If you’re venturing out while others have already hunkered down, you need to be as cautious as can be. Chilly water is a hazard and a lonely seascape means no one local to lend a hand. Here’s five things we recommend for off-season boaters:
- Prepare and share a float plan . Email or text a summary of your plans for the day, including when you plan on returning, to your marina (if staffed), family member, or a friend. Specify your boat’s name, type, length, color, and the location of its towing vehicle, if applicable, and include a photo of your boat as well. Also share that the way to contact the U.S. Coast Guard is to dial 911 and state that it’s a “maritime emergency.”
More info:
https://boatingmagli.com/2019/02/15/float-plans-make-sense/
- Carry a waterproof bag filled with communication devices. Include an emergency locator beacon (EPIRB), a portable marine VHF radio, cell phone, whistle, pocket flares, and a signal mirror. Keep these devices on your body so they are accessible if you go overboard or capsize.
More info on EPIRBs:
https://boatingmagli.com/2019/05/01/epirb/
- Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. While it’s a peril all year, the threat increases in fall and winter as cold engines produce more CO and covers are more likely to stay on when the temperatures are chilly. Put on an extra layer of clothing, leave the covers off, maintain fresh air circulation, and run exhaust blowers extensively.
More info:
https://boatingmagli.com/2019/10/01/carbonmonoxideboat/
- Never boat while impaired. Don’t consume alcohol or drugs, including medications for a cold. Check with your doctor or pharmacist about the side effects of any prescription and over-the-counter medications — if you shouldn’t drive, you shouldn’t boat.
More info:
https://boatingmagli.com/2019/06/01/operationdrywater2019/
- Take a boating safety course. Keeping a boating emergency from happening is always better than trying to recover from it.
Boating safety resources:
http://www.cgaux.org/boatinged/class_finder/index.php
