Covid is an infectious disease. If YOU get it you’re endangering others. Nothing to do with freedom. Happy 4th! I’m going diving...
Diver struck by boat off Sandy Point
- Thread starter TuckerIdaho
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Covid is an infectious disease. If YOU get it you’re endangering others. Nothing to do with freedom. Happy 4th! I’m going diving...
AfterDark
Contributor
OP
TuckerIdaho
Contributor
Coast Guard has no interest in licensing beyond professional. Recreational is a waste of time for them and can be left up to states.
AfterDark
Contributor
Well the State of RI will f it up so we're better off doing nothing. The USCG can be compelled by law or executive order to do that which it may find a waste of time, but those giving the may orders disagree. That would be if those that giving the orders gave a fig.
All the USCG would do is give the course, the state would just not allow you to reg. a boat without proof you took it. A rather simple mission for both state and CG, KISS.
OP
TuckerIdaho
Contributor
Then you have the issue of enforcement. States have no interest in enforcing federal laws. There's no money in it for them. The CG is spread thin enough as it is, we're at maybe a tenth of the active stations we used to have now.
AfterDark
Contributor
There would be no Federal law for the state to enforce. The Federal law would only be it require the USCG to give a boating course for small boats liked they did in the past. It's nothing new just an old idea reborn.
The state would require anyone that wants to reg. a boat in RI prove they took the course. No federal law, no real state law either. It can be done thru regulation that the DEM can make without law. Regulations are what's used for small boats safety not law.
As far as money if it saves one life it's worth, at least that's what I'm told about giving up some of my rights one life make it all worth it, BS but there it is. As you posted the state of RI cares more about what money is in it for them, than boating safety regulation that may save a life. I agree.
AfterDark
Contributor
Shellfisherman hit, injured by boat off Warwick coast; operator cited | WPRI.com
Mark Nayman, 60, was diving for shellfish in about six feet of water when he was hit around 10:45 a.m., according to the R.I. Department of Environmental Management. He had a dive flag on his boat, the DEM said, and was swimming back when he was struck.
Nayman was brought to a nearby dock by a Warwick Fire Department boat then transported to Rhode Island Hospital to be treated for a head injury and a laceration to his right shoulder.
The DEM said the operator of the 21-foot boat, Philip McAndrew, 52, of East Greenwich, was cited for oerating a motorboat within 50 feet of a dive flag, improper lookout, failure to avoid a collision, and expired visual distress signals.
Mark Nayman, 60, was diving for shellfish in about six feet of water when he was hit around 10:45 a.m., according to the R.I. Department of Environmental Management. He had a dive flag on his boat, the DEM said, and was swimming back when he was struck.
Nayman was brought to a nearby dock by a Warwick Fire Department boat then transported to Rhode Island Hospital to be treated for a head injury and a laceration to his right shoulder.
The DEM said the operator of the 21-foot boat, Philip McAndrew, 52, of East Greenwich, was cited for oerating a motorboat within 50 feet of a dive flag, improper lookout, failure to avoid a collision, and expired visual distress signals.
The Coast Guard gives millions of dollars in grants to state boating law administrators so they can promote boating safety in their states.
This makes sense because the states do not have uniform boating laws, registration and titling of most recreational vessels are state matters, and there are lots waterways where (as TuckerIdaho mentioned) the Coast Guard has no boats or stations.
Also, a lot of the operational boating safety laws are state, not federal. For example, where I live, it's a Florida law, not a federal law, that boaters are supposed to try to stay 100 yards from a dive flag. (If it's also a federal law, someone can correct me.)
The Coast Guard has both enforcement and educational roles in boating safety, but (as of when I retired) it has neither the ambition nor the capability to license or certify the millions of recreational boaters.
This makes sense because the states do not have uniform boating laws, registration and titling of most recreational vessels are state matters, and there are lots waterways where (as TuckerIdaho mentioned) the Coast Guard has no boats or stations.
Also, a lot of the operational boating safety laws are state, not federal. For example, where I live, it's a Florida law, not a federal law, that boaters are supposed to try to stay 100 yards from a dive flag. (If it's also a federal law, someone can correct me.)
The Coast Guard has both enforcement and educational roles in boating safety, but (as of when I retired) it has neither the ambition nor the capability to license or certify the millions of recreational boaters.
AfterDark
Contributor
I don't know if you read my earlier posts on this but IMO education is more important than enforcement except where injury or death results and there are laws already to deal with that, the penalties could be changed but that's not my point.
My wife and I took a small boating course from the CG Aux. back in the 1980's it was very well done and really what every boat owner should know. I don't recall if there was a charge for the course but if there was it was money well spent.
The CG Aux or the CG could offer such a course to all boat owners as they did in the 1980's. The DEM thru regulation could make the completion of the course a requirement to register of a boat in RI, no card of course completion, no registration. As there is a regulation that all registered boats have the registration on board, make
a regulation that the card must also be on board. This would at least keep people from registering a boat without proper education in "the rules of the road". People would still buy a boat and risk operation without registration but then they will run afoul of both the USCG and the DEM as well as harbormasters and others that notice boats without hull numbers, for which there are already plenty of laws.
Enforcement isn't an issue, Federal vs State law isn't an issue, no new state laws would be required, there really are few roadblocks to doing this except funds to the CG to admin. the course.
This would be something like the AMA offering a motorcycle course and the state requiring proof it was taken before a motorcycle can be registered, instead of the state admin. the course the AMA would. In this case the CS would admin. the course.
AfterDark,
I agree that education is better than enforcement.
But the problem isn’t lack of available education. The Coast Guard Auxiliary still offers an assortment of courses, as do the Boat US Foundation and commercial training companies. The knowledge is out there for the taking.
Unfortunately, a lot of new boaters don’t know what they don’t know and don’t seek out the training they need.(Kind of like new divers?)
I agree that education is better than enforcement.
But the problem isn’t lack of available education. The Coast Guard Auxiliary still offers an assortment of courses, as do the Boat US Foundation and commercial training companies. The knowledge is out there for the taking.
Unfortunately, a lot of new boaters don’t know what they don’t know and don’t seek out the training they need.(Kind of like new divers?)
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