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June 2018
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Disponible en línea en español.
Your Insurance
with
Cathy Karas
Cathy J. Karas, Certified Insurance Counselor, President, Karas
Insurance Agencies Inc, 321 So. Riverside Ave.,
Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
M
any of you are experienced boaters, some having taken the Coast Guard,
Power Squadron, Boater’s Safety or Captain’s Licensing classes. Like driving
a car or riding a bicycle, once you set out on your trip, you may be on auto
pilot and may not be as careful or as observant as you should be. Even if
you are sure you are the most knowledgeable operator, with many years of
experience operating all types of crafts, it is often the other guy or gal, that
causes the problem. You have no control over what another boater might do,
and as many of us have experienced, they often perform the most dangerous
and unexpected maneuver at the last minute. Crossing our path, throwing up a
wake, passing on the wrong side, and unsafe speed are a few examples of what
you can expect. What type of boating education and insurance is required, you
might wonder. Very little, at least in New York State.
You need to take a boating education class to operate a personal watercraft
if you are at least 14 years old. The card certifying you have successfully
completed the class has to be carried with you as the Coast Guard or Police can
stop you and request to see this. They are also entitled to come on board to see
if you have all the required, approved safety equipment which includes flares,
flag, fire extinguisher and life vest for each passenger. But also, the website for
the New York Boater’s Guide Laws and Regulations states that you can operate
a PWC if you have not taken the course but are accompanied by someone 18
or older who has and has the card with them. Operation of a PWC if you are
under 14 is prohibited. Even scarier is the provision that a person at least 10
years old can operate a recreational boat (other than a PWC), so long as they
have taken the boater’s safety course, or are with someone that has and has
the card with them. The thought of a 10 year old being able operate any type
of recreational boat other than a PWC, who may have little to no experience is
unbelievable to me.
The other issue is that unlike car insurance, New York State does not require
boat insurance. You may be required to have it if you have a loan and the
Avoiding Insurance
Gaps, Tickets
&
Fines
Operating Your Boat