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Mark Freeman Commentary Better safe than sorry for boaters About the only thing Darrell Monroe and Yvonne Thompson knew about powerboats last fall was that they really wanted one. A big, fast one that would jet the Colorado transplants across the rivers and lakes of this new piece of God�s country called Southern Oregon. But unlike most novice boaters-to-be, the Medford couple wanted to learn all they could about being smart, safe and polite boaters before they grabbed the throttle of their new 22-foot water-rocket known as a jetboat. "I knew, when it was time to be out on the water, that I didn�t want to be the problem, the one getting in other people�s way," says Monroe, a 56-year-old engineering consultant. The couple spent two Saturdays in February taking a boater-education course. They studied the laws of the waterways, meanings of different colored buoys, even touchy boat-ramp etiquette issues like how not to use a ramp as a loading dock. And now, though they�ve logged limited behind-the-wheel time motorboating the Rogue River and nearby lakes, Monroe and Thompson know better than many seasoned boaters the rules of the water � like two blasts from a boat horn isn�t meant to be the audible equivalent of a wave. "It�s like they think you�re saying �Hello,� but two beeps means you�re passing on the right," says Thompson, a 63-year-old real estate agent. "I can tell you, being out on the water, that we knew very quickly who knows how to be safe and who thinks safety is important," she says. For decades, people like Monroe and Thompson have been the exception. Beginning this winter, their approach will become the rule. Oregon�s mandatory boater-education program officially becomes law in January as part of an effort aimed at making Oregon�s increasingly crowded waterways more safe. The law, which was passed this month by the Oregon State Marine Board after a lengthy public hearings process across the state, includes a requirement that all boaters take a course on basic boating skills and/or pass a test to demonstrate basic boating knowledge. Upon passing a test, the boater will buy a $10 Boater Education Card, which he or she will then need to carry when operating a craft of more than 10 horsepower. The Marine Board will start issuing boater-education cards in January, but they will not be required for anyone to carry until 2003. The cards will be smudge-free, plastic and wallet-sized like most vehicle insurance cards, and are good for the boater�s lifetime. The new program, however, is being called the most comprehensive mandatory program of its kind in the West. For instance, the new rules don�t assume that seasoned boaters intuitively know how to be safe. The law does not exempt older or experienced boaters from the education requirements, but it does allow boaters a chance to pass a test that would exempt them from taking a sanctioned boater-ed class. But most will find just how little they know about boating until they take a course offered through the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the U.S. Power Squadron or any of a series of online or home-study courses. The intent is to ensure that boaters know the nuts and bolts of safe, legal operation of these fun yet potentially dangerous watercraft. And marine officials want boaters to learn the rules before they get out on the water. "Darrell and Yvonne are a great example," says Wally Ramsay, a marine deputy for the Jackson County Sheriff�s Department. "They know there�s a lot to know about boating besides the law, and they don�t take the river for granted like so many people do." Monroe and Thompson take little for granted in Southern Oregon. The couple fled Denver and settled on Medford after Monroe, who grew up in Cottage Grove, found the Rogue Valley far superior to his native Willamette Valley. First, they bought a sports-utility vehicle with towing a powerboat in mind. Then they began preparations for handling a 22-foot Jetcraft in-board jetboat they had their eyes on. They took a boater-education course offered through the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and learned more in two full Saturdays than many boaters learn in decades. "It gives you a comfort, like you feel you know the rules and you also know what to do in case of an emergency," Monroe says. They practiced backing up and launching their boat during mid-week days all winter, then learned the feel of their boat while on safe lake water before dipping their toes into the Rogue River. Now, the pair take regular jaunts in local powerboaters� most hallowed shallow-water wonderland � the Rogue from TouVelle State Park down to Gold Ray Dam. "We�ve had more fun in the past year than most people have in a lifetime," Thompson says. "And it helps, knowing what we�ve learned about safety." (Staff writer Mark Freeman covers the outdoors for the Mail Tribune. Call him at 776-4470, or e-mail him at: [email protected] ) Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.