Florida: Most recreational boat accidents

[dlandersson]

Florida: Most recreational boat accidents - just say'n

Florida has the highest number of boat accidents and fatalities. Yet studies consistently show that Floridians operate boats at least as well as highly caffeinated orangutans.

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/what-every ... .html?hp=1

[Obelix]

It's probably the "Snow-Birds" coming from up north

Obelix

[Tony E]

We have more water up here than in the south and we are born with a pre approved boat license in our hands at birth along with a book about "how to make good back bacon" eh....

[Tomfoolery]

We have more water up here than in the south and we are born with a pre approved boat license in our hands at birth along with a book about "how to make good back bacon" eh....

If I had heard this when I was a small kid, I'd have believed you, since everything I knew about Florida came from watching Flipper on TV. Young kid skippering a motorboat at-will, water everywhere, shirts optional, hardly any houses around, and what there was were on the water - looked like a great life, at least for a kid (Bud I think his name was?).

But at the risk of sounding defensive, it sounds like more money than brains is just as much a problem down there as it is up here, and coupled with BWI, it's a real problem.

[Herschel]

Surely you guys and gals are noting that we boat 12 months out of the year and have the largest number of recreational boats in the country. Of course, we will have the highest "number" of accidents. Plus, we are all rushing to get back to the ramp by dark so the gators and the skeeters don't get us. Bound to be some collisions there. And we haven't stared talking about happy hour in the Keys, yet.

[RobertB]

Interesting in that while Florida has the second largest coastline (behind Alaska), Maryland has the most coastline per total state area (26%) (Florida has 13% and Alaska 5%).

[Russ]

We aint go no salt water...but Fort Peck Lake, the fifth largest man-made lake in the U.S., more than 130 miles (210 km) long, 200 feet (61 m) deep, and it has a 1,520-mile (2,450 km) shoreline which is longer than the state of California's coastline.

[vizwhiz]

I think you got all the major points Herschel!
I'd bet that if you took the total number of boating people-hours (people in a boat somewhere in FL times number of boats times hours) per year and averaged them over the entire year, nowhere "up there" would even be close. Just think of how many canoes, kayaks, aluminum skiffs, etc. are out there on our backwaters and lakes and rivers...all year long. It's pretty amazing to me...

[Chinook]

The Florida boating accident rate supports something I once heard, namely that Florida has the highest boat insurance rates of anyplace in the country. Must be a combination of lots of coastline, lengthy season, hurricanes, and too much mixing of alcohol with boating. Speaking of alcohol, we got a chuckle over a marine patrol officer we encountered near Ft. Lauderdale, while cruising on the ICW. We were southbound, on our way to Miami and I was temporarily down in the cabin, with Sandy at the wheel. I heard her talking with someone, and poked my head out to see a county marine patrol boat idling right alongside us. I asked the officer if everything was ok. He just winked at us and pointed to a boatload of teenagers in a small runabout on the far side of the channel. He told us he was using us as a screen, while he observed their behavior. Pretty soon he fired up and came alongside them. He was checking for alcohol, possible overcrowding, and enough lifejackets on board. They passed his inspection, which was a good thing. We also felt good seeing that the law was being actively enforced on that particular patch of water.

[dlandersson]

We are starting to sound like the nautical version of "The Bragging Song"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QZTNbyA4zk

We aint go no salt water...but Fort Peck Lake, the fifth largest man-made lake in the U.S., more than 130 miles (210 km) long, 200 feet (61 m) deep, and it has a 1,520-mile (2,450 km) shoreline which is longer than the state of California's coastline.

[Sea Wind]

I am glad Herschel posted all major factor that make Florida the state with the “highest” number of boat accidents and fatalities. This is really sloppy journalism using half-truth nominal terms. This is no less misleading than saying that most accidents happen within 5 miles from home without saying that most driving happens within 5 miles from home; or that the most stolen vehicles are usually the most popular vehicles.

Along those lines, we should go boating in Vermont just because it is a lot safer with only 2 accidents in 2013

Rant over and out

[K9Kampers]

Boating in Vermont IS safer... because there are less Florida boaters in Vermont!

[Herschel]

there are less Florida boaters in Vermont!

Duh! And why would Florida boaters want to go to Vermont to go boating? Its 81 in Orlando right now and 34 in Montpelier. Montpelier is in Vermont, isn't it?

[Ixneigh]

How many of those accidents involve out of staters coming TO FL with their boat?
Ix

[Norca]

I think the boating must be good in Florida with all those accidents,
I mean let's face it there is absolutely no accidents in Canada right now, and there is a reason for it
The water is getting too hard