[Capt. Debbie]

Boaters are all required to get certified in NJ and get an 80% on a test. That will not solve people being reckless. Drunk driving is illegal too, but it happens all the time.

Careless boaters come in both flavors, recreation and professional. Read about the two "professional" mariners that both killed two people in the Duck boat incident in Philly a few years ago.

Both captains should have know better and probably had the requisite COLREGS on board. But that doesn't "un-dead "the duckboat fatalities abandoned by the duckboat captain.

That duckboat "captain" who anchored in the channel watched a captainless tug & barge for nearly 10 minutes before it ran them over doing only 5 knots. You figure plenty of time to have them don lifejackets- neh! Stereo imbeciles.

Or similarly the sail boater exercising his "stand on" status crossing in front of a power boat ( aka 700 foot tanker) in open water. Duh!

Luckily most are a bit more careful, but all the education and rules in the world will not change a mindset.

To think rules and courses will make all people act differently is not realistic.