2008 Coast Guard Statistics

[ApS]

To the question,

"...a 21' Sea Ray is listed as a Performance Boat...?"

Yes it is—and at a website that may convince you to change perspective on boating speeds—as it certainly did mine!

Moving on...

1) Two "performance boats" (21' and 40') collided with each other—and one is faulted. That list of "performance boats" should be consulted with each collision cited by us: it's not just pontoons and bowriders that are involved in crashes.

2) Indisputably, NHMP Lt. Dunleavey stated that there is a 4-in-5 chance that alcohol will be on board a "recreational" boat. (And drinking that alcohol on board is legal!)

Recreational drugs (which are not exactly unseen at sand bars) are unaccounted for.

3) Safeguarding his passengers—all the while keeping his vessel safe—is maritime's oldest rule for a captain. Avoiding a collision should have been uppermost for both "drivers".

4) We can allege that one "driver" was BUI, but there is still a 4-in-5 circumstance that some degree of impairment existed with the other.

5) Blaming waitresses for Winnipesaukee's fatal collisions couldn't have been nailed as dead as elchase nailed it dead. "For This Useful Post", it rated—and got—a rare ApS thank-you.

6) Repeatedly reciting Interstate analogies is tiresome: truck and car traffic travel parallel to one another. Tracking boats zig-zagging across our waters would show that the tracks across an automobile "destruction derby" is a far better analogy. (Fortunately for boaters, there are many-more "misses" than "hits".)

Now, regarding the Coast Guard topic that started this discussion, looky here:



(Did any Opponent notice the Coast Guard doesn't list insufficient speed?)
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1) Combining the two "highest-speed" categories results in 245 fatalities. (Remarkable in itself).

2) However, look at the number of combined injuries: 1376 That's more than 10-times the number of paddlers without an engine (!)

3) Translated, that means that excess-horsepower injures far more people than the stats would suggest at first glance. (And 'way-more power boaters injured than paddlers).

But excessive horsepower still kills too many paddlers and sailors—according to these stats.

4)And finally:

Paraphrasing President Obama, we Supporters have only "skin in this game". However, this Supporter observes that at least one Opponent has a multi-million dollar financial stake "in this game".

Where is the "I recuse myself from this discussion" button?

What do we forum members think about the incentive for postings where genuine "skin" is not involved—but dollars are?

(Anybody?)