After witnessing mishaps, Nathan Benich is lobbying state
Assembly to pass license law
When it comes to registered boats, California is No. 2 in the
nation with more than 950,000.
Yet none of the owners of any of those vessels need a boating
license to operate on any of the state’s waterways.
Morgan Hill’s Nathan Benich would like to see that changed, or
at the very least he would like to see some sort of state law
requiring all registered boat owners to take a U.S. Coast Guard
certified safety course.
After witnessing mishaps, Nathan Benich is lobbying state Assembly to pass license law
When it comes to registered boats, California is No. 2 in the nation with more than 950,000.
Yet none of the owners of any of those vessels need a boating license to operate on any of the state’s waterways.
Morgan Hill’s Nathan Benich would like to see that changed, or at the very least he would like to see some sort of state law requiring all registered boat owners to take a U.S. Coast Guard certified safety course.
A longtime boating enthusiast, Benich points out that over the years he has seen boats collide, people unable to launch or backup their trailers and numerous alcohol-related incidents.
On Thursday, Benich plans to attend a Department of Boating and Waterways workshop in Sacramento, which will encourage discussion on whether California should require education or testing for boat operators in the near future. Benich is a longtime advocate of the issue and hopes to play a part in writing the legislation.
Benich first was introduced to boating at the age of 10. At the time, he and his family, which lived in a Philadelphia suburb, would often enjoy boating on local Pennsylvania waterways.
From day one, Benich learned about the importance of safety on the waterways. His concerns about safety came to the forefront in 2001, the year he decided to purchase his first boat.
“Even before I got the boat, I enrolled in a U.S. Coast Guard boating safety course,” said the 29-year-old Benich. “I knew it was important.”
Soon he would come to realize just how negligent other boaters were when it came to safety.
One example was the first time he went to launch his boat at Anderson Dam in Morgan Hill. It was the summer of 2001.
At that time, the launch area at the lake was undergoing a major construction project, which narrowed the launch area to just a single lane.
Benich remembers, in particular, being situated behind one boater in the line, who took a half-hour time to launch his vessel.
“He’s going back and forth, back and forth and up and down the ramp because he didn’t know what he was doing,” Benich said. “He couldn’t get his trailer in the right position near the dock. Finally, I asked him if he needed help. He said that a friend was coming to help. It was a brand new boat; I could tell he had never used it before. He didn’t need my help, he said, but I did tell him two things. I told him that boats don’t have brakes and boats don’t turn, they pivot.”
After the man launched, so did Benich. He had a fun time with his friends that afternoon and completely forgot about the incident – until it was time to come in.
He was on the ramp pulling his boat out when he looked back toward the lake.
“I remember there were a lot of boats puttering around the dock area waiting to come out of the water,” he said. “I looked out toward the open water and saw the boat that I was concerned about at the beginning of the day flying toward the 5-mph zone. He was going full open throttle, probably about 40 mph. When he hit the 5-mph area he was trying to slow down, but couldn’t.”
Within seconds it hit another boat. There were no injuries but both boats suffered hull damage. Soon a Sheriff’s patrol boat would arrive on the seen to write up the accident report.
“That’s a perfect example of why I want to see this legislation moved forward,” Benich said. “Accidents occur for many reasons – from the use of alcohol to not paying attention.”
Since that incident and the others Benich has witnessed over the years, he has been a strong advocate for boating safety. For years, he discussed the issue with family and friends. He has a number of ideas to increase safety. One simple one is to have drivers backing up with trailers position their hands on the bottom of their vehicle’s steering wheel.
“Doing that, just makes it easier to understand,” Benich said. “Because when your hands are on the bottom of the wheel, a turn to the left will make the trailer go to the left.”
Benich not only believes that the boating-license law would decrease accidents on the state’s waterways but that it has the potential to dramatically increase state revenues, which could in turn have a positive impact on the state’s crippling budget deficit.
In the spring, Benich got the ball rolling after a brief discussion with U.S. Congressman Richard Pombo (R-Tracy) at a Morgan Hill Downtown Association mixer.
But while Pombo seemed receptive to the legislation, he was on a federal level, and Benich believed his concerns would be better addressed by contacting local officials instead.
After making several calls, Benich eventually hooked up with representatives for state Assemblymen John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), who represents the state’s 27th Assembly District.
“This is a very important issue throughout the state,” said Bill Maxfield, spokesman for John Laird. “Mr. Laird is looking forward to seeing the outcome of the work done by the Department of Boating and Waterways. Clearly, we need to do something to strengthen the safety guidelines for our boaters.”
Benich is expecting to meet with representatives from Laird’s staff during the lunch break from the workshop.
“I’m hoping to see the bill introduced in Jan. of ’07 and hope to have it voted on sometime late that year,” Benich said. “If all goes well, it should become the law by 2008.”
Since the Department of Boating and Waterways is already behind the idea and since it’s not the first time discussion has been raised on the issue, Benich believes this time it will pass.
In 1999, similar legislation was introduced by the state legislature only to see it vetoed by former Governor Gray Davis, who cited at the time that such laws “didn’t make sense for California.”
Editor’s note: The workshop will take place on Thursday, Aug. 17 at the Clarion Hotel, Terrace Room, 700 16th Street, Sacramento.
