Tony Ford, a retired 24-year veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, has this theory.
He said most boaters are men, and men, when they take control of a boat, undergo a sort of transformation, regardless of their skills.
“Us guys have a thing,” Ford said. “If you park your butt in the seat of a boat and plant your hands on the wheel, somehow knowledge gets imparted into your body and you now are the captain.”
To impart some real knowledge, Ford plans to teach America’s Boating Course for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary on Oct. 13 at Everett’s West Marine. The course covers basic safety and boating practices. Another session of the class is scheduled for Nov. 10. Graduates of either daylong course will meet new state boating safety education requirements.
“It’s pretty comprehensive and it’s fairly fast moving,” Ford, 68, said of the course. “And at the end you’ll get an exam.”
The test qualifies boat operators for a boater education card, a new requirement of the state meant to improve safety on the water.
The new requirement, signed into law in 2005, aims to expand safe boating practices. Boaters aged 12 to 20 must complete safety education and get a boater education card by Jan. 1, 2008. The following year, the requirement expands to those 25 and younger. Almost all operators need to pass a course and get a card by 2014.
Boaters who were born before Jan. 1, 1955, can skip the education requirement, thanks to a grandfather clause in the law.
That said, some grandfathers might take the course anyway. While the requirements affect younger age groups first, Ford said most of his classes have attracted older boaters and families.
During the course, students work through an instruction booklet, as Ford offers examples from his own experiences on the water. While the course is in a classroom, not on a boat, students will have some hands-on experience as they try on life jackets.
Statistics illustrate a need for safety education. For instance, in Washington, one in five accidents are deadly. In Michigan — which has required boating safety education longer than any other state — one in 86 accidents result in a fatality.
While 252 people have died in boating accidents in Washington, about two-thirds of fatalities are preventable, according to Dona Wolfe, a boating safety education coordinator for Washington State Parks.
Wolfe said some boaters get cocky, thinking they are strong enough swimmers to avoid a spill overboard or a swim to shore. Washington’s low water temperature, which averages 55 degrees yearly, can sink even a strong swimmer during the summer.
“It’s very scary,” Wolfe said. “People who think that they’re good swimmers don’t understand the cold water implications.”
Other problems can arise thanks to new boat technology, according to Michael Griffith, general manager at West Marine.
“Boats with the new electronic stuff are so easy to use, it’s almost like driving a car, but that gets other people out on the water … who don’t know safety,” Griffith said.
Safety classes that meet the new state requirement are also available online, but the state parks department recommends spending the extra time and money on a classroom setting.
“You have someone who can answer your questions, and it’s an opportunity, too,” Wolfe said. “You can learn a lot of the hands-on things simply by being around other boaters.”
Contact reporter Andy Rathbun at 425-339-3455 or arathbun@heraldnet.com.
Cold water can sink strong swimmers
While lower temperatures may accelerate these stages, cold-water fatalities fall into four basic categories:
Source: America’s Boating Course textbook
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