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Random Quote: Fishing is more than fish;it is the vitalizing lure to outdoor life. Herbert Hoover
The North Carolina General Assembly has passed Senate Bill 43 which mandates compuslory boater education. Effective May 1, 2010 all boatersunder the age of 26 must sucessfully complete a NASBLA approved boating safety course. Upon request from a law enforcement officer you must present a card showing that you have completed and passed the course.
The Greensboro Power Squadron is offering the course in both one day and four evening formats. For information go to www.greensboropowersquadron.org
__________________ John O
2007 Maycraft 2300PH w/225 Yammi
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?
Talking to a local game wardon at the beach there will be online courses available also. It may be a good thing for a young person or a beginner to go through. My son will take it.. he is 15 and can drive fine but he still may learn something out of it. No doubt it will generate some $$ for the state...
So where does a guy in the mountains go to take this course? We have no power squandron here that I know of? Just say'n....
Distance: 7.9 Miles - America's Boating Course
Squadron: Asheville District: 17
Contact: John J. Smith Phone: 828-687-0527
Email: jjssss@charter.net
City: Skyland, NC 28776 STATUS: Schedule Pending
Distance: 57.9 Miles - BoatSmart
Squadron: Lake Hartwell District: 26 - Web Site
Contact: Chris Rose Phone: 864-281-9774
Email: education@lake-hartwell.org
City: Mauldin, SC 29662 STATUS: Schedule Pending
Distance: 64.7 Miles - America's Boating Course
Squadron: Golden Corner Lakes District: 26 - Web Site
Contact: Gary Powell Phone: 864-654-4188
Email: powellgl@bellsouth.net
Location: Oconee Medical Center
City: Seneca, SC 29678
Start Date: SEP 08, 2009 Time: 07:00PM Registration Time: 06:30PM STATUS: Accepting Registrations
Click here to inquire about or pre-register for this class
For those in the Raleigh area, the Raleigh Power Squadron has a class that starts Sep 8
__________________
ProLine 23 Walk 250 Merc
"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.
In 1989 I took a US Coast Guard Boating course. Still have the certificate and plan to make a copy and keep it on the boat. Still good for insurance purposes and If that isn't good enough then tough. Idiot legislators! Couldn't get a budget done but had time to do this nonsense. Haven't looked yet but I wonder where the revenue stream runs.
I will never understand the resistance to boater education. I grew up in the Piedmont, and my dad never owned, rented or borrowed a boat in his life. I became interested after getting out of the Navy as an adult, bought a boat, and hit the local lake. Didn't know squat, and luckily, the lakes were not as crowded back then. After a few years, I went from a 17 to a 19 lake boat to a 30 foot saltwater capable express cruiser. (I'm back down to a 16 foot Lowe). Classes were not mandatory, but my wife and I both took the Boating, Seamanship, and Piloting courses from the Power Squadron. I could have just muddled along, and made mistakes at my own expense, and possibly, yours'. Unfortunately, I am convinced that the majority with no experience will just buy a boat, and never take a single class unless it is required. At a 26 year old cut off, most boat operators are excluded, but most PWC operators are probably included, which may have been the point anyway.
Since then, I have fished with guys who have boated all their lives, but never taken any formal classes. They are better watermen, and better boat handlers than I am, but on many occasions inshore, I have seen them plow through situations when they should have given way, and curse other boaters who were actually in the right. Sort of like drivers who don't realize that bikers actually have rights, and are not required to ride on the shoulder.
Those with a libertarian view of life will never be convinced of the need for another law, and those who see it as just another tax will never be convinced that someone else is not getting rich off their ten dollars.
But, if you have enough sense to not let your children go tubing on a crowed lake on the Fourth of July with a novice who just bought his first boat the day before, how safe are they really going to be in your boat on the same day with a hundred of those guys on the water. You probably feel that your childrens' friends are safe on your boat, but how do you feel when your kids ask to go boating with another family that you have no knowledge of the operators experience or skill level, even if he tells you that he has owned a boat for 5 years?
Most of us know enough to get by, but none of us know enough that we can't learn something new if we are open to it.
I would say that as long they offer an online test to "test out" of having to take the course it should be fine. By the time I was 15 I could handle a 18ft single screw well. I spent a lot of time on and around boats growing up. Between school, sports, homework, ect. I wouldn't really have had the time to take a class. On top of that I would have no way to get there.
A few years ago I went to get my captains license mainly because I wanted to learn chart plotting and navigation the old school way. You never know I could loose 2 GPS's. These would probably not be part of a basic boating course anyway.
Boating is best learned by boating. You do need to know basic safety and rules of the road. Thas is what is tested for a drivers license. Look how many people have those that can't drive at all. My point is operating a boat propperly probably won't be achieved by a state mandated class. It will bring the state revenue. It might keep a few idiots from jumping on a boat for the first time and speeding all over the water. I doubt it though. Most kids don't own boats and Dad makes sure you aren't going to wreck his before you can take it out without him. That is the group that the state is targeting.
Distance: 7.9 Miles - America's Boating Course
Squadron: Asheville District: 17
Contact: John J. Smith Phone: 828-687-0527
Email: jjssss@charter.net
City: Skyland, NC 28776 STATUS: Schedule Pending
Distance: 57.9 Miles - BoatSmart
Squadron: Lake Hartwell District: 26 - Web Site
Contact: Chris Rose Phone: 864-281-9774
Email: education@lake-hartwell.org
City: Mauldin, SC 29662 STATUS: Schedule Pending
Distance: 64.7 Miles - America's Boating Course
Squadron: Golden Corner Lakes District: 26 - Web Site
Contact: Gary Powell Phone: 864-654-4188
Email: powellgl@bellsouth.net
Location: Oconee Medical Center
City: Seneca, SC 29678
Start Date: SEP 08, 2009 Time: 07:00PM Registration Time: 06:30PM STATUS: Accepting Registrations
Click here to inquire about or pre-register for this class
"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.
Glacierbaze, you said everything I wanted to. Everyone should have a boater's safety course. People don't know how to operate a vessel in the ICW where there is no center line running down the middle. The requirements for who has to take the course will bump up a decade in age each year until everyone must take it. I took the PS course back in '87 and the CG course last year with my wife. I think they should have a "road test" at the end to see if people can back a trailer and launch and retrieve a vessel!!
__________________ ____________________________________
People learn things when I drink.
To drive an auto in NC, you have to pass a test to get a liscense in order to operate a motor vehicle.
History says that possessing that liscence doesn't prevent auto wrecks, because almost all people involved in or causing a wreck were liscensed by the state already.
What is a boat operator liscensing program going to do beyond hiring more people that worrk for the government??
I just see another money grab by another government regulation that requires yet another government run program that gets more of the good citizens wages in a tax that is not needed!!!!
Government. We citizens need to be more governed, BECAUSE WE CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS FOR OURSELVES!
__________________ Dog Tired
I'm for a government that is by the people and for the people!
I will never understand the resistance to boater education. I grew up in the Piedmont, and my dad never owned, rented or borrowed a boat in his life. I became interested after getting out of the Navy as an adult, bought a boat, and hit the local lake. Didn't know squat, and luckily, the lakes were not as crowded back then. After a few years, I went from a 17 to a 19 lake boat to a 30 foot saltwater capable express cruiser. (I'm back down to a 16 foot Lowe). Classes were not mandatory, but my wife and I both took the Boating, Seamanship, and Piloting courses from the Power Squadron. I could have just muddled along, and made mistakes at my own expense, and possibly, yours'. Unfortunately, I am convinced that the majority with no experience will just buy a boat, and never take a single class unless it is required. At a 26 year old cut off, most boat operators are excluded, but most PWC operators are probably included, which may have been the point anyway.
Since then, I have fished with guys who have boated all their lives, but never taken any formal classes. They are better watermen, and better boat handlers than I am, but on many occasions inshore, I have seen them plow through situations when they should have given way, and curse other boaters who were actually in the right. Sort of like drivers who don't realize that bikers actually have rights, and are not required to ride on the shoulder.
Those with a libertarian view of life will never be convinced of the need for another law, and those who see it as just another tax will never be convinced that someone else is not getting rich off their ten dollars.
But, if you have enough sense to not let your children go tubing on a crowed lake on the Fourth of July with a novice who just bought his first boat the day before, how safe are they really going to be in your boat on the same day with a hundred of those guys on the water. You probably feel that your childrens' friends are safe on your boat, but how do you feel when your kids ask to go boating with another family that you have no knowledge of the operators experience or skill level, even if he tells you that he has owned a boat for 5 years?
Most of us know enough to get by, but none of us know enough that we can't learn something new if we are open to it.
Well said. I would go a step further and make all boaters get a minimal amout of education. similar to a drivers license for a motor vehicle. I took the family out last weekend around MHC and observed so many disturbing things we headed to the ocean to get some space. We saw everthing from sail boats, PWC's, pontoon boats, canoes and other motor vessels doing in some cases dangerous stuff.
The power squadron will not be contributing any money to the state so this is about safety and not revenue. This is similar to the hunter education system which I also support.
Hey GB I resemble that remark about libertarians but this is about education not interference. I support the power squadron and there mission.
MM
I think the class is a good idea my daughter have taken it. But just because there is a class, you will still have idiot's on the water that can't drive a boat. Just like a drivers licence some folks still can't drive!!!
"History says that possessing that liscence doesn't prevent auto wrecks, because almost all people involved in or causing a wreck were liscensed by the state already."
Somebody always forwards this "argument" when boat licensing comes up. Do you really think there would be the same amount of wrecks if anybody could jump in a car and drive it, with no training and no knowledge of the laws??
We cruise the east coast from Key West to Massachusetts, and have covered most of the west coasts of FL and CA as well. We constantly see otherwise good-intentioned people doing the some of the most illegal and unsafe stuff. And when I was in my 20's, having boated most of my life, I was shocked at how much I "didn't know what I didn't know" when I took some courses.
Personally, I think this move to require some education and licensing is long overdue. And, it is exactly the kind of thing government should be doing, more so than its many lame attempts to engineer the economy.
New North Carolina Boater Education Law 
