Missouri Jetboaters Association: WHY DIDN'T THEY PUT ON THE BRAKE?

Friday, April 16, 2010

WHY DIDN'T THEY PUT ON THE BRAKE?

"Corey was operating the boat back down river when they had a rock lodge in the jet pump. The boat was unable to get on plane. While coasting in neutral they hit a log jam causing the bow of the boat to come out of the water and the stern to fill with water."
Mo. State Water Patrol

This report is the kind of issue I was talking about in the article below. Didn't these guys have an anchor? If they did, why didn't they toss it out before they hit the log jamb? Maybe they could have thrown it to the side and dragged the boat over into safe water. Just a little bit of boating training could have saved a boat. I don't know if it sank completely or not but they're lucky nobody drowned.

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Hi, my name's Tom Usher and I've been thinking about something. I've been running the Meramec River for 30 years now in power boats, both with pumps and props. Before that I spent most of my life around cruisers and houseboats on the Mississippi River and Lake of the Ozarks.

There's one thing in common between all of these waters as far as boating goes; some people know what they're doing and some don't. There are rules in boating called "The Rules of the Road". They are applicable no matter what body of water you're on or what type of boat you're in, from a raft to a 60' Chris Craft on up. The rules exist so that people can travel safely on the water with a reasonable expectation of what others around them are going to do.

Very few boaters have taken the time to attend classes from the Coast Guard or the Power Squadron to learn about the machine they're operating or the rules that govern its operation. Most just get in and go, figuring that it's the water so it's a big party and the hell with safety and concern for others. That attitude gets people killed every single year.

As someone that has been around boats all my life I can say without much fear of being wrong that running jetboats on small rivers is the most potentially dangerous type of boating there is short of racing. It mixes high speed, shallow water, rocks, stumps, current, trees and sharp turns into some of the most incredibly fun yet treacherously nasty boating you're going to find. Mix in canoes, rafts, tubers, swimmers and drinking and I'm amazed we have as few accidents as we do.

Jetboaters have a bad reputation among average Missourians. The only time most people are exposed to us is when they get out and rent a canoe once or twice a year and travel in packs jambing the river from side to side. Most of these canoeist are from urban areas and have very little exposure to the rivers and river life. Consequently they don't understand that we pass so close to them, not because we want to, but because we have no choice. They are floating, swimming or have decided to beach their canoes directly in the narrow channel that we have to use to get through. This seems to leave the impression that we're just a bunch of white trash river rats intent on ruining their time on the river and threatening their safety. With rare exception, this isn't the case.

And this is where the "Rules of the Road" kick in. All of us that use the river need to know these rules and live by them. That includes the canoeists and rafters. We need to put a system in place that will allow boaters on the small rivers to receive at least a modicum of training before they hit the water.

I'm not talking licencing and classes and all that, but more of an informal educational program. Something that supplies the boater with information when they buy their boat or rent a canoe.

I think that we as jetboaters, because we use the river more than others and are far more familiar with it, need to take the lead in this effort. To this end I would like to propose the formation of the Missouri Jetboaters Association. We need some sort of formal group to speak for us in the political world and to protect our interests. We need to be proactive in safety and environmental concerns along the river to head off those that will try to ban us from it. We need to police ourselves so that we can have access to the rivers we love.

The thing is, I'm not sure how to go about getting something like this started. My buddy and I were talking about this last night and figured social networking would have to play a big role. We can get the word out through talking to people on the river and at outfitters and boat dealers. There are legal requirements that have to be met and we wouldn't want to forget the tax man.

Maybe this could start as an informal thing but to be effective it would have to be formalized pretty quickly. I talked to the Water Patrol and they are producing a DVD on river safety that they are going to make available to outfitters. Maybe we should work with them.

The other advantage to something like this is that it would allow for jetboaters to get together every once in a while for meetings to discuss concerns and ideas. We just have to find a big gravel bar and get permission to use it. The internet will also give us the means to communicate about problems and issues that need to be addressed. even something as simple as announcements about a get together somewhere or that a tree needs to be cut out of the channel someplace.

As you can tell all of this is in the planning and talking stage right now so any suggestions would be appreciated. Leave your comments and if you want your contact information. I can be reached at tomusher@catholicexchange.com.

Missouri Jetboaters Association

Friday, April 16, 2010

WHY DIDN'T THEY PUT ON THE BRAKE?

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