The now famous Bayliner crash in the Cowlitz: Notice the crunched front end...and you should see the props!
How is it that we make kids wait until they’re nearly adults to get a drivers license but we let any moron who can afford a boat drive one? Just doesn’t make sense…especially when you add water to the equation.
A few days back, I had to tow some guy and his two kids (probably around 4 years old) back to the ramp after he launched a 12-foot leaky aluminum boat into the river, which was raging 3 times higher than normal, then set off downriver with nothing more than a 35-pound thrust electric trolling motor. Shockingly, he was having a rough time getting back to the ramp when we came by! That kind of stuff makes me crazy (and don’t get me started about the 5 dead steelhead yearlings on the bottom of the boat!).
Then you had the genius who launched his Bayliner Trophy with twin Mercs into Washington State’s Cowlitz River (jet boats only, please!). Apparently, they went around the corner at famous Blue Creek, almost instantly ripped the props off and crashed into the wall down there since they had no power at that point. Fortunately, nobody was hurt (see the whole story at Gamefishin.com), but it’s stuff like this that really makes me think that there should be some sort of boating license required…and to get it, you have to pass an exam. I know, I know…that wouldn’t keep the idiots off the water, but it couldn’t hurt!
fishbird says
Maybe we should remind everybody to do their pre-launch before backing into the ramp lane!!!!!.Knowing how to back up a trailer is helpful also.
Ray Fairfax says
Regarding dimwits with kids in rivers…
One morning in early November 2009 we launched the driftboat at the ramp above the Bailey hole on the Smith river. In the semi darkness we could see a father/son trolling kwikfish out of a tiny little wooden boat in the lower hole. As we passed them by their boat spun around to cork us downriver. They actually made it about halfway down the Bailey riffle before the prop on their electric motor hit the first rock. Somehow this idiot managed to not drown himself or his 12 year old son when they sunk the boat. My friends and I found the sunken boat 3 days later about 1/2 mile downstream.
Pacman says
Hey JD,
I’m about to get my first boat. Just wondering, are there boating safety classes that are offered in the bay area/northern california. If so, do you have any links?
JD says
The US Power Squadrons have learning materials and offer courses. Here’s a link
Jeff Gould says
Gotta reiterate what Jeremiah said “You can’t fix STUPID!”
Jeremiah says
I don’t agree with the boating license. It would do nothing to keep idiots of the water, as you mentioned, just look at the idiots on the road. You simply can’t fix stupid. You could have warned this idiot with the Trophy ’til you were blue in the face and he still would have launched it, probably to spite you. All a boating license would do is hassle law abiding, good boaters and cost us more money. Maybe for the guy in the aluminum boat a license to have kids is in order!! Let ’em kill themselves but it’s sad when you see an adult passing on their stupidity to children! Children should be taught to respect water and shown that as calm as it may look, the immense power it has that can overtake you in a split second.
Brion says
Check this out at my local lake last week. Bass boat vs aluminum. Carnage.
http://www.vcstar.com/photos/galleries/2011/apr/21/lake-casitas-boat-crash/?partner=popular
fishchan says
Funniest part was he put that boat in to retrieve his jet ski which broke down, he was trying to side drift off (which also doesn’t belong in the Cowlitz). Some of my buddies were fishing that day and saw this, I wish they would have filmed it, I’m sure it would be an instant youtube classic. Sounds like alcohol was a factor.