commercial fishing ship with a non commercial boat sailing nearby - this mixture is common in the NW

Oregon boating accidents can be dangerous and even deadly.

Hire A Portland Trial Lawyer Who Also Holds A United States Coast Guard Captain's License.

I hold a 100 ton license and have fished both commercially and for sport. I am very familiar with the rules of the road for boating and boating laws that apply to boating accidents.

Boating accidents can be harder to figure out, but my 40 years on the water and my professional training as a captain give me a leg up over most lawyers.

Every year Oregon recreational boaters and commercial fisherman suffer serious injuries in Oregon boating accidents. Proving who is at fault in an Oregon boating accident is not as easy or as obvious as a car accident.

There are a number of safe boating rules that if not followed can result in boating accidents and injuries. Unfortunately, many Oregon boaters do not follow the rules or even know about the rules.

In order to prove a boating accident case, you will need boating experts.

I know some excellent professional captains and former Coast Guard captains who I consult with on Oregon boating injury cases. I am also very familiar with boating rules and boating safety.

Over the course of my life, I have spent hundreds of days on the water operating everything from driftboats to large fishing and pleasure boats. As someone who spends 20-30 days a year piloting a boat, I have special insight on what is and is not safe on the water.

If you have been hurt in boating or fishing accident, having an Oregon attorney who knows his way around a boat can make all the difference. If you have been hurt in a boating accident, give me a call so I can discuss your rights and options with you.

In addition to piloting boats for pleasure, I am also a sponsor and participant in the Oregon Food Bank's Oregon Tuna Classic. It is great to get out on the water for a good cause.

Like many Oregonians, I love boating and fishing.

For some in Oregon, boating is recreational, for others, working on ships as deckhands, crew, guides, or fishing, boating or being on a ship is a career and way of life.

The challenges and dangers of boating on our rivers and oceans are not always caused by the elements. Every year, the U.S. Coast Guard compiles stastistics to help us better understand boating safety. Not too surprising is the fact that alcohol contributes signficantly to boating accident injuries and death just as car accidents. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, "The use of alcohol is involved in about a third of all recreational boating fatalities." (BUI - "boating under the influence").

Alcohol is a significant factor of boating accidents, injuries and deaths. In fact the Coast Guard says, "a boat operator with a blood alcohol concentration above .10 percent is estimated to be more than 10 times as likely to die in a boating accident than an operator with zero blood alcohol concentration." [Boating Under Influence Initiatives]

While many have great respect for the ocean, all waterways, i.e. lakes, rivers, reservoirs, can be dangerous. In fact, according to the U.S. Coast Guard statistics, Table 11 (page26), oceans and bays only account for a small fraction of boating accident, injury and deaths.

The majority of accidents occur with smaller boats, "According to the Coast Guard's 2007 accident data, more than 70 percent of all boating accidents and more than 80 percent of all fatalities involved boats less than 26 feet in length." For the recreational boater, there's a compounding of circumstanstances to be especially aware of because smaller boats are also more likely to be used for recreation. In fact, experience matters on the water just as it does for driving a car and the relation of a driver's experience in motor vehicle accidents, "Since 2000, half of all boating accidents on average involved boaters with 100 to 500 hours of experience on the water." Anglers / Under - trained Boost Accident Data

Be safe out there and practice safe boating habits so that you can enjoy more boating and time on the water!

As Captain I qualified for the Offshore World Championship 2015.

I went to Costa Rica in April to compete for the world championship Off Shore World Championship / Teams Our team was great fishing in summer 2014. This is a 2010 Oregonian Article by Bill Monroe who came along to fish with our crew that day and wrote a great story about his experience and The Oregon Tuna Classic which has now expanded to additional events, Deep Canyon Challenge and the Washington Tuna Classic.

Bill Monroe: Tuna Classic unleashes a frenzy on the ocean

[...] Offshore tuna fishing, Oregon style, is by its very nature a demanding sport. Success rewards preparation; careless skippers rarely venture that far from the sight of land -- 30 to 60 miles, where tuna ride warm "blue water" currents from as far as the equator and beyond.

As the 35-foot "Shake N Bake" sped westward, skipper Mike Colbach of Portland at the helm, his crew calmly prepared. [...]