I owned and used boats for many yrs. I learned how to operate them the same way as everything else, the HARD WAY!
I know about the attraction of a boat and motor. You have the freedom of going places others don't have access to. It's not like driving a car, where a policeman will pull you over for doing something wrong or someone will honk their horn when you cut them off.
At this time of the year, a boater is taking their life and the lives of their passengers in their hands.
Two recent deaths show that if you fall out of your boat in cold water, your chances of surviving are slim.
No one is going to stop you from putting three guys in a 12 foot boat in a flooding river. Could it be that the owner of the boat had limited experience and his two buddies knew nothing about boats?
Boating can be dangerous in the best of conditions, but cold water adds more danger.
If you operate a boat, make sure your passengers follow YOUR rules. Fun can change to tragedy.
Doug