It has been a busy summer. Business on the rivers has been very strong. That is the good news.
The unwelcome news is that recreational boaters have been out boating in force. Unfortunately, they have been creating potentially unsafe conditions for commercial operators on the inland waterways. I support the rights of the recreational boating community, but I have witnessed firsthand an increase in reckless actions taken by pleasure boaters. Over the last few weeks, I have witnessed several near-catastrophic accidents, all of them caused by what I would classify as uneducated or inexperienced pleasure boaters.
It is particularly alarming when these inexperienced boaters operate in and around commercial vessels. They are unaware of the operating characteristics of commercial vessels. Recreational boaters typically do not know that it may take a half mile to one mile for an inland tow to come to a complete stop in an emergency. With wind and currents, it may take longer.
On a beautiful Sunday afternoon on the Ohio River several years ago, I was captaining the Belle of Cincinnati when one of the most dangerous things possible took place. Two ski boats cut across the bow and a skier fell directly in front of me. To further complicate matters, a southbound tow was approaching.
As you can imagine, I had to quickly make some very important decisions. I radioed the towboat’s captain and at the same time made the decision to back hard on the Belle’s engines to avoid running over the skier. Luckily, the maneuver worked, and a major tragedy was avoided. But what this dangerous event highlights are the series of emergency actions that had to be taken because the ski boat operators acted irresponsibly. Their actions put their lives and the lives of my passengers and crew in danger.
What is the answer? Recreational boaters on navigable waters must meet minimum education standards and need to be licensed. There is no other way to manage this situation effectively and safely as our nation’s waterways become more and more crowded.
