55 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

I agree with you that those large screens can and do present substantial vision blockers, I think the police and criminal case here state Flint Davis had a clear view for about a mile before the accident. So the criminal cases are discounting vision blocking, but it may come up again in both criminal and civil cases.

 

Its my opinion they do block some vision causing blind spots possibly but also present the driver with distractions that is outlawed in some states for on road driving. Not so for boats as yet but it may be coming.

 

The problem here in Florida with manatee is you cannot see them even in clear water they can blend in with water and bottom background. Fast boats run all over them daily.

 

I learned from state of Florida biologists that they would like to see impact preventing electronics brought into use. They are already using GPS tracking for numerous animals from our Florida panthers, to invasive species and beyond. So it is really just a sidestep now to trying to use it to protect the manatee.

 

I was pointing out if the law does go in that direction eventually, it could be used to prevent all types of collisions to include those helpless critters that are being slaughtered by boaters.

 

Florida manatee number from 8,000 to 11,730 left in the wild. And just here in Florida some 70 to 100 are killed every year by boaters. We don't have much time left to save them.

 

Biologists want their new GPS tracking methods implemented as soon as possible to save them from extinction. So the first step is to tag and track each manatee, and then take that GPS data and feed it into boat electronics so up to date boats can be made aware of their specific locations and movement and warned in advance of collisions.

 

Boaters in Florida have no idea most of the time manatee are even there until its too late. And most collisions with them are not reported so the manatee does not receive any medical help. Boaters who hit them don't want to get in trouble and tend to not report what they have done.

 

Biologists are simply trying to save a species from extinction with boats being one of their primary killers. Preventing collisions is something they desperately want implemented as soon as possible. There is some big money behind the private foundations like Sea to Shore Alliance who are connected with the biologists I talked to who are suggesting boaters not only have access to manatee GPS tracking data, but maybe also implement some boat control to prevent collisions.

 

It is already in use in on the road vehicles. Why should boats be excluded? My whole point was that maybe one day soon they will be included. If it had been implemented sooner Flint Davis would have been notified and warned of impending collision ahead of time and maybe could have prevented this tragedy.

 

Its all the same technology already in use. It is mandatory in on road vehicles. Some cars, vans, trucks, buses are already using electronics to brake their forward movement to prevent collisions.

 

"Automatic emergency braking (AEB) will become mandatory on all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. by September 2029, according to a new rule finalized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This mandate requires that all light vehicles have an AEB system that can detect and react to imminent crashes, including pedestrian detection, with specific performance standards for speeds up to 62 mph for vehicles and 45 mph for pedestrians."

 

ALL passenger cars are now required to have it installed by 2029.

 

My whole point is boats are possibly next in line. But will it come in time to save the manatee?

 

Another thing biologists are doing to try and save the Florida manatee is to create healthy new colonies away from Florida in some Caribbean islands and other countries of the world that can sustain them because boaters in Florida are absolutely slaughtering the helpless creatures no one can see. Electronics is their only hope here.

 

I believe this same technology could have also prevented Flint Davis tragedy.

 

The question is are the manatee and human lives worth it? Some say yes. Some say no. Sometimes things like this are out of our control. We may not have a choice in the future is my point. Liability can be dealt with down the road. Saving lives should come first I would hope. But I do agree we need more enforcement of existing laws, but none of them have done much to stop the slaughter of manatee.

 

We would have to turn the entire state into a manatee zone and limit boat speeds on all waters manatee are known to exist would be a great help. That would be impossible to enforce from a human perspective. But not from the electronics perspective if they can get it mandated one day. Satellites see it all.

 

All that data will tell them which manatee is in danger and who is endangering it and where and when precise data that can all be remotely monitored by AI. Unreported manatee collisions will be known if they have their way. And they are also going further by creating electronics that monitor the manatee's vital statistics so doctors and vets can know in real time if a manatee is in trouble and send a rescue medical team to try and save them.

 

Seaworld and Sea to Shore Alliance and others are heavily invested right now in developing specialized manatee rescue teams and custom one of a kind rescue machines to rescue manatee in trouble anywhere in Florida's vast wilderness from swamps to rivers to lakes. Large sums of money is being invested in this. But they are coming for our boats same as our cars.

 

Biologists and big money are in favor of it. They lobby for changes. "Automatic emergency braking (AEB) will become mandatory on all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. by September 2029"

 

It is already here. Boats are in line I do believe. We can resist all we want to. But sometimes the greater picture requires actions we may not agree with or want. In this thread I was merely bringing it up as part of the discussion on how to prevent tragedies like this thread discusses.

 

Bass boats by design prevent drivers from seeing manatee. Looking over those consoles and large screens is meaningless to the manatee in the water. Drivers need to see in the water and become aware of manatee long before getting close to them. Electronics and GPS tracking is the only way.

 

It will come down to which side are each of us on? The resistance? Or, the save lives no matter what side? I guess in this thread I am making it known I am already on the side of saving the manatee if possible whatever it takes. And saving bass fishermen and other boaters as well.

 

The difference between a motor vehicle and a boat are insurmountable, for starters, cutting power on a boat can literally become a dangerous scenario for the boat, depending on wave trains, conditions, etc... obviously for anything that is jet drive, when you cut power, you also cut steering...

 

As someone that has literally designed boats, trained Deputies how to operate them and understands the nuances of legalities that manufacturers must deal with, you will never see this tech mandatory on boats, ever. A warning system on fish finders for the location of Manatees would be a much more logical endeavor, but good luck getting it enforced for everyone. 

 

There is a difference between the charges stating there were clear weather conditions for vision and there being a screen placed in the way to see, they are simply pointing out that fog nor any weather conditions were to blame, nothing more, nothing less. 

You do have a good point and may be right if slowing a boat presents insurmountable safety issues.

 

Its interesting to follow this subject and see where it goes. Florida may be on the frontline on this one out of necessity.

Here is an example of someone who is 5’5” with 2, 12 inch or 16 inch screens (I can’t remember) and his line of sight in a 20’ Ranger.  No issue.  If you want to make an argument for “line of sight” obstruction, all those boats both tin and glass that leave the front sit down seat in when running have huge obstructions. 

It seems to me there are a couple fairly simple fixes for the issue of screens being an obstruction and/or a distraction.  One would be to simply enact a tournament rule governing placement of the screen(s) relative to the console.  The 2nd would be to require a device that would cause screens to go dark when a minimum speed is reached/exceeded.  A participant could still search under power, but at a significantly reduced and safer speed.  Since both rules would apply to every competitor, no advantage would be gained or lost.  
And I don’t think it would the end of the world if states enacted laws with similar intent on their waters.

20 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

You do have a good point and may be right if slowing a boat presents insurmountable safety issues.

 

Its interesting to follow this subject and see where it goes. Florida may be on the frontline on this one out of necessity.

 

So even on a motor vehicle, they cannot shut down power unless the individual is posing an immediate danger to those around him and even then, they run the risk of lawsuits. 

 

The single greatest thing Florida could do is get entities like Humminbird, Garmin, etc... on board to attempt to monitor Manatee locations like they do say buoy, but then you would have to ensure there was a connection to the unit at all times from the Mother Ship via satellites, etc... 

 

The other option, no wake laws where Manatees roam for any prop driven vessels... 

 

 

@FloridaFishinFool

@Goby

 

Fellas

Stay on topic. 
 

If one of you want to start a new thread about the plight of the Manatee go ahead and place your comments there. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

Oh man...the ripple effect....

 

That’s too bad, but not really surprising 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

I would bet that you will see more of this. And I also bet that the cost of insurance to run one of these tournaments has gone way up due to this tragedy.

Honestly I’m surprised this sort of thing didn’t trickle down sooner in history. There are a billion yachts and pontoons already, throw in a couple hundred boats at the speed of highway traffic and it gets wild 

There was another fishing tourney boat accident just a few days ago in TN.

 

A 26 year old lost his life.

 

SOMETHING has to change.

 

 

Obit:

 

 

James Edward Bailey-age 26 of Maynardville went to be with the Lord, Saturday morning, November 1, 2025, doing what he loved, in a tragic boating accident. He had the biggest heart and the smartest mind. He loved God, fishing, hunting, and trucks. James never knew a stranger and was a loving husband, son, brother, uncle and friend. He was a member of Leatherwood Baptist Church.

@HawkeyeSmallie, that was the 26th fatal boating accident in TN this year 

13 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

@HawkeyeSmallie, that was the 26th fatal boating accident in TN this year 

 

I know TWO things.

 

One, I WILL buy a boat one of these days.

 

Two, I WILL NOT drive fast in it.

 

I'm just too old to do stupid things nowadays.

 

I did A LOT of stupid stuff in my late teens early twenties but now I have a wife and kids. Life is way too precious.

15 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

I did A LOT of stupid stuff in my late teens early twenties but now I have a wife and kids. Life is way too precious.

We get wise when we get old because of the stupid things we did when we where young....at least if we were smart enough to learn from them and lucky enough to survive them.

I am so glad  I was a child of the 50s and 60s (and even the 70's)...no computers and no internet, so there is no permanent record of the stupidity of my youth.

1 hour ago, Kirtley Howe said:

I am so glad  I was a child of the 50s and 60s (and even the 70's)...no computers and no internet, so there is no permanent record of the stupidity of my youth.

Me too ~

The music was the best and is still being played today. 

A-Jay

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Me too ~

The music was the best and is still being played today. 

A-Jay

Count me in too!

On 11/4/2025 at 10:20 AM, HawkeyeSmallie said:

There was another fishing tourney boat accident just a few days ago in TN.

...

James Edward Bailey-age 26 of Maynardville

...

Mr. Bailey was not wearing a life jacket.

...and it was foggy.

I won't fish the fairly famous Maine lakes near me because in a bass boat/canoe collision, I lose every single time. So, I launch where they can't launch, in ponds and bogs without ramps because I launch early and in the fog, which makes me oh-so vulnerable.