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“I’ve been piloting boats since before I could walk!” Maybe so – but no matter how experienced you
may be as a boater, it’s worth paying attention to the handling characteristics of every boat you own or
operate. Every boat – even boats of the same type, from the same manufacturer – handles differently.
Your own boat responds differently from day to day as a result of weather, current, temperature, load,
and other factors. (Read more on boat handling)
ALEXANDRIA, VA, April 9, 2008 – For recreational boaters, a simple fall overboard is the number one boating accident “event” that leads to the most fatalities. The US Coast Guard reports that in 2006, 275 persons died in 721 boating accidents that began with or involved a fall overboard. While some of these accidents involved other factors, being able to quickly get back in the boat - without help – isn’t easy as a BoatUS Foundation test of 11 portable boarding ladders recently found.
*WASHINGTON* The U. S. Coast Guard reminds parents that their children should always wear a life jacket while boating. National SAFE KIDS Week is a perfect time to remember the importance of life jackets, said the Coast Guards Director of Operations Policy, Rear Admiral J.W. Underwood. It is the parents responsibility to keep their children safe when on the water and insisting on wearing life jackets is one of the best ways to do that. Just like you make your kids wear bike helmets, make them wear life jackets. (Read more on kids' safety)
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. It is produced when a carbon-based fuel such as gasoline, propane, charcoal, or oil—burns. Sources on your boat include engines, gas generators, cooking ranges, space and water heaters. (Read more on carbon monoxide safety)
*SEATTLE** -* The Coast Guard received a distress signal from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio beacon, or EPIRB, registered to a boat home-ported in Missoula, Mont. No people were in trouble, but the Coast Guard didn't know that when they first received the signal. It wasn't long before they discovered the call was a false alarm. (Read more on EPIRBs)
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