National Safe Boating Week May 22-28, 2021 ~

[A-Jay]

  While safe boating is important throughout the season, the official National Safe Boating Week will run from May 22–28.

The nation’s biggest recreational boating safety event of the year is aimed at helping to remind boaters to keep boating safety front and center all season long.

Each year hundreds of lives are lost... thousands are injured... and millions of dollars of property damage occurs because of preventable recreational boating accidents on U.S. waterways. 

Americans have taken to the water in record numbers to enjoy the socially distanced fun and relaxation that boating provides.

With more boats and new boaters on the water, many without any boating education, boating accidents and fatalities have been rising around the country.  

Too often pleasure outings turn tragic.

As a boat operators, passengers, or concerned individuals, we can make a difference.

 

Here are three tips from the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water to keep in mind as we enter National Safe Boating Week.

 

  The best life jacket is the one you will wear, meaning one that’s comfortable. There are many lightweight inflatable life jackets that fit the bill. Check the jacket’s label to ensure it’s approved for your type of boating. If the kids are visiting, don’t be tempted to put a child in an ill-fitting adult life jacket. The BoatUS Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner program for kids offers a free and easy way to borrow an infant, child or teen life jacket for the day or weekend with locations at nearly 600 marinas, boat clubs, and other waterfront locations across the country.

 

 

  Learn from what the U.S. Coast Guard boating safety reports tell us: Operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed, and alcohol rank as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents. This summer, recreational boaters can focus on these factors by putting down the cellphone, practicing using S.C.A.N. procedures to avoid distracted boating, taking a free boating safety course, slowing down, and driving more defensively, especially in congested boating areas. Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents, so save the celebration for after the boat is safely tied up for the night. Boat operators also need to recognize they are responsible for the safety of their guests, including inebriated ones.

 

  Remember to wear an engine cutoff switch if your boat is less than 26-feet, traveling on plane or above displacement speed. Some exemptions apply to this new rule went into effect April 1, including if the vessel has an enclosed helm. Engine cutoff switches can prevent boat strike injuries after an operator has been ejected from the vessel or displaced from the helm.

 

Vast amount of very useful info in the links below

 

https://safeboatingcampaign.com/

https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/index.php?m=rb

https://boatus.org/

 

Stay Safe

A-Jay

 

[roadwarrior]

[Deleted account]

Thank you for posting this A-Jay. Everyone be  safe out there, know your craft and your craft (I just made that up). We see boaters of all experience levels get into trouble every year. Like most accidents, some are unavoidable, but most are. Things can go south in a hurry. Use diligence and common sense while enjoying our addiction.

[WRB]

Be safe and stay off the water Memorial Day weekend.

Tom

[slonezp]

Funny story. Since mom has passed, dad has been looking to fill his time with activities. He took some Coast Guard auxiliary test on line, passed it, but isn't going to become a USCG Auxiliary because he isn't able to fulfill the duties at 81 years old. I took him fishing yesterday and he made mention of the fire extinguisher I had in the boat. I told him I needed it to be legal. He said "So much for the test I just took."