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-   -   BOATING SAFETY-- what do you think? (https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/general-boating-discussion/133575-boating-safety-what-do-you-think.html)

Semper Fi 06-24-2006 11:45 AM

BOATING SAFETY-- what do you think?
 
I was thinking of all this speed and hype with boats these days and I had a few thoughts.....

Alot of racing organizations (boats, cars, Nascar, Formula 1, etc....) have been slowing down speeds of their races because of safety issues. As technology improves, so will speeds therefore increasing liabilities.

Nascar has successfully slowed down racecars over the last 5 years or so by regulating the engines, aerodynamics, fuel supply, etc.....for safety of the drivers.

Now the Factory 1 and Factory 2 race boats are being slowed down for safety reasons as well. I do believe they are required to have 496HO motors instaed of the 525's.

Todays Poker Runs are attracting extremely fast boats, they are usually alot faster than most raceboats. I wonder where this will all end? I do realize that with all the R&D comes faster, more efficient powerboats, but safer powerboats? Some of the big cats, and fast V bottoms are running rediculous speeds these days. I am a speed junkie too, but I wonder if we could be doing more harm to our sport by having extremely fast boats---ie, accidents, insurance claims, deaths and insurance premiums going sky high.

what are your thoughts?

Clay Washington 06-24-2006 12:19 PM

Re: BOATING SAFETY-- what do you think?
 
LOL! I have only been hurt once while boating. I was going dead slow and the engine was off! :rolleyes:

Panther 06-24-2006 12:43 PM

Re: BOATING SAFETY-- what do you think?
 
I tend to agree. When you have guys running 180 mph in open cockpit boats on an afternoon cruise in the poker run it makes you wonder. But at those speeds there's just too much that can go wrong, there's no time to fix a mistake at that speed.

I love going fast but I think there's a time and a place for everything, save it for the race course.

Semper Fi 06-24-2006 04:06 PM

Re: BOATING SAFETY-- what do you think?
 

Originally Posted by Panther
I tend to agree. When you have guys running 180 mph in open cockpit boats on an afternoon cruise in the poker run it makes you wonder. But at those speeds there's just too much that can go wrong, there's no time to fix a mistake at that speed.

I love going fast but I think there's a time and a place for everything, save it for the race course.


I personally think that 140+ is way too fast for pleasure boats. Figure if you are racing, there is alot of medical expertise/ lifeflight on hand to help you. If you are pleasure boating and running that fast, your chances of help are significantly reduced. You are right, with fast speed there is alot that can go wrong-- especially at those speeds.

I look at it this way....how many of us are actually running 125+ mph in our boats? I bet it is a very small percentage. It's cool that some manufacturers can run extremely fast speeds, but I would guess that only 1% of all of us on OSO will actually ever have a boat that runs 160+ anyway. I think in the long run...these speeds are going to really hurt us. I personally think it already has. Our insurance rates are very high.

cuda 06-24-2006 08:26 PM

Re: BOATING SAFETY-- what do you think?
 
Personally, I don't feel the need to go much over 70 myself, but to each their own.

offshoredrillin 06-24-2006 08:31 PM

Re: BOATING SAFETY-- what do you think?
 

Originally Posted by Semper Fi
I was thinking of all this speed and hype with boats these days and I had a few thoughts.....

Alot of racing organizations (boats, cars, Nascar, Formula 1, etc....) have been slowing down speeds of their races because of safety issues. As technology improves, so will speeds therefore increasing liabilities.

Nascar has successfully slowed down racecars over the last 5 years or so by regulating the engines, aerodynamics, fuel supply, etc.....for safety of the drivers.

Now the Factory 1 and Factory 2 race boats are being slowed down for safety reasons as well. I do believe they are required to have 496HO motors instaed of the 525's.

Todays Poker Runs are attracting extremely fast boats, they are usually alot faster than most raceboats. I wonder where this will all end? I do realize that with all the R&D comes faster, more efficient powerboats, but safer powerboats? Some of the big cats, and fast V bottoms are running rediculous speeds these days. I am a speed junkie too, but I wonder if we could be doing more harm to our sport by having extremely fast boats---ie, accidents, insurance claims, deaths and insurance premiums going sky high.

what are your thoughts?

my thoughts? I couldnt agree more about the insurance end of it, I was the 3rd or 4th poster on the original thread and everyone said I said the sky was falling.:D:D

dean51267 06-24-2006 09:44 PM

Re: BOATING SAFETY-- what do you think?
 
This week there was an accident on our local lake, a very prominent real estate agent was driving a bass boat, late at night, with several people in it, at apparently high speed. Two are dead, one is critical, the driver swam to help. ONe of the dead was his wife, a mother of two small children, all were in their mid 30's.

Each year we have several deaths on the lake here, but almost all are either people diving into shallow water, or in bass boats. Granted on a rare occasion the powerboat community is involved, but it is far more often some guy in a bass boat with 2' freeboard between him and water running 70 mph.

With that thought I think mandatory driving licenses should be required, maybe not to drive, but someone in hte boat should have to attend at least some degree of trainning.

I am as anti-goobernment as anyone, but that stupid azz in the boat beside me who is half drunk and wants to jump waves in his bass boat scares me a bunch more than the local cost guard auxillary retiree....

ActiveFun 06-24-2006 10:45 PM

Re: BOATING SAFETY-- what do you think?
 
I don't think anyone should regulate horsepower. Safety courses and/or licenses may be good. People need to be safe and follow the rules but If you have the dollars you should be able to build whatever you want. Why would you want someone to mandate what you run in a Poker Run? Then it is totally all over for us.

orss 06-25-2006 01:04 AM

Re: BOATING SAFETY-- what do you think?
 
well that is been a controversy subject for some time know, when ron polly write that article about safety and how poker run was becoming in races a lot people was upset, but he was speaking the true, poker runs are more fast that a lot of races , there engines are not regulated , in offshore races we have accidents , running lest speed and those guys are professional,
Can you imagine the damage for boater that a high speed boat accident in a poker run can cause?
insurance companies are looking at this situation really close,people and agencies are looking at this really close to.
so if you can't get insurance or permit to run a poker run , how are you going to do it?

in offshore races we have at least 4 to 6 helicopters in the air, plus medicals boat with divers and medic on board , and is only maybe 13 to 15 boat racing at the same time,
HOW much safety a poker run can offer for sometimes hundreds of boat at the time?
know if in top of that you put a lot of speed is going to be a meter of time before something really wrong happen.
well how much a life worst?that is the question,



now think is your life or the life of someone you love,

orss 06-25-2006 01:17 AM

Re: BOATING SAFETY-- what do you think?
 

Originally Posted by ActiveFun
I don't think anyone should regulate horsepower.] ***i agree with you on that point.


Safety courses and/or licenses may be good. People need to be safe and follow the rules] *** i agree in this part to

but If you have the dollars you should be able to build whatever you want.]****** i totally disagree in this one. why? because that i have the dollars doesn't mean that i'm capable of run a high speed boat, putting in danger other people life's, just because i have the dollars to buy the faster boat :rolleye$$$$$$$$$$ :eek:


Why would you want someone to mandate what you run in a Poker Run?]******* well simple , because that way will be safer.






Then it is totally all over for us.

*****not really is suppose to be over the people that organize the poker run, why, well they have to have the right amount of safety resources on hand to run a safe event, like, helicopters with divers, boat with divers and medical personnel , ambulances and hospitals stand by,

why is not like that? well that cost a lot of money , and unfortunately people are always taking chances and putting people in risk.


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