underpsi68

In NY I believe you have to have an observer on ANY vessel while tubing, skiing etc. You have to have at least a 3 person water craft as well.

4bus

iTrader: (4)

That is the law in NY, and should be the law everywhere.

wrinkleface

My understanding is an observer & a vessel that can hold all involved properly(not 4 people on a 2 seat pwc)Not 100 %

low_psi

Thats what I thought too. But I just looked at the Michigan Boating License and Safety Course manual and there is no mention of seating capacity.......

The story reads alcohol wasnt involved. If the operator of the boat (that struck the children) wasn't driving recklessly, I would hate to see charges brought in this case. Because if they are, I can see them being brought upon both the boat operator and the operator of the jet ski (if an observer was not present). If this was truly an accident, not caused by reckless operation, then dealing with the deaths of these two (third child isn't out of the woods just yet) children I would think is a punishment both operators will never outlive.

low_psi

need to clarify.... We don't know if the boat that struck the children was at fault, it verywell could have been the jet ski operators fault. I guess what I am saying is, if any charges are brought in this case, I don't see how the jet ski operator doesn't get charged (even if the boat operator was at fault) Unless the jet ski was within the current Michigan law and did have an observer. Right now it is all speculation. It is terrible no matter which way you look at it or where you point the finger. Either way 2 children were taken off this earth way too soon and a 3rd is critically injured and my possible be taken from us as well....

It brought a tear to my eyes last night, when I first read about it. I could not imagine loosing my daughter, add to that the guilt of possibly it being my fault..... I am not sure I could live with myself.

I guess the reason this story bothers me so much is we boat as a family (myself, 11 yr old daughter, and wife) every chance we get. This often 1-2 times a week (last year it was 3-4 times a week) during the summer. As the years pass, I see more and more reckless behavior on the water. Not always intentional.... But reckless behavior that could easily involve my family if one of these boats crosses paths with us. I am more aleart than ever when operation our boat. As a matter of fact, I pretty much assume every jet ski I see will cut in front of me at some point (in most cases I have been right...) So much to the point I will slow our boat down till it almost falls off plane when I see a Jet Ski in front of us (or off to the side). I remember last year, slowing down and my wife says to me "what is wrong, why are we slowing down?" I said (and pointed at the jet ski) "That's why?" My wife said to me "why, he is way off to the right?" I said "just wait.." Sure enough, without indication (or the operator looking behind him) he nails his throttle and cuts right across our path. Had I been traveling our normal speed, no doubt we would have collided. It would not have been my fault, but I can't imagine having to deal with that regardless of fault. Now throw into the mix, that my daughter could be injured if we were into an accident............... We enjoy boating as a family soooo much, I just couldn't imaging boating without my daughter or wife at my side. Sorry for the long post.....

Fenderjack

iTrader: (2)

MD is also the same, need 2 in a boat to do it legally( driver and spotter), also if on a ski, I am almost positive it has to be a 3 person ski to tow. We also must face that any twit and his brother can go out with zero boating exp and buy a boat. People no longer have or exercise common sense either. I know when I took my boater safety course in 91 that we had to tie a series of knots, do plotting that needed to be demonstrated infront of the instructors and class and answer a 1xx question test in a timed period. Now they are a BS test that can be done.

John jr

low_psi

Funny you mention the knots.... I launched my boat at a public ramp at the beginning of the season (I rack store, and previously used a private ramp). I was launching my Velocity 20 by myself and everyone at the ramp was looking at me like I was a total dumb a$$. I backed up the boat, slid it off the trailer, got out of my truck, calmly walked to the dock and tied the boat up. The guy who was operating the ramp came running down in a panic. "I was runiing down here to help you!" I told him I am all set as I proceeded to tie my boat up to post. He looked at me in amazement and said" wow you even know how to tie a proper knot. Most of the boaters here cant tie a knot" I said, well then they are not real boaters........... I got out of there as fast as possible as the other folks, once done staring at me as if I was a magician, went back to banging their boats up against the docks and the typical idiocy of public boat ramps.

pstorti

iTrader: (2)

its not that I disagree with you but if the idiots followed the laws that were enacted to protect them from themselves then we wouldn't need them in the first place. They are too stupid to get educated and make smart decisions no amount of laws will change that.

12meter joe

I read there was no observer/spotter. Very sad either way! People need to start paying more attention to their surroundings, espeacially with more and more unexpreienced people driving around like idiots. I can't believe the stuff I see every single weekend on lake st clair. They're gonna ruin it for everyone else eventually.

FIXX

iTrader: (2)

+100 i thought is was just my area that people did stupid chit like that..i see it all the time and also i see a tube being pulled in a narrow channel under a no wake zone and the tube with children on it fall off all the time which makes a BIG ruckus in the small long channel.

my hart goes out to the lost ones family..