Give way no chance

[johnalison]

Maybe an argument for compulsory licensing including practical boat handling and a genuine classroom examination of all the other stuff.. You can't use a vhf without one but you can skipper a boat.

Everyone driving a car takes a driving test,( except those who don't, of course).Do you think that road manners have become exemplary as a result?

 

[greeny]

Everyone driving a car takes a driving test,( except those who don't, of course).Do you think that road manners have become exemplary as a result?

Not exemplary but at least most people have some understanding, knowledge and ability once they pass the test. It seems that many boat owners don't, if this thread is anything to go by.

 

[NotBirdseye]

Everyone driving a car takes a driving test,( except those who don't, of course).Do you think that road manners have become exemplary as a result?

Yes. They are very much better than they'd otherwise be. This is proven and everywhere where proper testing is introduced sees an improvement in behaviour.

 

[Blue Sunray]

Everyone driving a car takes a driving test,( except those who don't, of course).Do you think that road manners have become exemplary as a result?

I have worked in a European country in which, at the time, most drivers had not passed or indeed taken a test. Based on that it does make a considerable difference.

 

[greeny]

I have worked in a European country in which, at the time, most drivers had not passed or indeed taken a test. Based on that it does make a considerable difference.

Deleted - misread your post.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

I sail an engineless keelboat out of Hamble fairly frequently, and recently I'm finding that it's the sailing boats who are the most clueless. Might be that I've generally given hand signals to motor boats, but sort of expect the sailors to know what I'm likely to do. Last week was a gem. 25-27ft-ish sailing boat with main up motoring out into wind is just about to ram us from behind and gesticulates as he tells me that I'm in his way and that he's worried about his draft. In the entrance of the river. At High Water. If you're the Dad of the two lads that were borrowing it, have a word. Explain what the throttle does.

 

[greeny]

Portugal, Arade river, yesterday, going up the river estuary in my 5m rib. Doing circa 18 knots just keeping on the plane nicely. Two 10m plus power boats going in the same direction came up on my stbd quarter maybe 15m away kicking up big wakes. At first I thought, mmm going too fast, but hey ho they're going to overtake me they must be in a hurry. I need to edge away from them because of the wash coming my way soon.
They then slowed down to the same speed as me and held station off my stbd quarter. Lots of room in the river and no other boats around.
I needed to turn to stbd but couldn't because of them being too close. If i slow down I get swamped, I can't turn in front of them. I try to get their attention visually. No response. Too busy talking with the girlies.
So I peel off to port and complete a circle, slowing down to meet their wash head on, then continuing in the direction I needed to go.
No acknowledgement from either boat as they swept past.
Both boats SSR registered. Presumably Brits.

In my experience, it's usually the Brits who don't know what they're doing out here, not the locals, but then again the locals all have to take a test, the Brits don't.

Brits in sailing boats and most larger mobos tend to have the knowledge and follow the rules it seems.
Brits in ribs and smaller powerboats and of course jetskis often don't.
This is of course a generalisation and I am not saying that all powerboat and jet ski owners don't know jack, but there does seem to be a higher level of incompetence in that group. Thinking about it, the age of that group tends to be lower than the owners of larger vessels. This may also be relevant.
In my view everyone should have to be tested and licensed before they get to operate a boat.
It may not completely stop the idiots but it would certainly raise the level of knowledge on the water.

 

[NotBirdseye]

That said a license would also be a barrier for some people to get on the water in the first place...

 

[johnalison]

I have worked in a European country in which, at the time, most drivers had not passed or indeed taken a test. Based on that it does make a considerable difference.

OK. It makes a bit of a difference, but not enough for a significant proportion of drivers to cause mayhem daily. Hardly sufficient evidence for the imposition of bureaucracy into the world of yachting where the risk to third parties is relatively small.

 

[Sandyman]

That said a license would also be a barrier for some people to get on the water in the first place...

Not at all, that's what a provisional licence is for. At least I though it was

Well well well how times have changed. Many years ago I spoke on here about compulsory licencing & testing but got pilloried by the weekend sailors & the Romford Navy mob

 

[Stemar]

The worst incident for me was a good few years ago when a couple of challenge yachts were racing. close hauled on port. I was close hauled, well, as close hauled as a Snapdragon can manage, on starboard. The first boat altered course a couple of degrees and passed close, but safely astern. The second just kept going. He's going to give way ... He's going to give way ... better hold my course. F..... no he isn't - crash tack, no time to do anything with the sheets, just GTFO or be cut in half. It's the only time I've ever put in a CHIRP report. Unfortunately, that iteration of Challenge went bust a few weeks later, so they never got to talk to the skipper.

The skipper must have had all the bits of paper anyone could ask for, but it didn't make him fit to be let loose on any bit of water bigger than the Gosport model boating lake.

 

[GHA]

Brits in sailing boats and most larger mobos tend to have the knowledge and follow the rules it seems.
Brits in ribs and smaller powerboats and of course jetskis often don't.
This is of course a generalisation and I am not saying that all powerboat and jet ski owners don't know jack, but there does seem to be a higher level of incompetence in that group. Thinking about it, the age of that group tends to be lower than the owners of larger vessels. This may also be relevant.
In my view everyone should have to be tested and licensed before they get to operate a boat.
It may not completely stop the idiots but it would certainly raise the level of knowledge on the water.

Would agree in general sailing brits are better on the water than our Iberian peninsula friends. And they are the ones with the pieces of paper.. Exams do less than a culture of self education.

 

[capnsensible]

I firmly believe that qualifications in a leisure hobby should be voluntary. If it's made compulsory after all these years of relative freedom for the less well heeled to participate in then numbers will dry up and the maintenance of standards would be hopeless.
A good proportion of those new to the water see the hazards very quickly and find some kind of coaching to help them.
A volunteer is better than ten pressed men.

 

[NotBirdseye]

I firmly believe that qualifications in a leisure hobby should be voluntary. If it's made compulsory after all these years of relative freedom for the less well heeled to participate in then numbers will dry up and the maintenance of standards would be hopeless.
A good proportion of those new to the water see the hazards very quickly and find some kind of coaching to help them.
A volunteer is better than ten pressed men.

Driving is a leisure hobby...

 

[GHA]

I firmly believe that qualifications in a leisure hobby should be voluntary. If it's made compulsory after all these years of relative freedom for the less well heeled to participate in then numbers will dry up and the maintenance of standards would be hopeless.
A good proportion of those new to the water see the hazards very quickly and find some kind of coaching to help them.
A volunteer is better than ten pressed men.

Though......... a few days in a Caribbean listening to the awful VHF radio etiquette from the stars n strips boats might be a strong case for continuing compulsory VHF courses & exams

 

[Sandy]

oi ! ! ! . . . . . . I fly one of them when I can be bothered to put the flags out ?

ha, ha. I usually forget to put the flags out as well. ?

 

[capnsensible]

Though......... a few days in a Caribbean listening to the awful VHF radio etiquette from the stars n strips boats might be a strong case for continuing compulsory VHF courses & exams

Yeah I bet those guys at Sparkle Laundry will be right up for that!

 

[Rappey]

Hmmmmm?

 

[dulls]

Maybe an argument for compulsory licensing including practical boat handling and a genuine classroom examination of all the other stuff.. You can't use a vhf without one but you can skipper a boat.

We dont need more regulation.....The UK boatie is on the whole pretty competent compared to other places.

 

[zoidberg]

oi ! ! ! . . . . . . I fly one of them when I can be bothered to put the flags out ?

You should have two of 'em!