Water Safety Will Float Your Boat

This Definitely Will Float Your Boat! Boating season is upon us and once again thoughts of the water, the boat that sat idle all last fall and winter, fishing spots and gear, or other types of water sports begin to occupy our every waking moment. More than 12 million registered boat owners will take to America’s waterways this year. The United States Coast Guard(http://www.uscg.org/statistics/accident_stats.htm) is responsible for collecting and reporting boating statistics. There are several sources for boating statistics but the Coast Guard and the Department of Transportation probably have the most comprehensive and thorough data. It is interesting to note that in 1991 there were 924 boating fatalities for a total of 11,068,440 registered boats in the United States and its territories like Guam, American Samoa, the Mariana’s Island group, and Puerto Rico. In 2003, the number of fatalities fell to 703 while the number of registered boats rose to 12,794,616. Of 703 fatalities in 2003, 31 per cent were reportedly intoxicated. 86 per cent of the drowning victims were not wearing their Personal Flotation Devices or lifejackets. If they had been, many more lives might have been saved. The most common type of boats involved in boating accidents, according to the Coast Guard, are open motorboats. The USCG recommends that boaters avoid overloading small boats, those under 16 feet in length, with passengers and gear. Most boats built in America have a rating plate attached that specifies the number of passengers and the combined weight that boat can carry. Additional contributing factors to boating accidents are: • Excessive speed • Improper operation • Poor vision • Faulty equipment • Inadequate safety systems and devices • Inadequate knowledge of local conditions • Ignorance of basic boating regulations The American Boating Association (http://www.americanboating.org)   is an excellent resource for boating information. The National Safe Boating Council (http://www.safeboatingcouncil.org) has a handy acronym for remembering a safe boating checklist. . BE SAFE Know your, • Boat • Equipment • Safety devices and PFD’s • Alcohol limits • First aid and emergency procedures • Environment (area and weather) Before taking your small boat out this year, be sure to check the following items: • Examine the hull of the boat for cracks, blisters, small holes, or other damage and repair it before you put the boat in the water. • You, no doubt, washed and waxed the boat before putting it up for the winter. Now wash off the winter dirt and debris and give it a good wax job before towing it out. • Check all the Personal Flotation Devices and lifejackets, make sure there is one for every person that may be in the boat. Examine all straps and buckles, check for holes and other signs of wear and damage. It’s cheaper, and easier, to replace a PFD or lifesaver than it is to replace a person. Don’t run the risk! Avoid the temptation to use things such as inner tubes, plastic jugs, and children’s plastic water toys as PFD’s or life preservers. The life you save may be your child’s. • When you stored your boat for the winter, you may have removed the small drain plug in the transom. Now is a good time to find it, examine it closely and replace it, if it shows signs of wear or old age. The rubber seal may be checked or cracked and if it is, the plug should be replaced. My brother left his out once and it was embarrassing to watch his boat sink at the boat ramp. It was also a lot of work to drag it up on shore and bail the water out. We got very wet. Don’t forget the drain plug! • Check the oar locks and lubricate them lightly. Too much lubricant will work out of the locks and drip into the water and the interior of the boat making a huge mess so go easy on the grease here. • Give the oars a once over. Look for splits, cracks and checks. If any defects or damage are apparent, replace them. It’s easier to buy new ones than trying to use your hands to paddle back to shore, especially in bad weather. • Give your outboard motor a tune up. Check the spark plugs, the plug wires, change the oil, check the prop, check the motor mounts very carefully—failure here will dump your motor in the water, lubricate all moving parts according to the manufacturer’s instructions, make sure you have good safety chains on your motor and they are securely fastened. Give the same detail and attention to your gas can, fuel hoses and marine battery. • Don’t forget to tend to your boat trailer. Make sure the registration is current. • Check the wheel bearings and grease them. Once again, go easy on the grease here. It is better to grease a little bit more often than to pump too much grease in your trailer’s wheel bearings and blow out a grease seal. If you’re in the habit of backing your trailer in the water until your trailer wheels are submerged, you may wash the grease out of your wheel bearings leading to early bearing failure. • Check the trailer tires for proper air pressure and wear. Make sure you have a spare for your boat trailer and it is in good condition. • Check the hitch and lubricate it. • Check the boat trailer wiring and the wiring connection to your vehicle. • If your trailer has a boat winch, inspect the winch and cable. Lubricate the winch and parts where necessary. Be sure to follow the winch manufacturer’s instructions. Be careful while inspecting the winch cable. Use gloves so you don’t get a metal splinter in your hand. A handy idea for cable inspection is to place a lightly oiled rag in your hand and slide the cable through the rag. Metal wires and splinters will snag on the rag and not your hand. You will also lubricate your cable at the same time. Check out these  great websites for more information about America’s other favorite sport—Boating! • http://www.americanboating.org/americas_boating_course.asp • http://www.americanboating.org/boateducation.asp • http://www.americanboating.org/boating_tips.asp • http://www.americanboating.org/cruising_guides.asp • http://www.boatinglinks.com/ • http://www.discoverboating.com/ • http://www.safeboatingcouncil.org/