Clarsen- what a great quote "Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds." True that!!
In general, those of us who sail are interested enough in sailing learn skills far beyond those necessary than some wahoo who has enough money to buy something that starts with a key. I do both, sail and motor, but I have also been a member of the local Power Squadron so I am acutely aware of the neanderthalic gene pool of stink-potters in particular and that
everyone needs to learn the rules of the road in general:roll:
Here's the rule over all rules: avoid a collision even if it means you were in the right. Nobody cares anymore if someone is hurt or equipment is damaged.
I have been narrowly missed by an overtaking sailboat who didn't realize that I have the right of way as both the leeward AND the overtaken vessel because the idiot had the rules screwed up. That was a blow-boater who has read the rules but, like a blotter, soaked them up backwards.
I bore off spilling drink and victuals and my child to the deck rather than have a collision.
I have had a power boater start up RIGHT in front of me with a skier in tow no less even though he could have waited about 3 seconds for me to pass. The narrowly avoided accident, due to my skill, would have taken the skiers head off with our forestay. That was just a drunken idiot.
I have been run over by a moron on a Jet-Ski playing tag with another moron on a Jet-Ski- both of them looking behind themselves at each other, oblivious to the crowded lake conditions. Those were just kids without rules, discipline or training. I was lucky that these are prop-less craft. (I heard that one kid was killed the next summer when he slammed head on into his friend as they BOTH jumped a boat wake TOWARDS each other. Sorry to hear that but it sounds like a nominee for the Darwin Awards).
Attend a Power Squadron course on sailing, or at least pick up some basic rules of the road if you don't know them. Yes, unless you are under power, you have the right of way in general. Just don't count on anyone else to know that. Commercial vessel does not mean rental- it means large tonnage and/or fishing vessel- not really some guy fishing on a boat, but hey, I'm also a fisherman so I appreciate the slack from the sailors