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Making Waves Making Waves Summer Winter 2016 2020
Executive Director's Report by Jim Donofrio
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f you grew up on the water, before you ever got behind the wheel of your first boat you probably had a good understanding of what are loosely termed the “Rules of the Road” and much of what is considered basic seamanship. Many years ago, my dad handed me a copy of Charles Chapman’s Piloting, Seamanship and Small Boat Handling. It was, and still is, the Bible that blueprints the techniques and strictures that form the basis for safe boat handling. The book instilled in me a respect for the seriousness of navigating a boat on public waterways and it should be required reading for anyone who plans on operating a boat. One of the most important theories we learned early on is that speed on the water can kill if it is not used prudently and judiciously. Photo Courtesy: NBC 6 South Florida
Today, there is a new generation of fishermen and boaters that seem to ignore even that most basic rule. Many of them have a fascination with speed. They feel the need to go fast all the time, even in tight channels, crowded inlets and when overtaking or approaching other vessels. With the prevalence of multi-outboard boats built on hulls that just a few years ago were restricted to use on boats built specifically for racing the problem grows in complexity. Even today’s family cruising boats are capable of speeds that just 20years ago would have been considered radical. Operating fast boats in crowded waterways where you can encounter kayaks, paddle boarders and personal watercraft in addition to an armada of boats of all sizes and shapes has become commonplace. Incidence of collisions, groundings and increased injuries and loss of life are on the increase and it is often the result of too much speed in the hands of uneducated and inexperienced boat operators. The number of near misses has become far too commonplace.
All of us at the RFA want to see a vibrant marine industry however more must be done to not just encourage new boat owners to learn and practice the rules of the road, but to further mandate their Too much speed in the hands of an inexperienced implementation. It is in the inoperator can cost more than your boat, it can cost lives. terest of everyone’s safety on the water.
