Another View
You could argue it's one of the things that makes this country great.
In America, under that category, you'll find "the right to bear arms". Here, we have "the right to drive a boat".
The fact that pretty much anyone can get behind the wheel of a boat, no licence or training required, and hoon about on the water has always intrigued me.
As a youngster I was lucky enough to be exposed to boating, and learned how to negotiate Snake Bank in Whangarei Harbour, or to be wary of the rock at the Hen and Chicks that is sometimes hidden just below the surface. On occasion, I've been with skippers who haven't known where Snake Bank was, and ended up on the floor of the boat after a sudden stop. It amazes me these hazards are often discovered by accident.