I never said you were a bunch of crazies riding around on ticking time bombs. I just said that MOST people don’t realize how dangerous gasoline can be. (Most people on here realize that since we’re into motor vehicles and all, but the general public is a different story).
That’s all I was going for. So yeah, this got really derailed.
Ain’t that the truth. Fortunately most of the time the results are humorous for the rest of us. I’ve had a couple of close calls with the uninformed…it’s not fun.
A license, no fucking way. All a license is a way to tax you over and over. People are way to accepting of the fact that you’re only tested once for a driver’s license but get charged for it the rest of your life.
I wouldn’t mind seeing the Coast Guard safe boating course be a requirement though. Do it once, get your stamp, that’s the end of it. None of this, “we’re going to charge you every 5 years even though we never retest you or do really anything administrative” crap.
however you can get people to learn is fine by me. Fact is, I truly believe that if this person knew the proper procedure, and had the proper safety equipment on board, his boat would be minimally damaged right now.
You’re both right… Mine costs me $150 minimum every 5 years. It’s just a bunch of administrative bureaucratic BS. IMO, there should be a mandatory boating course of some sort that teaches rules of the road, nav general, deck general, very basic chartplotting, and throw in some first aid and firefighting. You should have to at least pass an exam to get your stamp and be good to go with no need for renewals.
I have no idea how pleasure boat insurance works, so what happens in the case of this fire? Who pays who for what?
Exactly. Jetskis I believe you have to take a course, just because the ratio of assclowns to responsible owners was so bad they got enough attention to get a law passed.
I don’t think insurance is even required if you have a loan on a boat. I had a loan on mine and don’t remember them every asking for any proof of insurance. I went from BoatUS to Progressive while I still had the loan too and no one every mentioned it.
If you want a boat PLEASE read and learn first, especially who has the right of way, and what equipment you need, and what to do in an emergency, and how to use the radio, I can’t count the amount of stupidity I hear on the radio.
You do not NEED insurance, or any safety course of any kind (I believe that PWC’s do need a safety course). You do need to register it though, and you would be stupid not to have insurance, it’s so cheap. IIRC my boat is $90 a year to insure, and you can set a value, mine’s twice what I paid for it… Unless it’s an UNPOWERED sailboat like my Hobie. Since my O’day has an auxiliary engine, it must be registered, my Hobie does not, so none needed.
I’ve been on boats quite a bit, just never knew the logistics of owning one. Nice that insurance is that cheap. I couldn’t see it being high considering how cheap bike insurance is.
Just bear in mind that EVERY boat on the water no matter what size or type is required to abide by the rules of the road.
5 short blasts of a whistle means?
When two sailing vessels have the wind on the same side, which vessel keeps clear of the other?
Unless otherwise agreed, when two power driven vessels are meeting on a reciprocal course so as to involve risk of collision, how shall the vessels alter course?
At night, you see 3 lights in a vertical line. The upper and lower lights are red, the center is white. What type of vessel is this?
This is the stuff that EVERY boater is REQUIRED to know…even though nobody does. But, if you can’t answer those questions you need to do some reading before you hit the water so you can be an informed/safe boater.
Don’t know, don’t care, because I don’t own a sailing vessel and don’t ever plan to. Should I ever get one I’ll learn about their rules. As a powerboater all I need to know is they generally get the right of way because I’m faster and more maneuverable.
Trick question. There isn’t enough info provided to determine who is the stand-on vessel. Assuming identical boats, identical maneuverability etc it is the responsibility of each vessel to alter course to starboard. Technically you are both supposed to sound one horn blast to confirm this. If every person in the river did this horns would be sounding every 2-3 seconds and it would ruin an afternoon on the water.
You got me on this one. In my 30 years on the water I can’t say I’ve ever even seen it. I went over to BoatUS and looked through their section on navigation lights and they don’t even make mention of it.
By definition it’s the danger signal, but close enough. It indicates “doubt of intention” on the part of another vessel
The vessel to windward is required to keep clear of the vessel to leeward.
BTW, it doesn’t matter if you own a powerboat, by law you are required to know ALL the rules of the road before you take out your boat
Your answer is correct. It’s not a trick question really. The “official” answer is exchange 1 short blast of the whistle, alter course to stbd. The rules state that on inland waters, whenever two vessels pass within 1/2 mile of each other, if arrangements are not agreed on by radio, whistle signals must be exchanged. That’d work really great on the river. I seldom use whistle signals, I use the radio a LOT.
Vessel restricted in ability to maneuver, not making way. You’ll see this light arrangement on tugs, dredges, etc.
A few more:
You see a vessel displaying dayshapes, 2 cones, point to point. What type of vessel is this?
A 300M power driven vessel underway must display what lights?
Risk of collision exists when?
In a meeting situation on the Ohio River, which vessel has the right of way?
You are underway in fog and forward of your beam you hear 3 distinct strokes of a bell followed by the rapid ringing of the bell for 5 seconds followed by 3 distinct strokes of bell followed by the rapid sounding of a gong for 5 seconds. What action do you take?
Who’s going to enforce this “law”? The Coast Guard isn’t going to pull over a powerboater and say, “Hey, you see those two sailboats about to meet, which one has the right of way?” then ticket you for not knowing. I’ve been on the water 30 years and I’ve never seen it. My family has been boating for 3+ generations and have never seen it.
That would be like a trooper pulling you over in your car and asking you some reg about tractor trailers, then writing you a ticket for “not knowing”. You can’t be ticketed when you haven’t broken a law.
