Small Efforts Make Big Difference in Recreational Boating Safety
There are over 11 million registered boats in the United States. Most boating experiences are positive – the stuff memories are made of. But the most joyful times quickly can turn deadly if boaters are not vigilant about safety – at all times.
One of three things usually happens when a good day on the water turns tragic, according to the U.S. Coast Guard:
- A passenger falls overboard
- A boat capsizes
- A boat collides with another boat or object
In 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard counted 4,291 boating incidents that involved 658 deaths, 2,629 injuries and about $46 million of damage to property.
Perils of Falling in Frigid Water
Hypothermia can set in if a person is exposed to water less than 70 degrees for too long. The body cools 25 times faster in cold water than in cold air, according to the Personal Flotation Device Manufacturers Association. In June 2015, a Utah doctor, his two daughters and one of their friends died in the frigid waters of Bear Lake, about 120 miles north of Salt Lake City, after their boat capsized. Lance Capener reportedly swam to shore with his wife, Kathryn, only to perish when he went back for the girls. Two other teenage girls survived by massaging cramps out of each other's arms and legs and praying while waiting for help to arrive. All were wearing life jackets, but their body temperatures plummeted in the 53-degree water and 70-mph winds.
Just Wear It
Life jackets are the lifeblood of safe boating. The U.S. Coast Guard reports 76% of boating deaths in 2017 were due to drowning, and 84.5% of the victims were not wearing a life jacket. The good news is, comfortable – and stylish – Coast Guard-approved life jackets are widely available. The Wear It campaign promotes boating safety by encouraging boaters to wear life jackets all the time. Before setting sail, review a pre-departure checklist to ensure you have everything you need in your boat, including a tool box and first-aid kit. Once on the water, use common sense. In a split second, a situation can arise or the weather can turn. If you notice storm clouds, a sudden temperature drop or wind speed increasing, the best advice is to play it safe. Get off the water.
Get Educated, Reduce Risks
The National Safe Boating Council promotes safer recreational boating through education, outreach and training. In 2017, Coast Guard data indicates 81% of deaths occurred on boats where the operator had no boating safety instruction. By comparison, 14% of deaths occurred where the operator had received a nationally approved boating safety education certificate. To further reduce risk, the Coast Guard offers these tips:
- Don't drink: Alcohol affects judgment, vision, balance and coordination
- Take a safety course
- Get a free vessel safety check; contact a local volunteer here
- Know about carbon monoxide; this odorless, colorless poisonous gas is emitted by all combustion engines and onboard motor generators
The extra effort that goes into taking these kinds of precautions will help create fun-filled adventures for you and your family on the water.
For all your accessories and/or vinyl flooring visit Pontoon Depot's shop site.
- Amy Cabanas
- Tags: Boating Boating Safety Family pontoon boat Pontoon Boat Operating safe boating habits summer
Using Drones for Marine Photography Finding The Place for...
Pic By: Seahex Drones
...drones in shooting boats for photos and videos.
We’re boasting two innovations in presenting this month’s content to you, both centered on our cover.
We normally photograph cover boats from a helicopter, but the Malibu M235 gracing this issue’s cover was shot utilizing a drone. These days, using a drone for photography might appear to be a no-brainer, but the fact is the situation needs to be just right for a drone to make sense. The boat needs to be going slow enough so the drone can match speed with the boat so a blur-free still image can be shot. Still images are much more demanding in this regard than video.
Moreover, most new boats don’t look right until they are up and running at 30 or more miles per hour. Such speed delivers a bow-up attitude, ensures the stern isn’t dragging, and shows some of the boat’s bottom. It also adds energy and excitement to the image that one can feel, especially if the viewer is a boater to begin with. But higher speeds can outrun many drones and, at the least, cut down on the amount of time they can remain airborne.
Then there’s the drone pilot. How do we get the shot without including the pilot in the shot? Answer: We need another boat to chase the cover boat, which is not that big of a deal — the expense is similar to that of hiring a helicopter. But we often shoot on the ocean, and even on a calm day, the motion at the speed required makes it difficult to control the drone with precision. If any group can understand the challenge of manipulating a mini-joystick while watching a cellphone screen at planing speed in ocean swells, it’s you, Boating readers.
But for this issue we bring you the stunning Malibu M235. A watersports boat, it shows best doing what it was designed to do: make great wakes and waves for its crew to ride. Wakesurfing happens at a very drone-friendly 11-or-so mph. The photo shoot took place on a lake, the boat’s natural element. And because of the specifics of wakesurfing, we were able to incorporate innovation number two on this cover: showing watersports in action. Unlike tubing, water skiing or wakeboarding, wakesurfing occurs close to the boat’s transom. That allowed us to frame a shot to include both boat and rider at a size where the boat can still be seen in some detail (that’s why we use aerial photography for you in the first place).
I’d like to thank Garrett Cortese for spearheading this exciting cover as well as other content in this Watersports Issue. Though Cortese is the editorial director of our parent company’s Watersports Group, he is also now a newly minted member of Boating’s editorial team. He joins Pete McDonald, Jim Hendricks, Randy Vance and a host of other experienced professionals who are privileged to bring you the best boating content on the planet.
Takeaway: Drones are known as UAV:Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and require a license to fly for commercial purposes, such as a BOATING cover shoot. We wonder when boat drones will come on the scene? Will we call them UMV (Unmanned Marine Vehicle)?
For all your accessories and/or vinyl flooring visit Pontoon Depot's shop site.
- Amy Cabanas
- Tags: Boating Boating Safety Entertainment Pontoon Boat Operating tips
Family-Owned & Operated Self Creek Lodge & Marina...
Pic By: Southern Fishing Boats
...on Lake Greeson is proud of its heritage of offering the most dedicated staff at one of the finest of Arkansas lake resorts. If you’re looking for a vacation in Arkansas, our Lodge & Resort is your answer.
Everything is in place for Self Creek Lodge and Marina to offer our guests a wonderful family vacation in Arkansas at Lake Greeson. We offer year-round events and activities to make your lakeside vacation memorable, fun, and carefree. Our marinastore offers over 2,400 square feet of display and retail area – there’s even a cozy dining area where guests can look out onto the lake and enjoy a plump juicy hot dog fresh off the grill, a delicious pizza, or other great lake snacks. Fishing supplies, lake necessities, sportswear, marine and boating supplies are offered as well as fuel, bait and ice. Friendly and helpful staff greet guests at the fueling tee or behind the spacious oak counter. Outside, a cool, shady patio beckons with comfortable, lake-side seating – the perfect perch for enjoying ice cream!
The resort offers a wide range of covered and uncovered slips for boat storage of every size in a clean, well-maintained marina basin. A full rental fleet includes late model party barges and ski boats.
From across the water, cozy, Arkansas lakeside cabins offer lakers a peek at casual, rustic luxury. The cabins feature spacious rooms, a stone fireplace, fully equipped kitchen and beautiful furnishings in an eclectic blend of antiques and comfortable, contemporary pieces. From the beautiful area rugs and unique accessories and artwork in each unit to the bubbling hot tubs on the back decks, these Arkansas lakeside cabins have been designed to offer every comfort and delight for visitors to the lake.
Jim and the Self Creek staff are eager to welcome you to their home on Lake Greeson! Jim, Lori and family live on the grounds to offer visitors the kind of warm, personal service that makes Self Creek one of the most popular of all Arkansas lake resorts, and one of the top choices by families across the South.
Self Creek Lodge and Marina is part of the Tri-Pennant Family of Resorts, spanning two other Arkansas wilderness lakes and offering more of the premier luxury that you’re used to at Self Creek. Visit Iron Mountain Lodge and Marina on nearby DeGray Lake, and don’t miss Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa on nearby Lake Ouachita. All three resorts within the Tri-Pennant Family offer the same excellent customer service and memorable destination vacation experience that you deserve in a vacation. The families of the Tri-Pennant Families love to serve yours – and treat you like their own.
For all your accessories and/or vinyl flooring visit Pontoon Depot's shop site.
Do These 4 Things Now To Help Ensure a Summer of Safe Boating
By: Pdbmagazine.com
Boatyards, marinas and clubs are waking up after a long winter’s nap, and boaters have begun preparing their vessels for the season. While the boat needs to be looked at and readied for a summer of fun, so does your safety. The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water says that doing these four free or low-cost things now will help ensure a summer of safe boating.
1. Get a free Vessel Safety Check: Where else can you ask a professional to go over your boat to ensure it’s safe and has all the required safety equipment? And if the boat is not up to snuff, you won’t be penalized in any way and will instead get some welcome, friendly advice on how to improve. That’s what a Vessel Safety Check does, so schedule a Vessel Safety Check now. Offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the U.S. Power Squadrons, Vessel Safety Checks are completely free, and you may be surprised by what they find.
2. Register your DSC-VHF Radio to get your MMSI number: Digital Selective Calling (DSC) VHF radios can greatly reduce rescuer response times – but only if you have taken the time to register the radio and request your vessels’ unique Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number. If it’s not registered, or still registered to the prior boat owner, you’re not helping yourself and could likely waste valuable response time in an emergency. BoatUS offers DSC VHF radio registration to the public for $25 or free to BoatUS members.
3. Inspect and prep your life jackets: Inflatable life jackets need to be opened up every season to ensure they are in good shape. Regular (noninflatable) life jackets need to be brought out of hiding, inspected, and placed in locations aboard the boat that make it very easy for passengers to access. Life jackets are no good (and not legal) if they are buried at the bottom of a storage compartment and not “readily available.”
4. Take a free boating safety course: The numbers don’t lie. The U.S. Coast Guard reports that 81 percent of boating fatalities occurred on boats where the operator did not receive boating safety instruction. Recognize the upshot of these statistics and get instruction now at BoatUS.org/Free. The free online BoatUS Foundation state boating safety course easily fits into busy schedules, allowing course takers to stop at any time and pick up again later where they left off. It could also earn your state’s boating safety certification. BoatUS membership is not required.