< Note: Message split from this thread JK >
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Powerboat
About time that we tried to gather the Irish Motorboat Fraternity together ( RIBS, Shannon / Motor Cruisers Power / Ski Boats etc.
I was thinking of setting up an Irish Motorboat Forum using the v bulletin software on www.powerboat.ie .
A More general forum..Boats with engines from Ireland as mentioned above so not in competition / opposition to here.
We could establish Fraternal links with Rib.Net as well as with other groups.......
Anyone interested ?
Stuart |
Funny - a similar thought crossed my mind recently - but for a differeent reason - I'll get back to that in a min...
I guess the real question is whether you'd get enough users to make it worthwhile (would it also have something to offer Jetski users - because I'll bet of all the boating fraternity - there are more jetski users actively using the internet than any other category...) - and how much effort it would take to do it - and how you organise it. I'm a bit computer literate... (remember the Engineer thread ??) - maybe I could give a hand setting it up - I've never set up a chat forum before - but why not???
Back to the reason - well - on RIB.net - we see lots of activities/cruises, etc going on - but they're all based in the UK - and I thought - hey - wouldnt it be good if there were some kind of organised activities going on here (and I guess there are - just that we dont hear about them...) and my RIB and/or experience isnt up to a Cork to Cornwall run!!! I know a few boats/crews who would be dead keen to do something organised (and fast!) during the summer - especially on the Shannon...
Last thing - to you as an instructor - or anybody else... There a lots of course, etc for cruising, sailing, etc - aimed at making people safe and competent at sailing/driving their own craft - yet I've never seen anything (maybe I havent looked hard enough) aimed at teaching people how to TOW safely - ie water skiers, toys, etc.. many of the courses of course help you with safety, etc when picking people up out of the water - but I think it would be good - both from the point of view of safety (obviously) - but also from the point of view of security and peace of mind of the boat operator - to have - even a short course on towing safely.. (think of it this way - I'm a parent.. my kids love going on the RIB - but most of all - they love playing with toys - say in Lough Ree... however - like all other parents I'm concerned for the kids - sure I want us all to enjoy ourselves together - on the other hand - some of the things I see people doing on the water with toys sure look dangerous - so obviously I'm reluctant... Now if there was a way that parents like me could get the benefit of a lot of collective experience - I think we all be a lot happier - if not safer....) and I'm quite surprised tha the insurance companies and water safety organisations havent lobbied for this already
Just my tuppence worth... Now if you go ahead an decide to launch such a course - I only do it if you give me discount!!!
