Gregoire Posted February 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Practically speaking, not many of us would ever need that light but we should know what it is. I'm not arguing that I do not need to know what the masthead is, rather I am trying to make the point that not many boaters who have their boating card will have any idea what this is. I am just frustrated that I have to go through this process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercman Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Well, at least we dont have to get a learners permit for a year, then pass a driving test with an instructor.Although judging by the idiots i saw on the water last year, it would be an excellent idea. When i did the test, i was surprised to note, that when i failed a module, the questions got harder to answer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cudz Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 The exam got way more difficult. A colleague of mine said she had to go online and study for 2 hours (or allow 2 hours to pass) before she was able to sit the test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregoire Posted February 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Definitely way harder than I ythough it would be. The module tests are very complicated questions thay are far too detail oriented in my opinion. Hopefully I'll be done module 7 in a few minutes and will pass the module test so that I can write the real test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smally21 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 I don't see that question, nor requiring knowledge of it to be ridiculous at all. More than half of that question is simply 'can you speak boaters lanquage'. Which, if you want to be a boater, you should ba able to do. Not to mention if you are piloting a boat at night interpreting the meaning of the mysterious white light comIng at you might not seem so ridiculous when it's at 20metres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenboater Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 I guess the problem for us is that the card is meant for a broad range of boaters whereas we're probably going out in tinnies on inland waters and not navigating busy lanes. Regardless, I think, overall, this card was destined to happen and also agree with Roy re: Power Squadron. If one is looking to truly learn about boating, this would be the course. Glad I took my test in person last year and am encouraging SWMBO to get her card this year so she can drive. and yeah, reading the material over and over helped alot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikehunters Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Had to do the same back in the 90's here in PA. We actually had to take a 2 day course & then a test, not sure about todays regulations. A group of us got together & went through the process just to make it fun. I look at this the same as taking the motorcycle safety course didn't have to do it but if you pick up one little thing that may help or even save a life it is worth it. Trust me next time on the water you will see something that was on the test & you'll say Ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Sure sounds as if things have become alot more complicated since I took mine at the Sportsman Show the 1st year they became available, maybe 10 years or so back. Never even heard of these modules everyones talking about. Seems to me there were only about 20 questions and if you passed it was $10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Bob Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Its a masthead lite, Sheesh, even Google knew that Oh, I was going to say my fishing partner's head lamp as he bent over to get another beer out of the cooler.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregoire Posted February 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 I don't see that question, nor requiring knowledge of it to be ridiculous at all. More than half of that question is simply 'can you speak boaters lanquage'. Which, if you want to be a boater, you should ba able to do. Not to mention if you are piloting a boat at night interpreting the meaning of the mysterious white light comIng at you might not seem so ridiculous when it's at 20metres I don't disagree that you should know that the light comming at you is on a boat, I just find the phrasing to be poor. By the way I just wrote and passed the test 98% I wonder which question I got wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toronto_Angler Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Oh, I was going to say my fishing partner's head lamp as he bent over to get another beer out of the cooler.... Judging by your constant posts of drinking on a boat..Probably a good idea to bring in testing down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Bob Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Judging by your constant posts of drinking on a boat..Probably a good idea to bring in testing down there! Oh, I'm pretty sure I would pass the drinking test if need be.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheaptackle Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 I did mine in May 2010 at Bass Pro in the classroom. Couple of hours start to finish, got one wrong. Figured for the extra money (think it was 75.00 total) it was worth it as I was pretty confident they would be teaching you to pass it. I did learn more than what I already knew without a doubt. Now if I ever do see a "bifurcation buoy" I hope I remember what the hell I'm supposed to do about it Don't want to overly upset the apple cart but maybe the time HAS come for a graduated system like with driver's licenses. Face it, they are trying to make the waters safer, but it's going to take time before a formula is found to cover all the bases, and the journey is going to be a little rough along the way. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercman Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 I don't disagree that you should know that the light comming at you is on a boat, I just find the phrasing to be poor. By the way I just wrote and passed the test 98% I wonder which question I got wrong. SEE!!!! I told you you would pass. Congrats Yer now a sea Captain!!!AAARRRRRRRRR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 I don't agree that having a boater's card makes the waters safer at all. There will always be accidents no matter how many tests you take or how much knowledge you have. An accident is just that. There are avoidable tragedies cause by people drinking or people just not being careful. Then of course there are a few people who are just plain too scatterbrained to drive any kind of a vehicle on public roads or waterways. The cards were not put in place to make the waterways safer. They were a stop gap measure to get people, mostly on PWC off the water. They started with the PWC then every couple of years expanded it to include longer and longer boats 'til we got to where we are today. Almost everyone has a card, there is no central registry for the card and with or without a central registry, the card is still a useless measure. One blatant example is that people who've had their own boat on the water for 40 years need a card...folks who are renting a boat for the very first time, don't need a card. Where's the logic there? There is none. I could go on but it's not worth it. You cannot legislate common sense. Stupid people will cause accidents with or without a card. And the accidents (in the true sense of the word) will happen even between two very knowledgeable boaters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Oh, I'm pretty sure I would pass the drinking test if need be.... Ok, that was funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Well said Roy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smally21 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Kind of my point. The 'phrasing' you object to is taken from the definition, not some made up question. It's boat speak for forward facing light. But from your comment I see you still don't know what it means. Congrats on your 98 sounds like you are good to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2fish85 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) You didn't really save money from doing it at the show as you have to pay again. You saved $10 on the second round and if you read the info for the test online it says you get 2 chances for online. I read the book and passed first time around. Really didn't need it as its common sense really but congrats on passing. Edited February 20, 2012 by Live2fish85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twocoda Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 i did mine at the fishing show in the early 90s....20 bucks ...two tries...i got two questions wrong....one was...WHY Should you wear a pfd ? my answer was ...because its the law...lol...when the correct answer was....because it will save your life.....(debatable i thought but whatever....ever seen a dead guy in a floater suit?)....the second one i got wrong was...what is a cordual buoy....to this day....i know what one looks like (yellow /black/yellow_ but havent got a clue as to what it represents... Congrates on your pass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 i did mine at the fishing show in the early 90s....20 bucks ...two tries...i got two questions wrong....one was...WHY Should you wear a pfd ? my answer was ...because its the law...lol...when the correct answer was....because it will save your life.....(debatable i thought but whatever....ever seen a dead guy in a floater suit?)....the second one i got wrong was...what is a cordual buoy....to this day....i know what one looks like (yellow /black/yellow_ but havent got a clue as to what it represents... Congrates on your pass! Yellow black are not "cordual", they are cardinal buoys indicating cardinal point directions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twocoda Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Yellow black are not "cordual", they are cardinal buoys indicating cardinal point directions. no wonder i got it wrong....i thought cardinals would be red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 no wonder i got it wrong....i thought cardinals would be red It depends what church they belong to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twocoda Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 It depends what church they belong to. that explains it better....ive never belonged to one of them "clubs" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Field Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 I waited until I sold my boat to get mine. That doesn't make me sound overly smart does it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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