Miami Marlins pitcher killed in boating accident

[Ventura Boy]

AA and a drug intervention would have been more effective in this case.

[TooStroked]

Ok not a license per-say but CG course maybe I don't know its a touchy subject and your probably right may not help at all. I don't just mean for this case but in general.. You ask which way to turn when 2 boats are on a head on path, which side has right of way when converging or what the marker colors mean and most have no clue at all. I just find it hard to believe you can buy a 30-40+ft boat not know one single thing about it and go out on the water and endanger everyone else lives. You probably have been boating all your life and took it upon yourself to learn most of this stuff as i did along with most on here who are responsible and don't want another govt mandated anything, i don't either, but my kids ,families and friends are out on the water all the time and the stuff i see on a regular basis is amazing. Dave

I truly appreciate your passion and your despair. Nobody likes responding to an incident that was both preventable and stupid. When drugs or alcohol are involved, it adds yet another dimension. But requiring a license or permit is what I'll call a "political solution." What's that? It's a solution proposed by self serving politicians more to further their careers than to have any meaningful effect.

For instance, several years ago in the state where I live, a 31' cruiser with a fly bridge capsized after a fireworks demonstration and two innocent young children drowned when the boat sank with them trapped inside. Truly tragic. Oh, and the boat had something like 27 people on board. The true shining star of political solutions - Senator Chuck Schumer - came to the "aid" of the grief stricken families by proposing that all boats (as opposed to just boats under 20 feet right now) should have Capacity Labels on them. This, he said would have prevented the awful tragedy. Really? The root cause problem was that the captain was a complete idiot.

I work at a marina where we have approximately 250 boats. I'd put good money on the fact that 99.9% of the boat owners having capacity information labels on their boats couldn't tell you what the limits are. But who in their right mind would come out against such "meaningful" legislation?

I truly do not know what the solution to tragedies like this is. Studies have shown that the worst (drug and alcohol abuse) offenders are actually repeat offenders too. So tickets, license suspensions and even jail time apparently have little preventative effect. But I do feel (strongly) that political solutions such as licensing have little or no real effect.

Tom

[David - WI]

We have some requirements for "boater's safety class" but like most of what the WI DNR does; it's kind of ass-backwards because people born before 1989 are exempt.

It's the 40 year-old who has never driven a boat before but just bought a million dollar "cottage" on the lake and decides he should have a 500hp Nautique hanging in the lift that you need to watch out for. And him "supervising" his dumbass kids isn't going to make them safe drivers, either.

[flabum1017]

I do think it would be a good idea to have mandatory boating training for everyone who owns a boat and the option for us experienced fellas just to go take a quick test. Just the basics; rules of the road, what to do in an emergency and basic seamanship. There are plenty of schools around or the Coast Guard can do an online course. I'm like you all and hate more regulations, but it's my theory that laws and regulations are created mostly due to stupid people doing stupid things.

[TooStroked]

I think some folks are missing the main point here. No amount of safe boater training / licensing is going to overcome drug and alcohol use (or abuse) while boating - period. Sad but true.

[Li'l Toy]

I have hated licenses since my kids were forced to get them. My then 9 year old daughter blamed it all on Gloria Estefan--a jet skier killed himself when he tried to jump the wake of her yacht and got the transom instead, then the law got passed.

But, we do need some kind of education. My eyes got opened when I joined a friend and a boat salesman for a test drive of a 23' center console. I realized real quick that he had no idea to stay on the right side of the channel, and no idea to cross wakes at a 90 degree angle. Things I took for granted were just nowhere in his experience. Somebody has got to give people like him the basics. We probably can't stop drunks from getting drunk and idiots from being idiots (just go watch a big ramp in Miami any weekend) but maybe we can reduce the number of truly ignorant boaters on the water with us.

[powerabout]

Basic education with cut in insurance rate would help.
I think tres martins school gets you that?

[mr fun]

the more regulation that is placed on any activity means more cost and less freedom for us all, look at motorcycles for instance, how many idiot punks are killed every year on machines they allow themselves to get into situations they cannot overcome? I spend my entire days in city traffic in a semi dealing with idiots who cannot drive responsibly, yet to ride a bike I just bought I have to spend damn near 200 bucks and 3 days to ride the FN thing, BS.

[powerabout]

Once you have congestion you need rules

[mr fun]

reminds me of a tee shirt I saw once, "YOU, OUTTA THE GENE POOL!"

[whipper]

We have mandatory licencing hear and its just a money grab. It has done nothing at all for dumb ass boaters and the ones that drink are the worst!! You can get it from your home on the computer. I have people i know who had some one else answer the questions for them pay the 20 bucks done. Joke. 90% of boater have no idea who has the right of way let alone know how many drinks is to many. i have a zero alcoholic or drug policy when operating a water craft. i wont even go play if im tired. Full attention all the time is the only safe way especially when it gets busy. Mind you ive been sober for 30 years this year so I know thats a bit like cheeting!! haha I am no hypocrite though. If some one has a beer or two no problem. I know everyone does it. Its when it starts to impair ones judgment and the faster the boat the more its important. I can get out of the way of most wake or ski boats with an Allison but I cant get out the way of another Allison, STV, Skater,Progression,Cougar, Tuff, Talon,Hydro Stream or the like. please think before ya boat.

[flabum1017]

Once you have congestion you need rules

Wasn't very much congestion in Government cut at 3 A.M. It's true that you will always have those who get wasted and drive boats just as they do in cars. But there's a larger number of people out on the water that are simply uneducated.

[WillySteve]

Government intervention is not the answer IMO....but we do need some way to educate Average Dumb Ass Joe!
If the local law enforcement officers would get more involved and start writing tickets then, (maybe?), things would change somewhat?
Maybe a State could make a mandatory education class for those who are registering a boat for the 1st time???
On an average Summer weekend on my home lake I will see 3-4 boats that have their starboard/bow lights installed backwards!!!! When I say something to these idiots, then I am the idiot....sometimes tempers will fly but I'm damn sure not happy and I'm sure gonna run you down and tell you!!!!
Myself like you all do not wanna be on the water along with uneducated boaters.....especially at night!!!

[mr fun]

I have endorsements to haul haz mat including explosives and do, tanks, doubles triples, with no points on my license after 23 yrs of being in this biz, yet I have to spend money to ride a motorcycle. see my point. same with forced boating licensing, yes there are numnuts out there, but adding to restrictions to keep people from being able to enjoy the pleasure of boating would not have prevented this accident.

[flabum1017]

See what I'm saying? It's because of the idiots, druggies and alcoholics that we need the regulations. I hate new rules and laws just as much as you guys. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there on the water who should not be there. Some of you who are out there in the areas where there are few problems if any see it differently than someone like me who is a marine mechanic in the Venice Of America, the Boating Capitol Of America where we have every dumb-ass in the country coming to visit. I have seen everything from groundings to 100' yachts running 50 yards up a beach to deckboats going under barges ( http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/199...e-clinton-ward ) to Sonics running completely through Tiara's (Stanley Cameron), boats sinking because it rained and the owners think batteries last forever, boats running into bridges and markers,boats catching on fire because the owner ignores the overheat alarm, boats sinking from overloading, Kids dying because their parents let them take the boats out in the ocean unsupervised, boats going full throttle into seawalls and bridges, people losing their foot or their lives from spinning propellers, captains falling off boats in rough seas and getting run over by said boat...... (all of these happened here and can be found on a google search).99% of these could have been prevented with common sense, but obviously people have no common sense and laws are needed. Personally, I say don't create more laws and let the natural law of elimination cure the problem.