Should recreational boaters be required to be licensed?

Professional Mariner Forum
1

There is no doubt that there is an increase in recreationalboating in the Northeast. As acommercialmariner there is a large uptick in kayaks and small boaters in the waterways around here. I would say on average in the last 5 years that I’ve had or seen 3-4 close calls that nearly resulted in death or major environmental impact. An article in this month’s Workboat magazine http://www.workboat.com/component/content/article?id=9008talks about the increase of traffic incommercial waterways and discusses the possibility of requiring some form oflicensefor rec boaters.
I’m personally in favor as this would hopefully make my job easier in the long run but I’m sure there would be a lot of pushback. It would be incredibly difficult to enact on a national level and thecurrentstate levels vary widely, a federal standard would be nice.*

So what I’d like to discuss is what do you think? It seems like a situation when nothing will happen until it’s a reaction to an incident most likely resulting from the loss of life. If you don’t agree with licensing what do you suggest?

2

In a former life I was a media flack (and boater safety instructor, and area chief) for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the boating law administrator for Texas. In that role I got to talk about boating accidents and fatalities … a lot.

After fighting the boat manufacturing and dealership lobbies (they see any type of licensing or mandatory education as a barrier to sales), Texas finally implemented mandatory boater ed a couple of years ago, on a progressive (-- or is it “regressive?” – grandfathered, anyhow – i.e., first year, only those under 18, then those under 19, etc.) basis. Eventually, many years in the future, it will capture the folks with the disposable income and leisure time to purchase high-performance boats, sailboats, etc. Maybe the course (there is an approved national syllabus, very little difference between states) will be improved by then, too.

As it stands now, in Texas (and probably in many states), operators of paddle craft, small sailboats and small motorboats <10hp are exempted. That’s logical only if they are operating on small bodies of water not considered “navigable” waters.

I think it’s unlikely the Coast Guard is going to jump in on inland waterways, for the most part. Typically they leave that to the state boating law administrator or local law enforcement; in Texas, those guys have to have a marine safety enforcement certification (basically familiarization with the Texas Boater Safety Act).

For my part, I would be happy if recreational boaters simply monitored VHF 13/16 (or even had radios handy) and communicated, and knew the basics of the navigation rules.

Another avenue might be to reach out to local US Power Squadron/Coast Guard Auxiliary/Yacht Clubs/Fishing Clubs (though of course the former two are home to probably more knowledgeable recreational boaters) and offer to give a talk on safety from the commercial mariner’s perspective. Many of the recreational guys really have no idea that their 17-ft fiberglass fishing boat looks like a wavetop or bird on radar, if they show up at all, or that if they’d just talk to us we’d tell them which direction we’re going or that it takes me a minimum of four boat lengths (mine, not theirs) to stop. And it would be terrific if my blowboat brethren did not uniformly believe they are always privileged.

3

When we say license, are we saying getting a 100 t?

I think weekend warriors should definately be required to take a safety/basic rules of the road course…problem I see is this would be hard to enforce, especially in the summer months.

4

Yes, at least a 3 hour course that is good for like 5 years or something. Nothing major but just so they know how to with us and our big, slow(er) and ships around them. We aren’t the ones that get hurt most of the time, its usually tragic for the small boat involved

5

I’m with Ctony here–what sort of license are we talking? Would this be a license issued by the USCG, probably a newly created license (Master of recreational vessels perhaps)? Or are we talking about something similar to a drivers license, administered and issued by each state? Many states are doing this already.

I’m not sure there’s a great need for the USCG to take charge of this–they seem to be overwhelmed already by those of us that do this for a living. Let the states handle this, though any licensing scheme should definitely involve pretty comprehensive Rules and safety modules, including interactions with commercial traffic.

Obviously common sense should apply–a guy in his canoe on some backwoods lake obviously shouldn’t need a license.

6

I would think something more like a drivers license issued at the state level but to a national standard. There isn’t a need for a commercial level license for this and 41 states already require some form of training. We’ll never get rid of the idiots but we can hopefully lessen their numbers.

7

No !!! Recreational boating is one of the last freedoms we have.

8

I moonlight doing charter work on the Willamette and Columbia, since I already hold a Master 100T (NC), I don’t need a recreational boater’s card but I got one for Washington and one for Oregon. I’m actually surprised at the number of unlicensed AND licensed boaters who ignore or are ignorant of basic Nav. Rules.
I do think that just as you have to be licensed to drive a motor vehicle, so ought you have a license to operate a vessel on a public waterway.

9

Totally agree, a state issued license keyed to minimum national standard. Not too hard/expensive to get but still have some value to it could save many lives.

10

[QUOTE=AHTS Master;157916]No !!! Recreational boating is one of the last freedoms we have.[/QUOTE]

I felt the same way years ago, until I built a house on a river. The idiots were more noticeable. Then the county built a public boat ramp half a mile up the river and their numbers increased exponentially.

11

The only current requirements for recreational boaters appear to be the ability to sign their name on a no-money-down boat loan and the ability to drink a 12 pack before hitting the water.

12

Washington State has phased in a program, but says all you get is a fine if you don’t have your card. You also get a free pass if you are an old geezer, which I don’t really get. Wisdom and age do not go hand in hand. Leaves a lot of exempt morons out there, cause many sailboats that are over 30’ still have engines under 15hp. Covers most power vessels.

13

[QUOTE=AHTS Master;157916]No !!! Recreational boating is one of the last freedoms we have.[/QUOTE]

Amen.

A boater safety class requirement would be fine. But I ain’t getting no stinking license just to sail a Potter or Laser or paddle a kayak down the harbor. Now I can see hiring more Harbor police to crack down on unruly or unsafe boaters…regardless of the vessel.

But……IIRC……about 40 or so states already have educational and age requirements for operating a boat or personal water craft. It is not a license but an education certificate. Even where not required by law to get a boating “license” certificate, many recreational boaters take the course to save on insurance.

However,

“Any person convicted of any moving violation in the Harbors and Navigation Code, the Federal Rules of the Road and regulations adopted by the Department of Boating & Waterways while operating a vessel might be ordered by the court to complete and pass a boating safety course”

Safety class…Yes
Restrictions on Minor…double yes
License…HELL NO unless that license is just a simply permit validating safety classes.

14

[QUOTE=awulfclark;157883] Or are we talking about something similar to a drivers license, administered and issued by each state? Many states are doing this already.
[/QUOTE]

I’m for it, but I seriously doubt a state license would do very much good. Licensed drivers do a damn fine job of screwing things up as it is, and that’s with all sorts of signs, painted lines, curbs, etc. to remind them.

15

I race yachts and powerboats and work offshore…more education is needed.
I love asking the yacht guys, " can you name all the situations where sail gives way to power"

16

No, they should not have “license”, but they should have to take some kind of general class. Seeing some boaters on the Ches. Bay has made me feel that way.

17

Even small fishing craft get into trouble here in the Hampton roads area with all our rivers and tributaries. I read about someone capsizing or drowning or needing a tow all the time.

Some kind of license or certificate even for something larger than a stand-up paddleboard or kayak would be appropriate.

It doesn’t have to be complicated or tied to a medical cert…maybe even a one-day thing where you take a short test at the end.

18

I think all recreational boaters should be required to take some sort of class. Maybe only a couple hour class or 1 day, but something needs to be done. In my area, there is constant people getting themselves into trouble because they don’t know any better. Just the other day while I was out fishing, saw a sailboat anchored in the ship channel with an inbound tanker calling them on the radio. Sailboat keep telling the tanker that he had the right of way because he was a sailboat.
Then again, I’ve seen alot of so called “Captains” with the 6pak/OUPV license and can’t tell which side of the boat is the port side and which side is starboard. You can’t fix stupid.

19

[QUOTE=Wakbordr7387;158069]Just the other day while I was out fishing, saw a sailboat anchored in the ship channel with an inbound tanker calling them on the radio. Sailboat keep telling the tanker that he had the right of way because he was a sailboat.[/QUOTE]

The problem is the boater safety class (as far as I remember) doesn’t spend enough time on the rules and the result is people that think exactly this. Sail > power at all times, in all places.

20

[QUOTE=Wakbordr7387;158069]I think all recreational boaters should be required to take some sort of class. Maybe only a couple hour class or 1 day, but something needs to be done. In my area, there is constant people getting themselves into trouble because they don’t know any better. Just the other day while I was out fishing, saw a sailboat anchored in the ship channel with an inbound tanker calling them on the radio. Sailboat keep telling the tanker that he had the right of way because he was a sailboat.
Then again, I’ve seen alot of so called “Captains” with the 6pak/OUPV license and can’t tell which side of the boat is the port side and which side is starboard. You can’t fix stupid.[/QUOTE]

Obviously that wafi slept through high school physics as well.

I sometimes wonder if Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin are high fiving each other in Heaven.

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[QUOTE=Xavier6162;157974]Amen.

A boater safety class requirement would be fine. But I ain’t getting no stinking license just to sail a Potter or Laser or paddle a kayak down the harbor. Now I can see hiring more Harbor police to crack down on unruly or unsafe boaters…regardless of the vessel.

But……IIRC……about 40 or so states already have educational and age requirements for operating a boat or personal water craft. It is not a license but an education certificate. Even where not required by law to get a boating “license” certificate, many recreational boaters take the course to save on insurance.

However,

“Any person convicted of any moving violation in the Harbors and Navigation Code, the Federal Rules of the Road and regulations adopted by the Department of Boating & Waterways while operating a vessel might be ordered by the court to complete and pass a boating safety course”

Safety class…Yes
Restrictions on Minor…double yes
License…HELL NO unless that license is just a simply permit validating safety classes.[/QUOTE]

A certificate would be fine…something, anything other than “here’s the keys, enjoy your new bass boat”