|
May I See Your Boat Operator’s
License? By Craig Lamb
If you compete in tournaments as a boater in 23 states, then
you might be subjected to that question if stopped on the water
by a marine enforcement officer. Up until a few years ago the
only scenario you’d have encountered such questioning was on the
roadside by a police officer, inquiring about your driver’s
license.
As of last year, 42 states now require some type of boating
safety certification, with the number increasing. Of that
number, 23 states make it mandatory for their residents to have
passed an exam and some require non-residents to hold a
reciprocating boating safety certificate from their home state.
The trend is not surprising, considering the growing number
of boating accidents recorded each year by state and federal
authorities, coupled with the liability issues faced by marine
law enforcement agencies. The trend toward mandatory boating
safety education is expected to grow for those reasons.
And why not? You already have a license in your wallet that
is required for driving an automobile on the highway. In the
open water, there is no “highway” to contain boats, leaving to
chance which way to steer as the boat is zipping across the
lake. That is unless, of course, you know the basic rules of the
water after taking a boating safety course.
Unfortunately, the mentality still exists by many that
operating a boat isn’t in the same league as getting behind the
wheel of an automobile. The statistics show that presumption is
wide off the mark.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 88 percent of boaters
involved in accidents on the water had not taken a boating
safety course. The excuses range from not wanting to commit the
time required to take the course, to simply being unaware that
such courses do indeed prevent accidents from happening.
Boating accident statistics put the spotlight on the reasons
why educational courses and certification are sometimes taken
too lightly or ignored altogether by recreational boaters.
Alabama led the way in mandatory boating education with a
ground-breaking legislation that prohibits anyone under the age
of 12 from operating any motorized vessel on its waterways. What
is more, boaters are not allowed to operate a vessel without
adult supervision until reaching the age of 14. Even so, persons
12 years of age and older who operate a motorized vessel on
Alabama waters are required to have an Alabama Boat Operator’s
Certificate.
Boating education has come a long way in recent years, due in
part to the Internet. Before cyberspace helped make course
material easier and quicker to comprehend, there was only the
classroom environment in which to learn the curriculum. In the
mind of the average guy wanting to get away from it all for a
weekend of recreational boating, sitting in a classroom for
hours and taking an exam didn’t mix with the fun.
If your state does not require mandatory boating safety
certification, it’s a wise move to complete a course and carry
the proof if you compete in a tournament out-of-state where the
law requires it.
A growing number of states offer online boating safety
courses, eliminating the time and effort needed to take the
curriculum in a classroom. Another option is the free online
course offered by BoatU.S. Foundation. The interactive,
non-proctored course and exam has been approved by the National
Association of Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and is
recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard as exceeding the minimum
requirements for the National Recreational Boating Safety
Program.
The BoatU.S. Foundation’s Free Online Boating Safety Course’s
“General Boating Course” covers 75 total questions. The test
covers a broad range of topics that are appropriate for
recreational boaters. Upon completion, you will receive a
certificate of completion.
Check with your state’s boating safety authorities for
specific information on local boating license laws and boating
safety certification requirements. The BoatUS course is approved
to meet the basic boater education requirements for most
operators for the following states: Alaska, Arkansas,
California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky,
Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North
Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South
Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Since 1984, the BoatU.S. Foundation has provided a toll-free
“Foundation Courseline” as a free service to boaters, supplying
current information on boating safety courses offered around the
nation. The “Courseline Online” is the new Internet program to
support the Courseline. After years of success, the BoatU.S.
Foundation now makes this information available on the Internet
for your added convenience.
Most courses in the BoatU.S. database are instructed by
volunteers. In some cases, a nominal fee may be collected to
cover materials. Additionally, there are courses offered by
participating state agencies. In areas where there are few
volunteer courses available, some private courses are listed.
(Information on the course is available online at
http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/.)
Elsewhere, you’ll need to check with your state’s boating law
administrator, most often connected to the game and fish agency.
Or, you can contact BoatU.S. toll-free at (800) 336-BOAT (2628)
for information on where to locate a classroom-based course.
|
