There are boaters who don’t give a darn about your safety or theirs. These are the boaters who operate their vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs; they claim that getting buzzed is a big part of what they enjoy about being on the water. Their idea of fun places their own well being in jeopardy, poses a threat to their passengers, and is a menace to everyone unlucky enough to be in their vicinity.
Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents where the primary cause was determined by investigators. According to U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Recreational Boating Statistics, alcohol use was the leading factor in 19 percent of deaths in 2017.
Strong sun and winds, combined with the vibrations and rolling of a vessel, create “boater’s fatigue,” a condition that mimics the effects of being under the influence in persons who are sober. That’s before alcohol and/or certain legal and illegal drugs blur vision and reduce balance, judgment, and reaction time. A boat pilot under the influence is incapable of making proper decisions and assessing risks, putting everyone in the area at risk.
It is illegal in every state and territory to operate all vessels (from canoes to the largest ships) while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. As boating while impaired is a choice, not an accident, law enforcement authorities are always looking to rid the waterways of intoxicated boaters.
During Operation Dry Water (ODW), a campaign coordinated with the National Association of State Boating Law 
Administrators and the USCG, enforcers will heighten public awareness of the perils of boating while impaired. The campaign takes place Friday, July 5 through Sunday, July 7, 2019, but don’t be misled by the word “awareness.” It’s not a euphemism for lectures or warnings — all participating law enforcement agencies will stop and arrest boaters suspected of boating under the influence (BUI).
Police and USCG (as well as local harbor patrols) are on the lookout for signs of intoxication day and night. Checkpoints will be set up without warning and vessels stopped if an officer observes possible violations of navigation laws or deems a boat to be operating in an unsafe manner. Sobriety tests will be conducted as warranted, so a boat going too fast through a no-wake zone might end up with its operator arrested for alleged BUI.
Depending on the jurisdiction, operators arrested and convicted of BUI face the same or similar consequences as driving while intoxicated on land — jail time, loss of operating privileges, and seizure of the vessel. Every arrest incurs the expense of legal defense and a potential loss of wages.
Though not the object of law enforcement, alcohol also poses a danger to passengers. Being under the influence can lead to slips, falls overboard, and other accidents.
For more information: www.operationdrywater.org/ and http://www.uscgboating.org./recreational-boaters/boating-under-the-influence.php
Videos:
2018 Operation Dry Water PSA (30 sec) from NASBLA on Vimeo.
