and over taking sailboats but I don't recall any that concerned sailboat operation or safety specifically for sailboats. In the case of the NJ water police circling a sunfish I expect that it was a slow day and the occupants may have been comely.

 

[mortyd]

test

the harder and stricter, the better.

 

[newsailor06]

Not Having One In OK...

I would have to guess that passing a State License for boating would be similar to a drivers license. If you really look at most tests, the longest answer is usually the correct one. Not all of the time, but it is more likely than not. We have lived in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, and now Oklahoma. I have had to take the drivers license test in all of those states and usually don't even look at the state's books on the rules. The only major differences between the tests are on those laws that pertain to that state. For example: In Minnesota, when your windshield wipers are on you are supposed to also turn on your headlights. This is not required in all states, but is specific to Minnesota. In the past, it was the difference in blood alchohol content between states, although that is much less now. IMHO: State or government testing usually rises to the level of the least likely to pass it ...therefore it usually isn't a stretch to get through. They have to make sure the least likely to pass does so.