Northwest Fishing Reports

So I got the numbers up on my boat and got the title in the mail today... do I need to carry it with me all the time? When I was in TX they gave me a registration card so I did not have to carry the title around. I believe the law requires carrying of registration on board at all times? Thanks, Jon

You need to keep your registration in the boat but your title at home. Keep your trailer registration in your truck.

HillbillyGeek wrote:A new law went into effect this year. Everyone operating a boat with a motor that's 15hp or larger is now required to take a boaters safety course and carry a card with them while on the water.

Not everyone. It goes by age. Some people will never have to do this. I'm in that age group.

zen leecher aka Bill W wrote:

HillbillyGeek wrote:A new law went into effect this year. Everyone operating a boat with a motor that's 15hp or larger is now required to take a boaters safety course and carry a card with them while on the water.

Not everyone. It goes by age. Some people will never have to do this. I'm in that age group.

Yep. Here's more info from http://www.boat-ed.com/wa/index.htmhttp://www.boat-ed.com/wa/index.htm

"The law will require completion of a basic boating class, or passage of an equivalency exam, to obtain a Boater Education Card. The Boater Education Card is not like a driver's license. It is obtained once and is good for life. The Card indicates that the boat operator has a basic level of boating safety knowledge, like a diploma.

The Washington law will have a phased-in period for compliance. By January 1, 2008, boaters 20 years of age and younger will be required to obtain their Boater Education Card. Then by January 1, 2009, it will be boaters 25 years of age or younger will be required to obtain their Boater Education Card. The phased-in period for compliance will continue until 2016 for various age groups. Boaters born before January 1, 1955 will be exempt from having to obtain a Boater Education Card.

For the many thousands of Washington boaters who have already received a certificate of completion from an approved boating safety course, they will only need to complete a simple one-page application and supply a copy of their certificate of completion along with a $10 administrative fee to receive their lifetime Boater Education Card. (Source: Washington State Parks)"

I've never been checked for my registration.

I made the age group too. Don't know if that is a good or bad thing.

northfork wrote:I made the age group too. Don't know if that is a good or bad thing.

In my opinion, everyone that operates a motor craft in this state should have to pass a standard basic boating exam. We don't let people drive automobiles without testing in to get a license...it shouldn't be any other way when it comes to water safety, neither.

HillbillyGeek wrote:A new law went into effect this year. Everyone operating a boat with a motor that's 15hp or larger is now required to take a boaters safety course and carry a card with them while on the water.

i think thats the worst law ever made.

JT26 wrote: i think thats the worst law ever made.

It's been a long time in the making...thankfully it's here. I'm in my mid-20's so I'll have to do it, and I'm glad.
It'll keep people that shouldn't be on the water, off, like they should be. If you can't pass a boater education class, then you have no business being on the water. IMO, everyone should have to get their 6pack license...then we'd see how many true die hards who call themselves "boaters" we would really have...

Someone only needs one bad boating experience caused from some other boat/boater to realize the importance of this law and be appreciative of it...I think it is a great law IMO....Just go to Lake WA on a busy weekend in the summer and look at all the yahoo's trying to launch their boat, ripping through no wake zones, driving close next to fallen innertubers/skiiers...

We don't hear about it that much but there are a few fatalities every year from improper boat driving/usage...While I think the process that is currently in place to get a boaters license is probably a little easy and won't do much, it is a start to making boating safer for all of us....

The boaters safety licence is not a bad idea. But majority of the people on the roads are bad drivers and a huge percentage of the people on the road have their drivers licence. I just look at it like the state has found a new way to A) make money and B) give someone a fine, (so make money). Just because someone has a licence for something dosnt make them good at it. But its a good idea, I mean if 1 life gets saved annually, they are making definite progress.

If this Safety course is anything like the one I took in Louisianna then the in-experienced boaters that don't watch other boaters and cause accidents can very well still be out there. The course I took was literally a joke. But I agree with Sam there are far more accidents than we could imagine.

Sam Kafelafish wrote:
We don't hear about it that much but there are a few fatalities every year from improper boat driving/usage..

This is very true. I remember one year when a person on Lake Sammamish drove over someone accidentially with a boat and tore the person to pieces with the prop acting like a sharpe knife. I think there should be a small fee (after all boating is a privilige, not a right), and then at least some bozos won't be whizzing by us doing 55mph on their jet-ski when we're trying to fly-fish or troll our favorite lake or river. Remember, safety is number one on the water, and the only way to emphasis safety is to make a mandatory boating class for all wanting to operate motor craft (if you don't want to take the class, then you won't be operating a boat).For those excempt from this, I would say you're fine, but many are not. I love going down to Gene Couloun Park and watching people launch during sockeye season...it's like watching my grandma back up the old ford and trailer....all over the place. Some people just shouldn't own a boat, let alone operate one. It just puzzles me why some people think this is a bad idea. On most all fronts, it's a win-win situation, where lives will be saved, and you'll feel good about yourself in the end when it is all said and done! - K-killa.

I look at this law as not going far enough. It looks like another sit-thru-n-survive class. Kind of like a forklift certification. I feel you should have to demonstrate basic skills in a boat like the driving test at the D.O.L.. Just very basic stuff like unload/loading a boat at a launch, taking a brief spin to show handling skills, etc. Just another teeth-no-bite law. I recently saw 3 people loading thier parents VERY nice malibu ski boat at the mercer island launch. If there had been another boat in the area they would have been crushed, plus, bounced off both sides of thier trailer, causing damage to the trailer. A basic how-to class with a permit would have saved some damage and a potential accident. Im not sure what the new class entails. Who knows how it all will play out. At least it is a start.

Ok - so this got off topic fast. Anyways I looked at the paper they gave me @ 1st and realized there was a little registration card to cut out in the bottom left, so I am good to go.

A quick comment, I don't have a problem with the law, what I have a problem with is the lack of enforcement. If we don't have enforcement, what good is a law? In the past 7 years, I have not seen a game warden (sorry, showing my age) WDFW enforcement officer, on any of the waters that I use. To me this is a major problem. There is no-one to check safety equipment, licenses, life jackets or boat overloads, to name a few. And the ones that are going to be jerks, will still be jerks and cause problems for all the rest of us.

It might be nice (and convenient) to be able to go to a DOL web site and maybe take the boater safety test on line for certification. Just a thought and I know that it’s not without loopholes. I agree it's a good idea and necessary. As far as enforcement goes, any commissioned officer in the State of WA can check and or enforce any RCW or WAC law including fish and wildlife laws in Title 77. Unfortunately, there are not near enough officers in the field both police, sheriff, and fish and wildlife, to handle the volume or people and area. We all know that WDFW Officers cover huge areas by themselves. So one or two officers trying to cover one or two counties themselves obviously isn't near enough personnel to enforce the laws with much consistency. It’s definitely frustrating!

Maybe this website could sponsor a boating safety course since we are going to have to start paying for the extras and becoming a 1st class website. It would be a good PR thing and maybe some store like the new Cabela's could help sponsor it and pay for unknown costs.... They need to get out and meet the real fisherman here in Washington! Just a thought

fishing collector wrote:Maybe this website could sponsor a boating safety course since we are going to have to start paying for the extras and becoming a 1st class website. It would be a good PR thing and maybe some store like the new Cabela's could help sponsor it and pay for unknown costs.... They need to get out and meet the real fisherman here in Washington! Just a thought

I'm not sure how this would work.But I really like the idea.