This will be what I hope to be a series of articles concerning all aspects of boating safety. I know what you are already thinking, great, just what we need, another guy preaching boating safety. Well, I hope this will not be the case. I’ve asked for your input and have been asked some pretty good questions so far, so keep those ideas coming in.
First off let me introduce myself. My name is Mike Crouch and I’m an Instructor for Sea School here in Charleston and an on-call Captain for SeaTow Charleston. (For those of you who have been through one of my classes, no I will not make you plot!) But on a more serious note, I have over 30 years on the water and have cut back from full time teaching to part time so I can spend more time on the water. I am an avid fisherman and I make all my own rods and most of my fishing rigs. Now that I’ve tooted my own horn, lets get down to business.
There is a great misconception out there (on the water that is) that the Rules of the Road (both Inland and International) are only for those of us that are licensed. This can be no farther from the truth. The Rules of the Road are contained in the Code of Federal Regulations and apply to all persons operating any type of watercraft. The “Rules” exist for one purpose only and that is to prevent collisions on the water. These rules are not there to make your life difficult. Although if you are the only one who is following the rules you know that life is already difficult when the hundred other vessels out there are just doing there own thing and get out of my way, thank you very much. But I believe that the fisherman (and fisherladies) of the lowcountry always do the right thing!
There are numerous websites out there to test your skills, but the single best place to get information on the rules is to go out and spend a couple of bucks on a copy of the Rules of the Road. Current law only requires that vessels over 12 meters (39’) are required to have onboard a current copy of the Rules. However, the prudent thing to do is