CBC article on Boaters Card Problems

West Lake Willows · **Posted:** Fri May 21, 2010 9:16 pm

Found this link posted on the ORWL forum.

Interesting read, thought I would post it here for those that haven't seen it.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/05/ ... -card.html

Scott

Grizzly · **Posted:** Sat May 22, 2010 3:34 am

How do you figure they will fix the problem now that they have issued 4 million bogus boaters cards? lol raise the rates $25 bucks for anyone new that needs a card?? .. and I laugh at the dada bace issue. like isnt there other ays to find out about a person ? like a reguler DL wich most people also have in there pocket ? or two proof of Identifications was out the other night saw a small craft. two guys im sure they both had safe boaters cards..... but no LIGHTS on the boat

Somerdink · **Joined:** Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:50 pm **Posts:** 223

Agreed Grizz. On what your saying alot of this boaters course is a money grab. But also I see where the Coast Guard and the cops see it, make it safer for everyone to enjoy. This is what I have been told that the St. Lawerence/ Lake Ontario? Bay Of Quinte or anything connected to the St. Lawerence waterway is classified as the Queens highway so that means you can be dung for drunk driving and so on which everyone knows about. The only issue I have is that the SEE-DOOERS DONT NEED ONE!!!!!!!!! becuase there rig is under the limits.

I hope this makes sence.

Maverick · **Joined:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:32 am **Posts:** 586

I was under the understanding "any motor powered vessel" even if its a 10 footer with a trolling motor needs a boaters card???

wayne · **Posted:** Sat May 22, 2010 6:27 pm

Any operator of a pleasure craft vehicle including a SEE-DOO needs a safe boaters card.

Somerdink · **Joined:** Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:50 pm **Posts:** 223

Thats good then. Glad they made them get theres too. When was it when it went too all sizes you need a operators card.

polliwog · **Joined:** Thu May 01, 2008 9:12 pm **Posts:** 160

Pwc operators required the boaters card from the start.

Why is it that the guys that cheated are always the ones complaining, they cheated on the test so they obviously didn't learn anything defeated the purpose of the test so their comments are worthless.

There is cheating everywhere so you have to expect some on the boaters card but Trans Ca. ignored it because they needed to get millions of people tested or the program would fall apart due to non compliance. How many would have gotten the card if they stuck to the rules and banned online testing?
The Power Squadron has banged their head on the walls over this right from the start so Trans Ca. audit some of the more legit class room courses and don't dare take on online testing.

The cops are whining but the card does what its suposed to do. It is a diploma not a license. Why revoke your boaters card? If Wooley has his way will he revoke my high school diploma every time I do something stupid? How many diplomas do you see with a picture on it. Who cares who owns the boat, it has nothing to do with the boaters card? When asked for your boaters card it should be backed up with another form of picture ID, a health card will do but the cops want your DL so they can use this as an opportunity to run you through the system, again nothing to do with boating or your boating card. They want your boaters card in a data base so they can run you through their system, nothing to do with boating.

If they wanted licensing they should have gone with licensing Made it illegal to operate a boat in Ca. and spent the Billions it would cost to set it up but nobody wanted to do it.

The remarkable thing is that introducing the boaters card actually worked in reducing deaths on the water but they didn't mention that.

Now after all that compared to a good boating course in my opinion the boaters card is BS but I guess they have to start somewhere and gradually make it better.

Grizzly · **Posted:** Sun May 23, 2010 2:30 pm

you are so bang on Polly.......... had they realized how long it would take for everyone to get a card it would have been perfectly fine. apparently they needed the funds much quicker so they made a deadline that was impossible to meet unless they used the on line testing .
Im in no way against the card. just the price and how its given so easy a caveman can pass it lol bottom line pay the money and get a card. why not just come out and say everyone who opperated a boat has to pay 60 bucks and be done with it!
im thinking about the boy scouts. not sure if in canada the scouts have what we called a totmanships card. you needed one to carry a knife or a hatchet if you did wrong they would rip off a corner of your card, when you were out of corners you could no longer carry a knife or hatchet lol . maybe they should do that with the boaters card out on the water. ask questions and if yer wrong they take a corner lol.

Summerdink. you only have 3 corners left lol. you should have known the answer to your own question lol

West Lake Willows · **Posted:** Sun May 23, 2010 7:24 pm

Polliwog,

I agree with you 100%. I have said from the start of the operators card program, that it was a start point and they were going to gradually make it more difficult.

I think in its current stage it really doesn't do much, but I believe it does something. It does make some operators more aware of safety on the water but it is essentially a waste of time. I think a good boating course like the power squadron course should be mandatory, but it all boils down to money.

Griz,

As for cost just so you know there are lots of places to get the card for a lot less then $60. I am a "transport Canada Approved" testing site (I might add the requirements to get the designation are a joke) and I offer the test for $34.99 if you take it alone. If you get 2 or more guys I do it for $29.99. This is not a course, just like at the boat show, sit down and challenge the test. If you fail, take it again. That in my opinion is the failure of the system.

Scott

I

polliwog · **Joined:** Thu May 01, 2008 9:12 pm **Posts:** 160

We at Power Squadron used to do the test for $20 when it first started but then they got the idea that if we increase the price and include a years membership it would give us a year to talk them into doing the 12 session basic boaters coarse that includes Anchoring, compass, navigating and a whole lot more. If you fail we will not test you again the same day. By the time you mail stuff 2 ways and make and register the card into a data base there aint much left of $20 but we're not suposed to make $ anyway. To most the membership won't be worth anything but a few are showing up at our functions and like the idea of belonging and renew their membership. The downside is it screws up our membership lists by filling it with people that don't want to be there makes a lot of work for our membership officer, and guess who that is.

I have the stats somewhere but the amazing thing is the card made a difference and like Scott said I think most of that comes from awareness . Not very many will intentionally go on the water without a pfd anymore .

, $30 sounds like a pretty good deal to me when you see others doing the same for $50 -$60.

Grizzly · **Posted:** Mon May 24, 2010 4:45 am

I guess a good arguement would be that if it saved only one life then it was worth the effort and im sure its made some differance. as far as I know there has always been a minium to safty requirements on a boat as far as whats needed on board when you opperate a boat....... I just dont see where any course will change that if your the type person who chooses to egnore the rules then no course given is going to change that . two older men out in a tinny at dusk with no lights tells me this. either you care or you dont its that simple.
rules and regulations are always changing and it is always up to us to find out what they are and whats changed so we can stay current and up to date

audiohead · **Posted:** Tue May 25, 2010 9:34 pm

The card is nothing but a way to sqeeze more money out of an already taxed beaten Canadian. Next they will be forcing the public to get cards to cross the street at a set of light what with all people that have died doing so... Oh crap did I just give them an idea!

mux - walleyes only · **Posted:** Thu May 27, 2010 1:22 pm

Boaters Cards are in the tradition of the Great Liberal Way.

If a guy at Jane and Finch robs a gas station with a handgun, don't lock him away for life ('cause he probably had a hard childhood), make all the duck hunters in Kapuskasing register their shotguns.

If a 16 year old high on crack driving a Sea-Doo kills two young girls in a canoe, don't go after the 16 year old ('cause he's just not grown enough to know better), make every fisherman get a Boaters License.

Liberals believe in mass-inoculations. If you throw a wide enough net, you'll catch the guilty (along with the innocent), and that way you won't be seen to be "picking on" any one group of individuals.

A Conservative, by definition, is a Liberal who's been mugged.

So Sayeth da Mux

Grizzly · **Posted:** Thu May 27, 2010 4:35 pm

you see!!!!!!!! problem is there is only one Mux and not near enough MUX urine to keep the whole world happy lol .......... Well said Mux

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CBC article on Boaters Card Problems

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