Good sense, not new law will make boats safer

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In the coming weeks, you may be hearing more about state Rep. Thomas Watson’s bill that would help … OK, force … all of us to become better boaters before hitting the state’s lakes.

His bill – L.D. 2067 – is described as “An Act to Require Boating Safety Education,” and on the surface, it’s difficult to argue with its logic.

Safe boaters, after all, are good for all of us who enjoy being on the water.

Yes, logically, this bill makes perfect sense.

But practically? Well, that’s another matter altogether.

The Bath democrat introduced his bill after a boater on Long Lake in Naples allegedly plowed his high-powered craft into another boat … at night, no less. Two people on the smaller boat were killed.

During a function earlier this month, Watson explained his bill pretty convincingly.

“The only requirement for operating a 35-foot boat on Sebago Lake, at top speed, is a checkbook,” Watson told the attendees of the Sportsmen’s Congress.

Sadly, it’s true.

And sadly, adding another layer of state bureaucracy and oversight will do little to address the matter.

I’ve got an alternative (which, I’ll admit, has its limitations).

But if we could enact my alternative, instead of Watson’s, I’d hazard a guess that the end result would be far more impressive.

A magic potion? Nope. A secret spell? Not at all.

Just a good dose of pure common sense that many boaters won’t utilize, no matter how many classes you make them take.

Here’s my alternative education plan. Pay close attention. If you follow this program, I guarantee that you’ll be far less likely to get yourself (or others) in trouble on the water:

First, don’t drink alcohol when you’re operating a boat.

Second, wear your life jacket.

And third, don’t do anything stupid.

I’d guess that Watson’s mandatory education program would help us better understand what “doing anything stupid” is.

The thing is, most of us already know, and some of us will continue to do what we want no matter what.

People know boats can go fast. People know life jackets can save lives. People know that drinking while operating a boat isn’t a good idea. People know that not paying attention (stupid trick number one, in my book) can kill you.

And they still do it.

One reason: People don’t think anything will happen to them. Another: People also know that the chances of getting pulled over by a law enforcement official while they’re driving a boat are pretty slim.

One anecdotal (and personal) report: The only time I’ve ever been approached by a warden or other law enforcement official on the water, it’s been while I’ve been fishing. My top speed during those visits from the men in green? About two miles an hour.

And I spend a good deal of time on the water.

There are other holes in Watson’s bill, some of which could be ironed out in committee meetings.

Still, in the bill’s original form, the holes are there. They’re troublesome. And they’re big enough … well … to drive a boat through.

For instance, did you know that some folks won’t be forced to take the “mandatory” classes?

That’s right.

Like those who are operating a boat while in possession of a rental or lease agreement from a motorboat rental or leasing business.

I rented a personal watercraft. Once.

My pre-lake safety instruction?

Here’s my recollection: “Here’s how you start it. Here’s how you stop it. Here’s how you get back on after you crash. Don’t hit anything. See you in two hours.”

Also immune to the law would be new owners of boats, who would simply need to receive a non-renewable safety certificate that would be valid for 90 days.

So, say I buy a boat in May. That would give me three months – an entire summer – to make a general nuisance of myself before I had to actually sit down and take the official, state-mandated class and test.

Sound like a good idea?

I don’t think so, either.

I’m all in favor of education.

But in this case, education’s not the best way to stop renegade boaters from doing what they do.

Enforcement is.

And until state taxpayers say they’re interested enough in getting that enforcement that they want to better fund the state’s Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, any boating safety education law is mere window dressing.

The conscientious will remain conscientious … and the vast majority of dangerous boaters will remain dangerous.

Unfortunately, homework doesn’t stop most people from acting like fools.

A real threat of being arrested and fined, however, might help.

Chamberlain harvest low

On Saturday I told you about a presentation by Moosehead Lake region fisheries staffers, during which they explained the tentative results of a Chamberlain Lake brook trout study.

On Monday, while perusing a few outdoor-oriented Web sites, I found that a few folks had read that column and offered comments on it.

Included in a comment from an angler friend of mine was the kind of question that makes a writer say “oops.”

Specifically, my pal wondered about the actual creel surveys on Chamberlain Lake, and how many brook trout were being harvested each year. Both were points that weren’t included in my summary of Thursday’s meeting.

Good question … and not answering it in the original column was an oversight on my part.

Here’s the scoop: According to Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife fisheries biologist Tim Obrey, about 200 brook trout were caught and killed on Chamberlain during the last ice fishing season.

Keep in mind, Obrey also estimated that the entire lake held about 1,100 legal-sized brookies (14 inches or longer).

Those 200 fish were far below the harvest level seen in the past, however. In the late 1980s, the brook trout harvest peaked at about 1,000 fish on Chamberlain.

Another fact to consider: There aren’t nearly as many ice anglers on Chamberlain today as there were in the late ’80s. The DIF&W estimated about 2,000 angler days of use during last winter’s season, while it peaked at about 5,000 angler days in the early 1990s.

Obrey said that decline in Chamberlain usage over the years mirrors a statewide trend: There just aren’t as many folks out ice fishing as there used to be.

jholyoke@bangordailynews.net

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