ABA Boating Safety Program

Boating Safety - It Could Mean Your Life

In the most recent year with complete data, 701 lives were lost as a result of recreational boating accidents in the U.S. and its territories. BWI (Boating While Intoxicated) was identified as part of the problem in 31% of those fatalities. Operators with a blood alcohol level of 0.10 percent (for most of us, that means just one to three beers) are 10 times as likely to be killed in a boating accident as a sober boater.

What about the remaining three deaths out of every four? Additional contributing factors were excessive speed and other improper operation, poor vision, faulty equipment, inadequate safety systems and devices, limited or inaccurate local knowledge, and ignorance of basic rules of the waterway. Take a few minutes to browse through the headings in this important section. ABA encourages every boater to be serious about boating safety, starting with the proper kind and amount of boater training. Remember, a boating mishap or fatality often involves innocent people who share in none of the blame, but all of the consequence. As a responsible boater, the life you save may very well be someone else's. Remember, B E S A F E* -

KNOW YOUR...

Boat

Equipment

Safety devices and PFDs

Alcohol limits

First aid and emergency procedures

Environment (area and weather)

...BEFORE YOU GO!

 * Source: National Safe Boating Council

• Boating Pointers
• Boating Safety Articles
  • Equipment and Emergency Preparedness
  • Telecommunications
  • Weather
  • Navigation and Boat Handling
  • Medical
  • Education
  • Maintenance
  • Alcohol and Boating
  • Miscellaneous
• Boating Safety Quizzes
• U.S. Coast Guard Information
  • Free Vessel Check
• File a Float Plan
• Boating Accident Statistics
• Boating Fatality Facts
• PFDs
  • Not Just Another PFD Story
  • Your Life Jacket (PFD) is Just the Start
  • Does Your PFD Have A Sunburn?
  • If You Don't Wear Anything Else, Wear Your Life Jacket!
  • Life Jackets 101
  • Not Just Another PFD Story
• Children and Boating Safety
• Boating Safety and the Environment
• State Towing Laws
• Contacts
  

Boating Pointers

The following helpful boating pointers are provided by Catamaran Sailors Magazine, http://www.catsailor.com/.These tips are useful to boaters of all types.

ABA assumes no responsibility or liability for events that occur due to actions you or others on your behalf take based on the information given. You are proceeding at your own risk.

• Anchoring in Changing Wind and Current
• Dead Reckoning Navigation
• Tip on Docking Your Boat
• Getting Your Boat Off a Dock
• Line Handling
• Tip on Navigating a Channel
• Ranges and Transits
• Reading Buoys and Marks
• River Navigation
• Spring Commissioning
• Springing On and Off a Dock
• Standing Rigging
• Steering By Compass
• Taking Care of Rope
• Towing
• Trailering Your Boat
• What if You Call 911 and No One Ever Answers?
• What is Left and Right?
• When the Anchor Drags
• Which Tack to Take for Sailors
  
  

Boating Safety Articles

Equipment and Emergency Preparedness

• Boat Trailers How to Choose the One Thats Right for You
• "Bright Twist" on Boat Lettering and Night Safety
• Can't Hear You! – Keep Shouting
• Device Ends 'Search' in Search and Rescue
• Does your boat have a sound-producing device...?
  And can anyone hear it?
• How to Choose a Handheld GPS Receiver
• How to Choose the Right Anchor
• Lessons Learned: Better to "Know Before You Go" When it Comes to Boating Safety Equipment and Dealing With Emergencies
• Look Up At The Sky... Is It A Plane, Is It A Helicopter Or Is It A...Visual Distress Signal?
• Nautical Lighting - A Glimmer On How To Use Them
• Old Flares Breed a Dilemma
• Think Boating Safety
• Top 5 essential boat parts
• What Do I Do With My Old Fire Extinguishers?

Telecommunications

• Cospas-Sarsat: Saving Lives for 20 Years
• Dangers Associated with Automatic Channel Switching on Digital Selective Calling (DSC) Equipped VHF Marine Radios
• Functioning Marine Radio Crucial When Emergencies Happen
• The Importance of Communication in an Emergency
• Marine Radio Information for Boaters
• Maritime Telecommunications
• New Rules for Emergency Beacons
• NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies
• U.S. VHF Channels
• Whether You're Going Offshore or Not, an EPIRB Is Not a Bad Idea

Weather

• Handling Hypothermia
• Hypothermia and Cold Shock - The Risks of Off Season Boating
• OceanGrafix Alerts Mariners to Possible Paper Chart Changes Due to Hurricanes
• Summer Thunderstorms
• What should I do if a hurricane is a threat to my boat?
• When a Storm Threatens It's Time to Increase Your Hold on Your Boat!

Navigation and Boat Handling

• Anchor Hang-Ups
• Big Boats vs. Small Boats; Not a Fair Comparison
• Bigger On The Water, Not Only Means Bigger, But Danger As Well! The Law Of Gross Tonnage
• Boat Safely - Make Sure Your Charts are Up-to-Date
• The Capsizing of the Ethan Allen Highlights a Mistake Many Recreational Boaters Make
• Coast Guard Auxiliary Reminds Boaters: "Water Toys" Are Not Toys At All
• Consider Your Passenger's Waistline When Loading Your Boat
• Don't forget about these boating items, they're part of your vessel's safety plan!
• How to Launch a Boat
• Local Knowledge Could Have Saved This Boater Much Pain – August 12, 2005
• Naval Protection Zones
• Overboard: Holding the Course
• Speed, Kills on Land, Kills on the Water
• Yes! Believe It Or Not, Our Waterways Do Have Rules of the Road!

Medical

• The Big Squeeze - Heimlich Maneuver in Water
• "Danger! Carbon Monoxide - Protect Yourself From This Silent Killer"
• Some Sea Creatures To Think Twice About

Education

• Boating Fatality Facts
• Give Yourself Or Your Nautical Loved One A Nautical Education
• Homeland Security and the Maritime Nation
• I Hear the Siren, and See a Light – What Is It? Oh My, I've Just Been Pulled Over – What Do I Do?
• It Would Have Made a Great Video!
• Kids and Boating: An opportunity to instill Recreational Boating Safety values that will last a lifetime
• Ode to the Fisherman
• Suddenly In Command
• WANTED: Responsible Boaters-Responsibility on the Water is More Than Just About Lifejackets
• Why Sailor's Need More Education Than Powerboaters – Or Do They?

Maintenance

• Coast Guard Auxiliary Discusses How to Be A "Good Mate"
• How To Winterize Your Boat
• A Tidy Vessel is a Safe Vessel
• What to do when your engine stops on your boat
• Winter Inventory - Your Boating Safety Checklist

Alcohol and Boating

• Alcohol & BWI – Why we must get "BADD"
• Alcohol sharply raises death risk for boaters
• Boating Under the Influence

Miscellaneous

• Boating Safety Tips
• False distress signals are costly
• PWCs - A Little Safety Will Go a Long Way
  

Boating Safety Quizzes

• Distress Signals
• Sound Practices - Horn Blasts For Boats Under Power
• Reading the Clouds
• Barometer Forecasting
• BWI: Don't qo there
• Storm Warnings

Using U.S. Coast Guard Information

The U.S. Coast Guard offers a great deal of useful and practical boating safety information including:

• Not All Boating Accidents Happen On The Water
• USCG Auxiliary Gets Good News On The Eve of National Safe Boating Week
• Danger Ahead: 4th of July Holiday is the Busiest, and Often Deadliest Time of the Boating Season
• Don't Be the Victim of the "Silent Killer"
• How About Lending a Hand to Fight Terrorism?
• The Discontinuation of *CG

File a Float Plan

It is always a good idea to use the U.S. Coast Guard Float Plan that describes the details of your planned outing. It contains the who, what, where, when and how of your outing or trip. Simply fill out the form before heading out on the water, print it, and leave it with a person who can be depended upon to notify the local police, sheriff, Coast Guard station or other rescue organization, should you not return as scheduled. (Do not file this plan with the Coast Guard.) The information provided is considered the "minimum" information needed when filling out a float plan. Consider utilizing the back side(s) of these forms to provide as much detailed information as possible to ensure complete information is on hand in the event you should have a mishap.

Boating Accident Statistics

Read the latest recreational boating accident statistics as compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard to learn from others' mistakes. The information is available in Adobe PDF File format.

PFDs

Every member of your crew should have a U.S. Coast Guard Approved Personal Flotation Device . PFDs, they float you don't! Of the 519 recreational boating drowning deaths in 2000, the US Coast Guard approximates that 445 lives could have been saved if the victim had been wearing a life jacket. The following are guidelines for the care and use of PFDs:

• Buy your own life jacket, and wear it. One size does not fit all.
• Look at the label for size and weight limitations.
• Try it on and check the fit. With straps and buckles secured, the life jacket should not slip over your head or cover your eyes.
• Make sure the life jacket is Coast Guard approved.
• Replace your life jacket if you find air leakage, mildew or rot.
• Never alter a life jacket. It could lose its effectiveness.
• Check your life jackets yearly for flotation and fit.
• Wear a life jacket to set an example for younger children while increasing your chances of survival.
• Make the Memorial Day holiday a gift-giving event - buy your boating children and (or) grandchildren a PFD fitted to their size at the beginning of each boating season. Children need special care because of changing size and distribution of body weight.
  

Children and Boating Safety

The U.S. Coast Guard provides great safety information for children. It has two online coloring books available - "Water 'n Kids" and "Coastie the Safety Dog" - that you can use to help educate your children on boating safety.
Coastie is an animated robotic cartoon character in appearance, and is very mobile. He has navigation and searchlights, a rotating beacon, a siren, an air horn, and eyes and eyelids that move meaningfully. He talks, plays music, and interacts with the instructor and the children during the presentation. He is painted bright blue and has decals promoting boating and water safety from many boating safety organizations. Coastie teaches rules about what to do and not do in a water emergency situation. You can take Coastie's Boating Safety Quiz , too.

Boating Safety and the Environment

Most boating safety information only includes direct threats caused by equipment failure, weather, alcohol, unsafe boating, or accidents. We think that boaters should also think about their family's health and safety from the perspective of environmental threats and clean boating activities. Visit our clean boating activities area to learn more.

Contacts

For more information on boating safety and boating courses, contact your State Boating Agency, Coast Guard District or call the Boating Safety Hotline (1-800-368-5647).

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) has a representative responsible for boating safety education in each state, Click here to find your state's representative.

To learn about the boating safety education requirements for your state, Click here.