RE: catalina27-talk: Mandatory PFD usage in Maryland

[Phil Agur]

Larry,   We don’t license boat owners here and we get some pretty unqualified power boat folks. I know it sounds biased, and maybe it is, but I’ve seen some real dumb stunts in power boats resulting in multiple fatalities. Maybe there are an equal number of dumb stunts on small sail boats but at 5 knots the outcome is different than 50 knots.   Sailors don’t necessarily avoid all dumb moves but they did have to invest time in learning how to sail. In the beginning sailors definitely learn sh*t happens and most get a feel for when it’s about to happen again. Those who remain clueless usually leave the sport.   Power boat owners, at least in the land of sunshine and disposable income can walk into a boat dealer and by a 50, 60, or 70 mph speed boat that only requires they know how to turn the key. Even the state parks service here, whose task it is to enforce boating safety, will put unqualified operators in their boats. One new jet boat went out the broken gate at Folsom Dam was operated by two lifeguards the first day on the job. They were sent to the broken gate to tighten the line on buoys that said keep back in a jet boat and sucked the lines into the pump. The other was playing with the radar running at high speed in the dark and cut a runabout nearly in half (to the waterline) hospitalizing two with serious injuries in perfectly clear air.   I don’t know that any of the local power boat fatalities could have been avoided by mandatory lifejackets but you can sure pull over a lot of drunks who forget the seatbelt law after a few. Maybe after a few they’ll go screw the lifejacket law too and get stopped before they launch their date 100 feet up the beach by going aground while traveling about 60. Or the one the jumped the wake with a date on the bow and ran her over.   And so ultimately we agree it’s “a captain's right and responsibility to do so for the crew” but how many write the check and go power boaters take a captain’s responsibly seriously. Here 90% of the ski boat operators believe they have right away over sailboats because they are towing, which can make for a lot of tight quarters at high speeds, even though state law clearly states no they don’t.   My point was, think about where the problems occur and focus the efforts of the legislature on that segment. Here we had to make Teak Surfing illegal, how dumb is that. The bill was proposed and promoted by the driver of the boat and father of the victim. I was amazed he wasn’t in jail for child endangerment or manslaughter.        Phil Agur                    s/v Wing Tip Commodore,             Call Sign WCW3485 IC27/270A                   MMSI 366901790 www.catalina27.org      Vessel Doc# 1039809   -----Original Message----- From: catalina27-talk@memberclicks.com [mailto:catalina27-talk@memberclicks.com] On Behalf Of Lawrence Pinto Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 10:58 AM To: catalina27-talk@memberclicks.com Subject: Re: catalina27-talk: Mandatory PFD usage in Maryland   Sorry Phil, but, respectfully, I do not agree with you. It should be any adult's right to make his or her decision as to whether or not to wear a PFD on a boat (or a captain's right and responsibility to do so for the crew), not some legislator's. And it shouldn't matter whether you own a powerboat or a sailboat. What you would be saying with your suggestion to expand PFD requirements to powerboats 22 feet and under is that you have the right to decide whether or not to wear a PFD, because you captain a 27 foot Catalina, but the owner of a 20 foot Sea Ray does not have that same right. To me that's not reasonable or fair. Who is to say who is more responsible? But a more important point is this: We in the boating community have political power because of our numbers. Boaters have influenced legislation locally and nationally. But we need to act in concert. It would be a mistake for us in the sailboat community to protect our rights at the expense of those of the powerboaters. It's that old story...a house divided against itself shall not stand. Larry Pinto Hardtack Calvert Marina Solomon's Island, Maryland 27' Catalina (#3401M77H) On Feb 6, 2006, at 7:04 PM, Phil Agur wrote: Does Maryland have any mandatory PFD laws now?   We have one related to children, which has spawned PFD sharing programs at various family beach outing hot spots. I’m sure it’s saved more than a few. It includes children on the dock.   I think in the wake of the Egyptian ferry disaster you may do better in focusing the language of the law rather than mount opposition. Maybe expand jet ski PFD requirements to power boats 22 feet and under. And pick it up vessels traveling at more than 12 knots or with more than 12 aboard.   That would let lawmakers be responsible and leave open ground for responsible small boat skippers.   Phil Agur                    s/v Wing Tip Commodore,              Call Sign WCW3485 IC27/270A                   MMSI 366901790 www.catalina27.org      Vessel Doc# 1039809   Hardtack Calvert Marina Solomon's Island, Maryland 27' Catalina (#3401M77H)