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In Alabama you have to have a vessel endorsement on your Drivers License or a Coast Guard License to legally operate any power boat.
Operate "under the influence" land or sea and you lose your License.
To recieve the Vessel endorsement you must either complete a qualified boater safety course or pass the State's written exam. The exam is really relatively simple (similarly as tough as the automotive section) I spent about 45 minutes reading their study pamphlet and made 98/100 (70 to pass). This was at one time considered the toughest boater law in the nation (I don't know if it still is).
The Raleigh Sail and Power Squadron currently has 25 open seats for the Safe Boating and Skills Course, which starts on Sep 8. Classes are every Tue 7 - 9 pm. Exam is on Oct 20
"No individual has any right to come into this world and go out of it without leaving behind him distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it" - George Washington Carver.
I took a boater safety course in MD when I was younger. It was required in MD for everyone under a certain age and I have a little certification card. Does that count?
I was wondering about a similiar course my kids took a few years ago here in NC. Anybody know?
__________________ The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
My son took the Power Squadron Boating Safety course when he was 14 (now 16) to be able to operate a jetski. Will this suffice, or are boaters required to take a newly designed course?
i am 38 years old and have been on the water most of my life. i took my son and one of his friends to do the course last sunday. it was a 6 hour class and the most boring thing ever. i thought being he was taking it i would. could always use a little more education right? well , my son is 14 and knew everything on the test prior to going in. i agree it seems like a waste of time but all it cost me was time. now he is ready to go boating. if you look online you will see courese you pay after you pass. don't do them. it is a frre service offered by the nc wildlife.
__________________ 1979 manatee cuddy
1983 24 aqua patio
I had a friend on the boat who had his 25 ton Master's ticket. He had the sea time as crew, but I don't think he ever touched a wheel. I asked him to bump the boat in gear and he said "Which one, the red or the black knob?"
If the USCG gives out credentials to people who can pass the test and show sea time, but have never run a boat, how can we expect the a state run boater's license to make people safer boaters??
I guess it is not a bad thing, but I don't think it is all that good of a thing either.
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Captain James
TortugaCharters.net
I'm personally sorry if the gets under you skin as Government Control but when you have "weekend warriors" (sometimes only three times a year) flying down the ICW in a 30+ Foot heavy boat with No Idea what the rules are it can Get Bad. Last year we had a large power boat Run Over A Smaller Craft in Little River. I am sure one lady died later from this accident. Expensive boats do not give the person at the helm any more boating intelligence (especially after several cold ones)! I watched a guy yesterday pull a tube threw a No Wake Zone doing 30 knots. A guy on the fuel dock Yells at the Moron and he backs off. The sad fact is a higher ratio of people just don't give a crap any more, it's all about ME, Get Out of My Way. After doing 1,000+ miles in the ICW on a sailboat I could write a book about what I've seen idiots do and thanks to the Good Lord (most) got home safely without killing anyone or the other guy getting in trouble after offering up (and giving) an @ss kicking they deserved.
Two years ago I had a couple encounters with Cigarette boats. One in Snow's Cut that's pretty narrow. The Cigarette boat is at least 40' long, three pilots, all standing up with head sets on and the boat is coming at us doing well over 80 knots. I considered turning Port a small amount to squeeze them but held my line. When they blew by I could see their faces were blown out of shape from the wind. These guys were Nuts. If they'd hit someone there would have been fatalities. My wife about freaked. Sometimes I can't help but take a Poke at them on the radio but as usual they'll come back with something that Pees me off worse.
One thing I don't know how many Power boaters know... If you have no intentions of slowing down for small craft or sailboats, DON'T, Please SPEED UP. When you slow a large power boat down to where it's Plowing the wake is Twice as Bad if You'd just said "Screw-em" and kept hauling butt. As a general rule, if the power boat slows down to a fast plow I normally thank the Captain anyway but wonder if he never looks at his own wake.
We are members of the US Power Squadron they have a good Boating Course. I hope S.C. will follow suit.
Glad to see this coming. There are too many out there with no knowledge of the rules of the road that think horsepower means right-of-way. The only concern is that I hope the people that enforce this know what to enforce. Example: I am a USCG licensed captain with many years experience. Courtesy and care are my guides. Then I get pulled on Lake Norman by some county mountie in a boat after I stood on passing under a bridge because some guy following me in a larger boat did not throttle back in the no wake zone. This kid with a badge starts screaming at me when I went to place fenders over the side that he would approach my boat and tie off. I told him that he would not approach until I could protect my boat (he insisted that we talk right there in the middle of the busy channel) and it went south from there. After he finally caught a breath about my making wake under the bridge I proceeded to blow his hair back about the number 1 rule of avoiding a collision at all costs. He obviously knew nothing about the rules, only that there should be no wake under his precious bridge. Then I produced the license. You could see the blood drain from his body. He then changed the subject and asked where I fish. I said "offshore" and he pulled away. So good, train the boating public. Just make sure that enforcement folks know the rules and we will all be healthier and friendlier. Safe boating.
I'm am fine with requiring a boaters safety class. NJ made this law a few years back, and I took the class when I first graduated college. A lot of people who grow up around the water may already know all the rules of the road. I did not so I found it helpful.
My question is does anyone know if passing the class in another state can count for the NC requirement?
My youngest daughter and myself went to the class today in Greenville. She is 12 and actually seemed to enjpy the class. Overall, very nicely done. I can't wait for wife and oldest daughter to be able to attend one.
Boat License 
