Boating Accidents down in 2013

[DEJ]

Originally Posted by Bear Islander

I must agree everyone makes mistakes. I think the Captain does a great job most of the time. Not giving due credit to 2008 legislation is one of his few mistakes.

I am confident if the Captain thought something in addition to the boating safety course was a contributor he would have mentioned it.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by DEJ

I am confident if the Captain thought something in addition to the boating safety course was a contributor he would have mentioned it.

Evidently you didn't read the report so here it is:

In the past five years, the number of accidents has declined or held steady, as has the number of fatalities.

There are a number of reasons for that, Dunleavy said.

The state’s mandatory boating education law, which was phased in, took full effect in 2008. It requires anyone 16 and older who’s operating a motorboat over 25 horsepower or a ski craft to have a boating education certificate. There are in-person and online class options and the state accepts certificates from other states and the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

About 160,000 boat operators have been certified through the state’s boating education program, Dunleavy said.

That’s part of the reason for the decline in accidents and deaths, he said.

But weather and a decline in recreational boat registrations have contributed.

“The trend nationally for boat registrations has been down,” Dunleavy said. “A lot of people will point to the economy. New Hampshire is a seasonal boating state. Put the economy on top of that and people make choices; recreation can take a back seat to other needs.”

He said boat registrations in the state peaked around 2006-2007, with some 115,000 recreational vessels registered. Last year, there were 92,046 boats registered, down slightly from 2012.

Weather matters, too, he said.

When it rains a lot, there are fewer boaters out, but there’s a plus side to that, Dunleavy said.

“There’s a lot of granite in New Hampshire and it comes up in lakes as large rocks or shoals,” he said. “When we get a lot of rain, the water level is higher and there are fewer collisions (with rocks).”

There were 40 recreational boating accidents in the state last year. The causes, in descending order, were grounding, colliding with another boat, a skier mishap, flooding or swamping, and a variety of other causes.

The primary causes for boating accidents nationally are operator inattention, improper outlook, operator inexperience and excessive speed, according to the Coast Guard report.

Marine Patrol officers typically issue 1,500 to 2,000 tickets a year, Dunleavy said. The number of warnings issued is four or five times that.

Many are for moving violations, he said, speeding, proximity to other boats, improper display of lights at night.

In addition to patrolling the state’s waters, the Marine Patrol also responds to island police calls.

“In New Hampshire, we have numerous bodies of water with island populations in the summer and they have medical aid calls, domestic violence calls, burglary calls,” Dunleavy said. “Whatever happens in town happens on islands and we respond to those calls.”

Dunleavy said the Marine Patrol is actively recruiting more officers, but the staff he has “can adequately respond to public safety demands.”

The ice is out, Memorial Day is fast approaching and the unit is ready for the season to begin in earnest.

“Usually, once we see the kids out of school, the switch really is turned on,” Dunleavy said.

[DEJ]

You are correct he did mention several other factors that could be reasons for the decline in accidents. I was referring to a statement made about some 2008 legislation that someone mentioned and did a poor job of responding to that. Thanks for pointing out there are other factors according to the Captain that accidents are down. I believe he pretty much covered all of them.

[Billy Bob]

You sure get your shorts all bunched up if anyone criticizes the Admiral .
( gave him a field promotion ) what's with that ? You related ?

[Rusty]

Just for the record and I'm sure the Captain would appreciate it, his name is Dunleavy and not Dunleavey.

[DEJ]

Thanks Rusty, correct spelling of his name noted.

[Lakegeezer]

As long as we are speculating, increased use of GPS is likely to keep people from grounding or hitting a rock. The maps are getting better and using Bizer's suggested routes keeps you far from trouble.

[Bear Islander]

It's an interesting coincidence that the report mentions the Marine Patrol providing police services on islands. That was a issue raised in the recent "Ideal Island" thread.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by Bear Islander

It's an interesting coincidence that the report mentions the Marine Patrol providing police services on islands. That was a issue raised in the recent "Ideal Island" thread.

"In addition to patrolling the state’s waters, the Marine Patrol also responds to island police calls.

“In New Hampshire, we have numerous bodies of water with island populations in the summer and they have medical aid calls, domestic violence calls, burglary calls,” Dunleavy said. “Whatever happens in town happens on islands and we respond to those calls.”

It is interesting that they mention that as Gilford PD was acting as the "police" and MP was just the transportation for them when we had an issue. They did stay offshore and monitor by FLIR camera until the boat arrived with the PD officers.

[BroadHopper]

Originally Posted by DEJ

You are correct he did mention several other factors that could be reasons for the decline in accidents. I was referring to a statement made about some 2008 legislation that someone mentioned and did a poor job of responding to that. Thanks for pointing out there are other factors according to the Captain that accidents are down. I believe he pretty much covered all of them.

If Dunleavy did a poor job during the 2008 debate, why did the state promote him to Captain?

[Woodsy]

Chaselady....

I really don't know why you are surprised it turned into a "pissing contest"....

BI insinuated that in his opinion, a certain legislation should have been mentioned as a contributing factor in the lower collision numbers. Obviously the MP didn't see it as warranting a mention. Then again they didn't see it as necessary at all.

Whip em out and start pissing up a pole! LOL!

I think the SL has been beaten to death. It is what it is. The number might go up or down, but it like radioactive waste, will never go away.

Woodsy