Boat Crashes and Licensing

I agree with everyone here. With Pascal that there are a lot of even Licensed Captains that don't know the basics or are idiots. I also agree with Olderboater that the only one regulating safety on mid sized yachts 50'-75' is the insurance industry. That being said, I think that everyone should be required to take a safe boating class, so they at least know the rules of the road, anchoring, basic seamanship, something like the USCG auxilary safe boating class. I think an online course/test would be easy to accomplish nowadays.

I grew up with boats, had a boat since I was 5, always had to use my boat with an adult, but at 12 years old my father made me and my 10 year old sister take the USCG auxilary class and took it with us (even though he too was a life long boater) before I could take my 13' Boston Whaler out by myself or with friends. Even to this day, even though my licensing is much higher than that USCG class, some things I learned from the class still stick with me.

We (Father and I) did exactly the same when we got into boating when I was a kid. Hugely beneficial. No reason this shouldn't be a baseline requirement. People, even people with "established intelligence" think they can just get into a boat and "go". It pure ignorance. This thinking applies to a lot of things ; I new a successful corporate person, go purchase a HD Fat Boy and pull out of the deanship and lay it down at the first traffic light. Thank god that was all, and it immediately got him enrolled in a riders class and no more public riding until he passed the class and his license. Even then a smaller bike was likely warranted to start.

The advent of detailed chartplotters, auto guidance on routes in said chartplotters, and joystick docking have really further exasperated this problem and given new boat buyers a really false sense of confidence. Nowadays many new boaters buy a 50' yacht right out of the gate........whereas back in the day everyone started on a 13-17' whaler and worked their way up in size as they got older.

Because most of the serious problems are not the result of lack of education. They're reckless, or under the influence, or not caring, or not paying attention. You all keep asking for licensing but most states have it. Mandatory repeat courses is fine, but why don't you require that for drivers' licenses too? I believe in states requiring licenses but I do not believe the things the OP describes have anything to do with licensing or lack thereof.

Couldn't agree more. Every profession/skilled activity suffers similarly. Theres a parallel in the metal forming industry where to this day the German punch press company Trumpf (no relation to a certain person) starts their apprentices off shaping different types/hardnesses of metal with a file before they do anything else. Without the basics and a root understanding of the activity you can find yourself lost fast when things don't work as expected.

I agree and disagree. Many of these serious problems are reckless behavior, BUT that is because a lot of boaters aren't educated in the danger of what could happen very quickly due to reckless behavior. Or what reckless behavior leads to. They don't know the fundamentals, to realize what sort of damage can be done by reckless behavior......they think....ohhhh it's a boat, not a car, you're on open water......how bad can reckless behavior be.,..... or why is running 60 mph at night a bad thing.........I have dealt with a lot of new yacht owners over the years and they simply had no clue in the dangers that they could create to other people and property if they screw up. They don't realize what kind of damage a 75' yacht could do if they hit the dock, another boat with people on it, even as slow as at 7 knots.

I really agree with this. Education can not hurt, and it is also easy to implement, and I believe will have the most efficacy. A lot of people are just plain unaware (ignorant) and in some cases cavalier. Whether it's someone unprepared for the situation they find themselves even having good intentions leaving the dock, or a fool drinking and driving at speed at night (seen a whole lot of drunken crashes at night killing people) it is many times rooted in the lack of not understanding the potential situations and the resulting consequences. Heck just reading this forum is great information and makes you think about possible issues that can occur. Putting these "scenarios" in front of the general boating public would save a lot of anguish and help the industry as the experience level is greatly improved.

Most people "don't know what they don't know"

Then what would you do to improve the current required education for licensing. Now, it's aimed at small boat owners mostly, but you could add to it. I'd suggest each of you talking education to go through the existing state licensing courses. You can find them on boat-ed.com. I think because most of you were before these were required, you're not aware of them. In Florida, if you're 32 or younger you must have it. Perhaps should require older people to go back and do it, but they grandfathered existing boaters when they implemented this. Illinois has the same course but was 10 years behind so just 22 and younger must take it.

Credit Gallagher.

Rengaged the IL course/test. Mostly the basic's and oriented to smaller runabouts/PWC's but a good start for the uninitiated. I think the insurance route is most practical and has natural motivation. There can be course/test by size/experience with annual refreshers the feature safety and seamanship, examples of mistakes and misdeeds, etc. There can be a min baseline and discounts for additional education. I would think both insurance and manufacturers would fund and you could also tie it to other promotional activities that add enjoyment to the exercise. Encouraging more use being the goal as the lack of use and the excess of misuse have similar root cause; lack of seamanship.

It's the new boater that needs to be indoctrinated, taught the basics and about safe operation. That's where licensing and requirements for taking a basic boating course comes in. Wishfully by the time they grow into bigger boats experience will have been attained. Unfortunately though today there's a lot of money around and people who think they're able to operate whatever they can afford. I've known several who's first boat was a 40' or 50', one a 65' that did 36kts. That's where the insurance companies need to step in since it's their (and their premium paying policy holders) money at stake.
BTW, the on-line basic boating courses have serious shortcomings. I took the class course as a kid when they first started them and again many years later when I got my wife into boating. The info in the books was good, but the sea stories related by the instructors were worth their weight in gold. All you get from the on-line course is what's in the book.

I know a few dealerships who book time with professional captains for orientations and lessons along with having "Ladies and kids in boating" classes. I return those captains end up recommending those as good dealers to do business with.