By Stephenie Steitzer
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Capt. John James looks around for other boats as he pilots the Anderson Ferry across the Ohio River. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

Anderson Ferry captain John James honked his boat's horn three times. The two men in a hunter green pleasure craft nodded and smiled.

But James wasn't signaling a friendly hello on the Cincinnati stretch of the Ohio River. He was trying to inform the men that the boats were about to collide.

"He doesn't even have the slightest clue," James said.

To many who work and play on the river, a June 27 hit-and-run boat accident that injured six people is a reminder of how dangerous the river can be. Although the numbers don't directly reflect it, commercial boat operators call the Cincinnati stretch - from Anderson Ferry to Riverbend - treacherous.

There have been 22 recorded accidents and three deaths on the stretch in the past five years, Ohio and Kentucky officials said.

"It's a wonder there aren't more people killed out here than there are," James said.

Authorities said this week that they are making progress in the investigation into the June accident in which a 40-foot speedboat slammed into a smaller pleasure boat near Dayton, Ky., launching the speedboat over the smaller boat. Witnesses have said the speedboat was racing through a no-wake zone. No one has been charged in the crash.

James said he has had at least 11 close calls in the first two weeks of the pleasure boating season this year, which began the last weekend in June.

Pete Enderle (right) and Trampas Greer of the Hamilton County Marine Patrol go over a safety check with Jeremy Carter. (Tony Jones photo) | ZOOM |

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators estimates that 80 percent of boaters who have been involved in accidents have not taken a boater safety course, and might not know the nautical rules of the road.

In the case of James nearly colliding with the green boat, the pleasure boat operator did not recognize the risk of collision, take action to avoid collision, stay out of the way of another vessel, or keep as near to the right side of the channel as possible - all rules of the road.

Commercial operators, pleasure boaters and law enforcement officials agree that a lack of education, intoxicated boat drivers and a lack of courtesy make waterways unsafe.

Ohio law requires boaters born on or after Jan. 1, 1982, to complete a boater education course to operate a vessel powered by more than 10 horsepower. In Kentucky, safe boating certification is required only for children ages 12 through 17.

More than half of all adult boaters have not taken a boater safety class, said Ron Sarver, spokesman for the safe boating law administrator's association.

Pleasure boat operators agree their peers are not well-educated.

Byron Scholle, 26, of Norwood, said he encourages fellow boaters to take boater safety courses, but does not believe they should be mandatory.

"Individuals need to take it upon themselves," he said. "They need to be responsible."

Last year the Ohio Department of Natural Resources made 25 DUI arrests on the Cincinnati stretch of the river, department regional manager Richard Cates said. He said Put-in-Bay outside Cleveland is the only other waterway in the state with as many DUI arrests. Arrest numbers were unavailable for Kentucky.

"I think it's probably more than what we generally see on other waterways," Cates said.

It is not illegal in Ohio to have open containers of alcohol in boats; it is in Kentucky. It is illegal to operate boats under the influence of drugs and alcohol in both states.

Some commercial vessel operators say the river would be safer if there were more enforcement.

"There's nobody doing anything to control the situation," James said.

He said when he does see law enforcement officers on the river, they aren't writing tickets.

Officers with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Coast Guard patrol the river and have the authority to write tickets and make arrests.

But Hamilton County Sheriff's Lt. Dan Reid, who has patrolled the river for 13 years, said they do write tickets: 15 in 2002 and 31 in 2001. The marine patrol inspected 192 boats in 2002 and 283 in 2001. Numbers for 2003 were unavailable

Lt. Reid said deputies didn't write as many tickets in 2002 as in 2001 because the high river cut the boating season short.

"Our philosophy is to educate the boater more than cite everyone that comes down the road," he said. "We think we're doing more good educating people."

Five nautical rules of the road:

• Be aware of other boats and always assume you are at risk of collision.

• Actively avoid collision with other boats by making your intentions obvious to other boaters.

• Always pay close attention to other vessels around you or approaching you.

• Always be prepared to yield to another vessel to avoid a collision, regardless of who has the right-of-way. Maintain a safe speed to maneuver, stop and avoid collisions.

E-mail ssteitzer@enquirer.com