Padre Bay experience

[B. Stanton]

Getting the government involved and requiring another license is a great idea. It absolute solved the issue of poor driving in cars......

Hahaha! Yeah, we have mandatory (?) Coast Guard classes to operate a powered vehicle (boat, pwc, etc.) in Washington, but the lakes are littered with oblivious clowns. I personally believe licensing is a great idea - but the fact is it only makes good drivers better, it doesn't eliminate selfishness or stupidity.

 

[John P Funk]

Getting the government involved and requiring another license is a great idea. It absolute solved the issue of poor driving in cars......

I lean a bit to the libertarian side of the political spectrum, and therefore think that the government does too much already. However, I would agree with a captains license for houseboat operators, due to the skills and knowledge required in piloting them.

 

[PowellBride]

I lean a bit to the libertarian side of the political spectrum, and therefore think that the government does too much already. However, I would agree with a captains license for houseboat operators, due to the skills and knowledge required in piloting them.

Unfortunately they aren't the ones that are causing the damage. Hard to go by the back of a parked houseboat/speedboat and create damaging waves with a houseboat. I think our average cruising speed is 7 MPH. The houseboat also can't cut in front of other boats pulling a skier, tub or wakeboard, and all the training in the world won't make a HB mobile enough to avoid a fallen skier in their path.

I agree with the concept we already have too much government, but if I was going to vote for more licensing, it would definitely be speedboats and jet skis - (maybe only for operators under the age of 35 - by 35 I think most humans tend to develop some common sense)

Or how about a wake based license and maybe we can even get some training for some of the tour boat operators

 

[Powelldreamer]

I think a few more tickets are needed. Most people understand the issue. The reason I say that is they always do these things away from their own boat and behind someone else's. I also feel that particularly with the wake /surf boats a much further safe distance should be enforced. Licensing will not resolve the issue. People will still do this until they experience consequences or develop courtesy.

 

[Squirrel]

Or some common sense. Sq

 

[Lance Cue]

Last year my family and I were fishing across the channel from the mouth of moqui and a smallish house boat full of youngish folks cut between us and the bank at what I assume was full speed. It was haulin the mail for a HB. I was casting and hitting the bank! Im sure there was no more than 10' between the HB and my boat. I was so furious that I tried to cast my lure at the driver window so hard, while I was screaming nice words, that my bail flipped closed and I about lost my pole in the water. That, in turn, brought on some great comments from the young hecklers at the back of their boat as they sped by.... I was so mad that I didn't go chase them down to even get a HB name as I couldn't even think straight. I was pretty sure I knew what was going to happen if I did. It wouldn't have been good and my mother wouldn't have been very proud of me. My heart rate is rising as I type this. That being said, this is the only bad situation I've had with a moving HB and it wasn't even a rental.