I can't just leave it at that. Boating was fun (inland lakes, mostly) until personal watercraft became popular. Then boating was like picnicking on a yellow jacket's nest; no, it was more like driving down the wrong side of the freeway; no, it was more like mowing the yard and trying not to hit the dog poop piles; no, it was just no fun any more. I went thru the Coast Guard Boaters course and was a member of the local Power Squadron and used my own boat for safety patrols on weekends. I saw more idiots in one day on the local lakes on a typical weekend than you could ever imagine.

6 people in a 14 foot runabout trying their damndest to pull #7 on skis with a 50 hp outboard-

a guy letting his 6-year old sit at the bow with his feet hanging over the front running full speed down the channel (think the kid had on a life jacket?)-

jet skiers jumping the wake of a guy pulling a skier-

family launching their boat at a double ramp. Mom parks the car in front of one ramp to unload the coolers, water toys, kids etc. while Dad launches the boat from behind the pickup, leaves the truck and trailer on the ramp while he ties up the boat on the dock(extends between the launch ramps) and then goes to help Mom and kids load the cooler and water toys into the boat, then goes and moves Mom's car to the parking lot, THEN comes back and moves the truck and trailer----all this time there are only about 15 other boaters waiting to either launch or retrieve their boats. AND THEY ARE TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS TO THE OTHER BOATS-

bass boats coming down the middle of the lake at dusk WFO and chine walking on the ripples, well at least most of them had their running lights on--

pontoon boats , ski boats, cruisers, rafted together at the local sand bar, water 3 -4 feet deep, every body in the water partying and having a good time, jet skiers and monster boats trying to impress zooming around the rafters like indians encircling the wagon train- dang, water's so rough my beer keeps falling of the flotation cushion--

jet skiers seeing who can do the tightest turns around the "NO WAKE" bouy at the launching area-


Yeah, I think I'll go buy another boat