Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/10/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The thought of licensing boat drivers comes up here every few years but never goes anywhere. A German colleague at work once explained to me what he had to do to get his offshore sailing license. It was lengthy and tough! Sounds like Switzerland is the same way. Personally, I'd like to see licensing put into place but for me it would have to allow an exemption for kids to use small boats. There's a great tradition of fathers (and now mothers, too) passing on nautical lore, boat handling, and boating safety to their kids and I wouldn't want to lose it. It was true of my father to my brothers and me, and for me to my son (though the love of the water never really grabbed him, I think) and I see it in practice regularly on the Cape. It would be a real shame to lose it. Regards, Dick off-list comments to r.s.taylor at comcast dot net please. On Oct 9, 2008, at 12:58 AM, Nathan Wajsman wrote: > Dick, all these pictures are excellent. I cannot mail you off-list > because my nathanfoto account is down at the moment and your ISP > will reject any mail sent from from frozenlight. > > Anyway, the powerboaters behave like assholes (yes, I saw your > comments about the 300mm lens etc. but still) for the same reason > that many people who have big cars or fast sportcars will pass you > with screeching tires, only to meet again at the next stoplight. It > has to do with psychological insecurity and possible an undersized > penis, which is being compensated for in this way. > > I actually have a LICENSE to drive a motorboat--in Switzerland, you > need a license for everything, and when we lived there, we were > thinking of buying a small boat to putter around on Lake Zurich. We > never got the boat, but I did get the license (on the 2nd attempt). > Many of the behaviors exhibited by the powerboaters in your pictures > would incur a fine and possibly loss of license there. > > Cheers, > Nathan > > Nathan Wajsman > Alicante, Spain > http://www.frozenlight.eu > http://www.greatpix.eu > http://www.nathanfoto.com > > Books: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0 > PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws > Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog > > > > On Oct 9, 2008, at 3:37 AM, Richard S. Taylor wrote: > >> Lluis, Philippe, Adam - The interesting thing is that all these >> shots, and I have a few more in the same vein, were serendipitous. >> We just cruised along at 5 knots or so and these photos all came my >> way. >> >> It's not a dangerous as it might look, though. For one thing, they >> were all taken with a 300 mm equivalent lens and some are further >> cropped. For another we are all used to dealing with this and, at >> least when I'm steering, always have an escape route planned in >> case things get too close. Collisions are very rare. It's more >> the absolutely thoughtless behavior that gets me. >> >> And for Philip, I know that boorish behavior exists everywhere. I >> don't know if it's still true, but at least for a while, racing >> sailors were notorious for running through competitive fishing >> fleets and otherwise ignoring the Rules of the Road when it suited >> their tactical needs. But, in my experience, the degree to which >> it exists among power boaters far exceeds anything I've seen >> elsewhere. Maybe it's just because there are so many of them and I >> travel among folks who consider 5 knots really moving along. >> >> There are obviously some good guys among power boaters, too. As I >> said in my post of this image, this guy did slow way down as he >> passed us, so he was one of them. >> >> I'm pleased you liked the shot. Thanks. >> >> >> Regards, >> >> Dick >> off-list comments to r.s.taylor at comcast dot net please. >> >> >> >> >> >> On Oct 8, 2008, at 1:36 PM, Philippe AMARD wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> Richard S. Taylor wrote: >>> >>>> Apropos of a couple of comments I received from kayakers, how >>>> would you like to have this guy bearing down on you? >>> >>> With the weight of their bank accounts and insurance policies ;-) >>> >>> >>> >>> Really impressive Dick, but please don't take risks. >>> phx >>> >>> >>>> >>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/rtaylor/PICKS/2008_PAD/300_1148.jpg.html >>>> >>>> or >>>> >>>> http://tinyurl.com/3fqakr >>>> >>>> In fairness, this boat did slow down radically as he went by us >>>> about 50 feet to port, sparing us his four-foot wake, but why >>>> get up so much speed in a channel when there are smaller boats >>>> around? >>>> >>>> >>>> Regards, >>>> >>>> Dick >>>> off-list comments to r.s.taylor at comcast dot net please. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Leica Users Group. >>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more >>>> information >>>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information