Olde School
Well-Known Member
About 35 years ago my parents became more serious about boating. They spent most of a winter going through a Canadian Power Squadron program.
Not many years later I finally got my own first real boat. I am one of those who believe in best practices, so knew that even though I'd been boating almost my entire life, getting some certification was a good idea - especially since my then young family would be counting on my expertise.
The idea of spending months in a classroom had zero appeal. Fortunately a young man working for me suggested that his parent's business, Nanaimo Yachts and Charters, had a program I might like.
The upshot was I spent 2 entire days on MY BOAT with an amazing teacher, Lew Forth. Afterwards I wrote an exam and became certified as an operator, above and beyond the government's minimum requirements.
Lew and I met at Brechin Boat launch and I was annoyed that he was there early, because I hadn't yet launched my boat. Well, it turns out that he always tried to meet clients at the ramp so they could work out the best way to launch the client's rig! Such a great idea!
In a later conversation Lew stated that the 3 most challenging (and dangerous) situations all small boaters face are: launching/trailering, docking, and anchoring. Now 25 years and over 5000 hours later I cannot disagree with him.
If I were in charge of things, I would make it mandatory that people would have training and certification in those 3 areas prior to being permitted to operate a boat.
I'm sure that many of the googans out there simply don't know there is a better, safer, easier way.
I must add that I still manage to be a googan several times per year, but at least I recognize it afterwards , and promise to never do it again - fat chance!
Not many years later I finally got my own first real boat. I am one of those who believe in best practices, so knew that even though I'd been boating almost my entire life, getting some certification was a good idea - especially since my then young family would be counting on my expertise.
The idea of spending months in a classroom had zero appeal. Fortunately a young man working for me suggested that his parent's business, Nanaimo Yachts and Charters, had a program I might like.
The upshot was I spent 2 entire days on MY BOAT with an amazing teacher, Lew Forth. Afterwards I wrote an exam and became certified as an operator, above and beyond the government's minimum requirements.
Lew and I met at Brechin Boat launch and I was annoyed that he was there early, because I hadn't yet launched my boat. Well, it turns out that he always tried to meet clients at the ramp so they could work out the best way to launch the client's rig! Such a great idea!
In a later conversation Lew stated that the 3 most challenging (and dangerous) situations all small boaters face are: launching/trailering, docking, and anchoring. Now 25 years and over 5000 hours later I cannot disagree with him.
If I were in charge of things, I would make it mandatory that people would have training and certification in those 3 areas prior to being permitted to operate a boat.
I'm sure that many of the googans out there simply don't know there is a better, safer, easier way.
I must add that I still manage to be a googan several times per year, but at least I recognize it afterwards , and promise to never do it again - fat chance!
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