LtLaszlo
Haha!! Too funny Ferret!! Hey, as long as it floats and you can control where you're going, it's a good boat!!
iFuerza...good point. It's hard to believe how easy it is to get on a boat and go and you only need to be 14 (at least in Mich). The age is younger, yet there is less control than on the road. No lines, signs...just common sense which many are lacking. In Michigan the "rule of thumb" is you travel a counterclockwise direction and it's amazing how five boats will abide and one ass will be going full bore clockwise bewteen them all!! And that's when their sober!! You can only shake your head a watch what's going on around you. Obviously, bigger water is a bit easier since you'll have more space to move aound.
Here in Ontario i had to take a 3 hour online course then a 1.5 hour Test to get my Pleasure Craft License. You need it for everything in the water with a motor. It costs like $40 and it gives you ALOT of info. You need an 80% min on the test to pass, but if you fail, retests are free, just gotta wait 24hr. I spent almost 4 hours doing the course (i took a shitload of notes) and got 92% on the test and its good for life. I know around here they are VERY hard on people boating. They are checking all the time for licenses and drinking.