im gonna get slammed for this response
but what the ****!!!!!!!!!
long time experienced boaters in general are an arrogant lot.
i put away boating for many yrs while raising a family just couldent afford it
the realities
food
mortgage
education
you all know what im talking about
when i finally decided to start boating again and teach myself all over again how to drive a boat
rather than being welcomed into the community i was shunned
herein lies the problem
as an experienced lot......... we need to welcome and educate
not ridicule
as far as the licence......
just an other tax grab

Well The people i know would grab your line at the dock,let u tie up to them, help you if you were in trouble, answer your questions. My point is I found that boaters are more friendly then people on the highways. There was always a beer on hand if the store was closed, and welcome aboard when the day was done. I dont know were you got all this attude but I know how helpfull the other 98% are. JMO

[QUOTE=born free;3263143]Well The people i know would grab your line at the dock,let u tie up to them, help you if you were in trouble, answer your questions. My point is I found that boaters are more friendly then people on the highways. There was always a beer on hand if the store was closed


I;ll take a glass of Bear

[QUOTE=buckknekkid;3263256]
For sure

I think that the concept of the card is good, however, the execution and training involved are not where they should be. I do think that at least by having to get your operators card, it makes someone at least read some general safety and rules of the road info, and hopefully retain some knowledge. There should be some practical portion of the exam to test basic knowledge of safety and operation of a powerboat.

I spent at least 70 days on the water this summer and I cannot remember one outing where I did not run into some moron doing something that makes you wonder how they lived this long. Most likely they had their operators card. So evidently there is not enough knowledge being taken from the testing.

I took my harbour license test this past spring, and they told me it would take between 1.5 and 2 hours to complete the test. The test was 20 questions, and took 5 minutes, and the practical portion was a 3 minute circle of a marina in a 30ft sailboat. Now I have been boating my entire life. Driven a 150ft yacht, and get paid to captain a 53 carver for the summer. The amount of information you receive in these tests does not nearly cover enough to make doing any of those safe.

The concept is a good start, and I believe with more of a practical portion of the test it could be successful, but by giving them out at every boat show and just letting people try the exam and offering it online where you can have your friends help you, does not help make the average boater more safe.