| boating accidents |
| Interviewing - Mates - Chief Engineers - Designated Duty Engineers - Interviews - Deckhands Able Bodied Seamen - Tankermen - Dispatchers - QMED - Interviewing |
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Be Vigilant To Avoid Recreational Boating Accidents
Working as a commercial mariner today is more stressful than it was in the
past. You don’t need us to tell you that. Errors in seamanship or lapses in
judgment are more likely to result in criminal prosecution. Besides shoals,
river bends and other ships, the commercial mariner must also be vigilant in
avoiding accidents with pleasure boats. There isn’t a standardized licensing
system for pleasure boat operators. That in itself could reduce many of the
recreational boating accidents and jet ski injuries we see every year. We
know there are mandatory safety courses for minors. But each year, there are
many pleasure boating accidents involving legal issues from alcohol
impairment to operator inexperience to common negligence. You might
cross paths with a kid on a high speed skiff who doesn’t know what the
inland rules mean. You could also pass port to port with a serious cruiser
who has more time on the water than you do.
The fact remains that in a boating accident, legal issues are harsher towards
the professional. He or she could be regarded like a potential criminal
defendant and subjected to alcohol testing within two hours of the boating
accident. So much for the legal concept of being presumed innocent until
proven guilty. It is the commercial vessel whose watch-standing protocol will
be scrutinized for compliance with federal rules and regulations, and whose
log book will be scrutinized by investigators. Never mind that a boat might be
obliviously anchored in a shipping lane, or that its operator is clueless about
the hidden danger of a half mile-long towing cable between you and your
barge. If there are pleasure boats in the area, be extra attentive.
Working as a commercial mariner today is more stressful than it was in the
past. You don’t need us to tell you that. Errors in seamanship or lapses in
judgment are more likely to result in criminal prosecution. Besides shoals,
river bends and other ships, the commercial mariner must also be vigilant in
avoiding accidents with pleasure boats. There isn’t a standardized licensing
system for pleasure boat operators. That in itself could reduce many of the
recreational boating accidents and jet ski injuries we see every year. We
know there are mandatory safety courses for minors. But each year, there are
many pleasure boating accidents involving legal issues from alcohol
impairment to operator inexperience to common negligence. You might
cross paths with a kid on a high speed skiff who doesn’t know what the
inland rules mean. You could also pass port to port with a serious cruiser
who has more time on the water than you do.
The fact remains that in a boating accident, legal issues are harsher towards
the professional. He or she could be regarded like a potential criminal
defendant and subjected to alcohol testing within two hours of the boating
accident. So much for the legal concept of being presumed innocent until
proven guilty. It is the commercial vessel whose watch-standing protocol will
be scrutinized for compliance with federal rules and regulations, and whose
log book will be scrutinized by investigators. Never mind that a boat might be
obliviously anchored in a shipping lane, or that its operator is clueless about
the hidden danger of a half mile-long towing cable between you and your
barge. If there are pleasure boats in the area, be extra attentive.
| We don’t know what happened in the boating accident in the video clip above, and we won’t pass judgment. But whatever it was, we can humbly say it’s a sight that no one wants to see on their watch. And we hope everyone on both vessels were okay afterwards. |