A boater's safety course is long overdue for being a requirement to operate a vessel in public waters. I've just about been swamped before by these larger boats passing dangerously close to my smaller skiff. I've also seen boaters ignore channel markers and no wake zones. Most of this activity is due to ignorance; ignorance that those markers aren't just for your safety, but for everyone else. The safety course should be done the same way the hunter's safety course is managed. The funding for the course should come from boat registrations and fishing license, not a separate fee. The course should be required for anyone operating a boat and anyone under the age of 17 should have a licensed adult supervising. Make the safety course a 1-time requirement, except if someone is cited for a safety violation, make them retake the course before they're allowed back behind the wheel. If done right, a boater's safety course would make everyone safer on the water without providing additional money for the people in Raleigh to waste. We wouldn't have a deficit if they'd stop wasting money on ridiculous programs.