Boaters test too easy? Sort of Fishing

[DundasSteelheader]

As per usual they had the boaters safety exam booth at the sportsman show, so I said what the heck ill try it because you only have to pay if you pass.

 

Keep in mind I've never looked at the book or any kind of study guide.. Walk in there write the 50 mc test in 15 minutes and pass with an 80. The test is a joke in my opinion. When it's to get a licence to drive something that could potentially kill you and/or other people you'd think it would be a little more difficult.

 

Some will say that I probably had background knowledge or have been around boats a lot, which is partially true, but to be honest I still couldn't even tell you which side is port and which is starboard.

 

Tonight I'm gonna sit down and read the actual book to learn the information, just wanted your thoughts.

[Roy]

You only pay if you pass.....if you fail you don't pay. You do the math.

[wall i]

The other side of the coin is that I and thousands of others boated for decades without incidences. A little common sense is all thats needed so how hard should a test of common sense be???

Big brother cant resist the opportunity to regulate.

[bigbuck]

I did the test in Honey Harbour 4 years ago. I set the record, I was done in under 10 mins and only got two wrong. I had only skimmed the study guide and never really read in in depth. The cute young things that were there selling the test could not believe it. It is pretty much a joke.

[ch312]

This "license" is nothing more than a waste of time and is a huge money grab. IMO, the only ones who think its a good idea likely wear wool and make the odd "baaah" sound

 

 

[wigler]

Always been a pet peeve of mine. Grew up navigating boats, mostly small tinnies, etc.

Then this law comes in and I am not allowed to drive a boat. I no longer have a boat, so not a huge issue, except when I happen to go to a cottage, or wish to rent a boat for fishing.

 

So me, who has a lot of experience, is not allowed, but someone who has passed this 'test', but has never before been in a boat, is allowed. Should there not be a practical test as well?

 

Well, this past summer I finally wrote the test, with virtually no prestudying.

 

What a joke it was. I do not feel better that people who have passed this test are now on the water.

[chessy]

that test and the turkey hunting test... now that is a money grab as well..

[Ralph Field]

I waited until after I sold my boat to write the test and haven't been in a boat since.

[kemper]

Yup, cash grab unfortunately.

 

If you spend any time at all on the Kawartha's its easy to see that most people driving a boat have a hard time figuring out which way is forward.

I took a course when I did mine, the course was well presented and I LEARNED the material. Not that I needed it when it was test time, but hey at least I know a couple things about boating.

[John]

You only pay if you pass.....if you fail you don't pay. You do the math.

[lookinforwalleye]

Nevermind.... everything that could possibly be said about the boaters test has already been said on OFC a couple hundred times!!!

[azebra]

Port Left same amount of letters... starboard right.. my right finger points to the star...

[Garnet]

Definely a joke. The even bigger joke Toronto Harbour licence.

[colin519]

I did the license online a couple of years ago. These booth setups where you can do the test in 20 minutes are the problem.

 

The online test takes a minimum of 2 (maybe 3 I don't recall) hours, in that you need to stay on those study pages for at least that time. You cannot submit your answers until you have spent that much time with the material open. I knew much of it, but going back and reading it while I waited for that timer to expire definitely helped my knowledge. As you said, most of it is common sense but some of it is really good info, for example the information on sunstroke treatment and such.

 

Also, there really is no way to learn and retain that much info in 20 minutes, especially in an environment like the Sportsmens show. You might be able to retain the knowledge for a while, long enough to be tested, but long term, that knowledge is useless. I do suspect that the OP's common knowledge is what allows someone to test in 20 minutes, and I don't have a problem with that. The scary thing is whether a true newbie would be able to get a license in that time because humans just don't learn effectively in that little time.

[paul_614]

Cash grab. I was a certified canoe instructor for 18+ years and could not get grandfathered in. The test should be like getting your G license. Write a test, pilot a boat.

Edited February 13, 2013 by paul_614

[musky_hunter]

cash grab ..... useless, let alone too easy!

[SirCranksalot]

My main quibble is not that it's too easy, but that most of the stuff is irrelevant to many(maybe a majority) of boaters. The home version of the test require some time and concentration, as someone above pointed out. It's baffling that there are 2 ways of passing---the quick way at the shows and the longer way at home. But relevancy? e.g. On most all inland lakes there are no marker buoys, questions about the min length of rodes to be carried on larger vessels etc.

 

Paul--I'm puzzled re your comments about canoes. No licence is req'd for those.

[DundasSteelheader]

You only pay if you pass.....if you fail you don't pay. You do the math.

I guess I lacked some clarity in my original post, but that was what I was getting at. I don't even think I got the 75% to be honest, I bet they just bumped it up so I would pay the $67.50 or whatever it was. I also think it should be like the current car licence system, ie. write the test get the B1 (use boats up to 16 ft, max 50hp or something) then write a harder test or something to get the full boaters licence to be able to drive anything. Just my 2 cents.

Edited February 13, 2013 by DundasSteelheader

[MJL]

Both my dad and I studied hard for our tests and wrote them at Lebaron. I got 1 wrong and my dad scored perfect. Probably would’ve scored close to the same without studying TBH. A lot of the material we did study wasn’t on the test and a number of questions we encountered on the test were never covered in the book (it was common sense). At least now if I’m ever asked to confirm the spelling of words, I can use the NATO phonetic alphabet.LOL

 

Port Left same amount of letters... starboard right.. my right finger points to the star...

 

For me, I remember them this way:

 

You left "port"

Your right hand man is your “star”

You “bow” forward

You get a “stern” kicking in the

Edited February 13, 2013 by MJL

[irishfield]

Yet they don't even teach you how to start a motor.. let alone drive the boat! Makes me feel really safe!

 

I thought "don't pay to you pass" had been outlawed!!

 

Oh....and why not just print your own cards, there's no registry!!

[G.mech]

And the course to operate the VHF radio on board a boat is two days......hmmmm.

[Rich]

I guess I lacked some clarity in my original post, but that was what I was getting at. I don't even think I got the 75% to be honest, I bet they just bumped it up so I would pay the $67.50 or whatever it was. I also think it should be like the current car licence system, ie. write the test get the B1 (use boats up to 16 ft, max 50hp or something) then write a harder test or something to get the full boaters licence to be able to drive anything. Just my 2 cents.

Yes, that sounds very governmental.. we can make MORE money if we instill GRADUATED boat licensing! Lol

[ecmilley]

since you can obtain a cert with a dock side test when you rent a boat don't really see the validity of the whole card idea.

[porkpie]

Utter cash grab. Provides no measure of safety whatsoever!

[kickingfrog]

This has likely already been brought up but: I don't care how hard they make the written test if it doesn't have a practical component how useful is it really? My wife has never really driven a boat but with a small amount of studying could pass the boater exam with no issues.