Taking Boater's Safety Course in NJ

[Scott T-Bird]

My wife and I finally fulfilled our requirement today to take the Boater's Safety Course that must be done in order to have a valid Boater's License in New Jersey. I am in the oldest group so I was able to hold out until June 1 of this year. My wife was supposed to have taken it a few years ago (or maybe it was last year) since she is in a younger group than me. I am a few days late, but it didn't matter since our boat won't be in the water until tomorrow anyway. My wife almost answered one question wrong as she was rushing thru the test. She thought an answer about filing a float plan with 'a friend or marina ...' said 'a friend of marijuana ...' !!?? She went back on later review and changed her answer correctly! You had to get 40 answers correcty out of 50 in order to pass. She made it easily!

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Re: Well Done! Comrade Obama approves ...

Pres Obama had nothing to do with the rules propagated by the comrads from New Jersey. To be honest, I think that the Safe Boating Certification was initiated originally to deal with all the new kids that were using PWCs. If not for that, there probably wouldn't be any special licensing requirement. It used to be that folks like me who were older, could merely request that the Boaters License be printed on my Drivers License for a valid license. They only made the SBC a requirement for young boaters and ANYBODY operating a PWC. I think that smacked too much of singling out only one group so they eventually made it a requirement for every boater. They phased in the process based on age and this is finally the year when everybody operating a boat has to have the SBC. Now we just have to go the DMC and renew our Drivers License with the valid boaters designation.

 

[cbsailor]

Lots of states are implementing a SBC requirement. Virginia passed one that was primarily aimed at PWC operation, but hidden in the passed legislation are phased in requirements for all motorcraft with greater than 10HP. Read the excerpt from the VA Game and Inland Fisheries website

In 2007, the Virginia General Assembly enacted a law to establish a boating safety education compliance requirement. This requirement does not apply to law enforcement officers while engaged in their official duties. The requirement for boating safety education is phased-in over several years and applies to all PWC operators and operators of motorboats of 10hp and greater according to the following schedule:

1. PWC operators 20 years of age or younger shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2009;
2. PWC operators 35 years of age or younger shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2010;
3. PWC operators 50 years of age or younger and motorboat operators 20 years of age or younger shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2011;
4. All PWC operators, regardless of age, and motorboat operators 30 years of age or younger shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2012;
5. Motorboat operators 40 years of age or younger shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2013;
6. Motorboat operators 45 years of age or younger shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2014;
7. Motorboat operators 50 years of age or younger shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2015;
8. All motorboat operators,regardless of age,shall meet the requirements by July 1, 2016.

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/boating/education/boating-safety-education-requirement.asp

 

[petersea]

For what the info is worth Connecticut has had a mandatory safe boater class for about 10 years now. Not a big deal,approx 6 hours of instruction and certificate is valid for life. Doesn't seam that unreasonable to me. Got to believe everyone in the class I took learned something !

 

[Bill]

Topics covered

Does the course teach that a boat with a 13' beam doesn't fit into a 12' wide slip, 1st, 2nd or 3rd time? Always fun to watch.

Does it teach that when docking one actually has to tie a knot and not just single wrap the rope around a piling? At least the isn't a cover charge for this stuff.

Is there a question , "the person driving the boat should actually be
A. watching where the boat is going?
B. picking their toes
C. Looking what is for lunch in the cooler in the back of the boat
D. none of the above" or do they skip over the part where a small bit of rational thought is helpful.

Do the NJ marine police need a Boater's License?

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Yoda, I wasn't paying close attention at that moment ...

But there was some mention about the NJ State Police and I think he said that they don't have to pass this course before they hit the waters to enforce the rules for the rest of us! And maybe I just heard that wrong! I was concentrating a lot on making sure my wife knew the answers to all the questions that were sure to be on the test!

Pete, like Connecticut, this course has been a requirement in New Jersey for young boaters for well over a decade. It was later that they decided that all the old boaters who were previously grandfathered, also had to take the course. They laid out a schedule for when the course had to be completed based on age. They do it in an all day class or 2 three hour sessions. We had 4 nice folks from the USCG Auxillary who presented the class and they were very professional and made it a pleasant and informative day in my opinion.

They covered topics very well, and I also think that there is no downside to this requirement.

 

[Stu Jackson]

It is unfortunate that these draconian laws

are starting to be supported by boaters. "Oh, it's only 6 hours and $35 for life." I could use the time and the $$ for better purposes.

Here's the deal: most governmental actions have usually resulted in punishing the innocent as a result of the improper actions of the few.

"Oh, picking on those poor PWC people, we can't have THAT! Let's test ALL those folks on the wa wa, they must ALL be the SAME!"

Nothing's changed here, and the whole "tests don't make up for stupidity" was discussed very intelligently by yowdagwb in his post.

Or maybe I have it wrong: the test are really made up for the people who never take their boats out and fill up marinas. Ahh, maybe not, because we hear so many stories of idiocy with moving boats...

These laws are brought to you by the same folks who just love to permit anchorages.

 

[Warren Milberg]

I took the Boat US Foundation's "Online Safety Course" (http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/default.htm?WT.mc_id=400009) many years ago. I was disappointed in the quality and focus of the questions. While I think such courses are probably useful in making sure you are up-to-date on your knowledge of various boating safetly issues, I really didn't think it was important for me to know the maximum allowable decibel rating for a roaring engine....

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Stu, is that really you??!!

Are you still cranky over your broken leg? I hope that getting out on the water cheers you up! Actually, we were there from 8:00 to 4:00 and the cost was $120 for the two of us. I did get as much pizza and soda pop as I wanted for the day.

Actually, I think the course must have a positive effect because my experience with boating in New jersey has been nothing but positive. The idiocy that I keep reading about in this forum must be primarily in other states ... in New Jersey, boaters seem to be much more sophisticated and better behaved!

 

[Ross]

They never pass laws pre-emptively. There is always the need and then the law. If the only people harmed by their stupidity were the stupid ones would be no need for the laws. Unfortunately others are also harmed. Have you noticed that there is no requirement for knowing how to swim for beach goers entering the water? You may climb dead trees without fear of arrest, you may kayak in catagory 5 rivers even though you have never before been in a kayak, you may snow ski in summer weight clothes with no fear of arrest because there is no law against it. There is no need for a law in these cases, stupidity does a good job here. But if you decide to take a small child with you then there are laws that can be applied.

 

[tsmwebb]

I hate it too, but nobody's asking me...

Here's the deal: most governmental actions have usually resulted in punishing the innocent as a result of the improper actions of the few.

So much for Civilization...

Anyway, it could be worse. When I took the required test in Australia it was a full day of course work and a driving test (including a docking). That may sound useful until you learn that the course was farmed out to a private firm and the pass rate was, AFIK, 100%... At that point it is just a user fee. They did require that candidates stay sober for the entire day -- something of a hardship in Oz -- maybe just to prove that it is possible to boat while sober (a largely untested premise down under).

In fact, I feel strongly that boater licensing is a bad thing. But, I'm afraid we're past the tipping point. I expect that soon we'll need one in every state in the nation. It is silly to blame this on Obama, there is no Federal mandate (yet) and something like half the states had licensing requirements before he was elected.

--Tom.

 

[RichH]

Scott -
Rumors have been flying that this 'law' also applies to non-resident New Jersey boaters who are simply passing through NJ (ie. entering Cape May, Atlantic City, etc. or are stopped and boarded in NJ territorial waters, etc. ) ... and that if such boaters do not have the NJ boaters cert., they are subject to fine; boaters safety certificates from other states (including USCG OUPV, etc.) are unrecognized and are invalid in NJ. Any validity to this rumor?

Living in a state that borders NJ and aware of the superabundance of draconian laws (involving 'fees' for revenue income) that are enacted in NJ, this seems quite plausible.

 

[tsmwebb]

Scott -
Rumors have been flying that this 'law' also applies to non-resident New Jersey boaters who are simply passing through NJ (ie. entering Cape May, Atlantic City, etc. or are stopped and boarded in NJ territorial waters, etc. ) ... and that if such boaters do not have the NJ boaters cert., they are subject to fine; boaters safety certificates from other states (including USCG OUPV, etc.) are unrecognized and are invalid in NJ. Any validity to this rumor? ...

Kindness of google: http://www.nj.gov/njsp/maritime/faq.html

Q2
I live in another state, do I need a boat safety certificate?
A2
Yes - Out-of-state residents are not exempt from the education requirement listed above; however, the law states that an out-of-State resident who is at least 16 years of age and who will be in this State for less than 90 days may operate a power vessel on the waters of the State of New Jersey if they possess a boat safety certificate issued by their state of residence, or if they possess written proof of successful completion of a boat safety course approved by another state, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators(N.A.S.B.L.A.) or the United States Coast Guard.
Q3
Can I operate a power vessel in the State of New Jersey if I possess a current United States Coast Guard operators license?
A3
Yes, a person holding a current United States Coast Guard operator’s(captains) license, who is otherwise required to possess a boat safety certificate, may operate a power vessel on the waters of the State of New Jersey without having completed a boat safety course approved by the Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, provided that they have their captains license in their possession while operating.
The operators license can not be converted to a New Jersey boat safety certificate.

--Tom.

 

[Warren Milberg]

A potential by-product of a law like this is that sailors will continue to sail, rather than power, in various areas of NJ when it is really more prudent to drop sails and run under power (i.e., entering/leaving marinas, tight channels, etc) ....

This strikes me as bizarre as the rule that you can pee directly into the Bay, but if you pee into a bucket and then throw it overboard, you are violating the law.

We having fun yet?

 

[texas lake sailor]

Common sense

I have been boating for over 40 years, both power and sail. I never thought a class or lic should be required. However as the size of engines has gotten bigger and the power of music systems has increased it seems common sense has gone away. My wife and I see more and more people who have no training or common sense make a pain of themselves every weekend. Just this weekend I was passed by a powerboat that then cut in front of me only to cut a ski tow line on a boat to STBD. Don't like the idea of it, but just maybe it is time to require a safety class???

 

[Franklin]

do you really think a safety class is going to change anything? I think not.

 

[petersea]

OK here is my take on this...... YES I believe it will change somethings. I like to think I am realistic that it will be a very small percentage but it is a start. Without it is guaranteed nothing will change. I'm also not naive to think that is is not a fund raiser for some states. I'm confused by the comment on sailors will continue to sail when they should be under power. As CT state law reads sailboats are required to have a certificate unless not powered and are under a certain length. The average sailboat operator will be required to have a certificate. It is a safe boating certificate not a safe sail boat or power boat certificate. I would rather that operators are at least exposed to safe boating laws and basic navigation rules etc etc. No law will every stop the foolishness of some people but it might just help a little and I'm personally OK with that.

 

[Ross]

Enforcement is at best erratic there simply are not enough personel to check everybody. I have been driving for 54 years and can count on the fingers of one hand the times I have been asked by law enforcement for my drivers licence. This is year number ten with my sailboat and I have not yet been asked even my name by law enforcement personel. If I should sail into New Jersy is it any more likely that I will be questioned? Generally you must do something to attract attention before anyone takes note of your presence. Live like a cat and be seen only when you wish to be seen. Keep a low profile, don't attract attention, don't be too out of the ordinary.

 

[Deadhead]

NJ Boating Safety Course

I took advantage of the 'Test-out' option that New Jersey offered through last year to those in my age group. (I was born in 1959.)

I found an online tutorial, studied,and actually learned a couple of interesting things before taking the test at the Atlantic City Boat Show in February of '08. I found the test to be extremely simple and an easy pass for anyone with even a little boating experience, some knowledge and, more importantly, common sense. I will admit that I have actually read the Colregs, Chapmans, Bowditch, and other referenced materials that some may not consider required reading.

Be that as it may, the test seemed to cover some basic seamanship principles and a few important rules. It may have even been useful to weed out a small percentage of ne'er-do-wells from the general boating population. However, I will never figure out why it is important for New Jersey boaters to know that there is danger both upstream AND downstream of a low-head dam.

 

[RichH]

Generally you must do something to attract attention before anyone takes note of your presence.

Sorry, but thats not the case with the MD state water nazis. Come down the bay and see that the nazis will be checking virtually all possible small boats looking for inane infractions of the rules ... for example: making sure that you have a 'sound device' FIRMLY ATTACHED to your PFD ... No, then ticket.
Sure, such laws probably were written because some irresponsible dodo did something wrong and caused grief; however, with 'government' these days such good intentions of such laws inevitably degenerate into the sole purpose of the extraction of 'revenue' from the most opportune 'prey species'.