“It's not right to pass laws for people to protect themselves. People will find a way to be stupid and hurt or kill themselves.”


Operating a vessel is a lot different than driving a car. Most people are actually taught to drive, either in school or by a relative. You have to pass a test to demonstrate your ability to drive safely. Most would agree that this is a good system. It saves lives. Will some people drive like morons? Sure, but doing so they risk losing their license and that alone is a big deterrent.

Joe Blow, on the other hand, buys a 28 footer with a couple of 250's on the stern, pops a cold cerveza and proceeds to tear up the Bay. You can read about a different Joe Blow most Monday mornings in the Miami Herald. The stories usually involve fatalities.

A mandatory boating course, covering the basics of boat handling, docking, passing while underway, set and drift, dead reckoning, emergency radio procedure, etc. would make the waterways safer for everyone. It might have even saved the lives of these two boys from Jupiter.


Regards,

Bob

Dyslectics Untie!


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