Boaters: Beware of Hazards!
By John Karl
MADISON, Wis. (6/30/98) — As summer steams along, many boaters are enjoying the splendor of the Great Lakes. When boating on these inland seas, it is important to remain mindful of potential hazards, including lightning, commercial fishing nets, and—even in summer—hypothermia.
Three free Sea Grant publications can help you maximize your pleasure and minimize the dangers of boating on the Great Lakes:
For copies, contact the UW Sea Grant Communications Office, Goodnight Hall, 1975 Willow Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1103; phone (608) 263-3259, or visit one of Sea Grant’s Advisory Services field offices at UW-Milwaukee, UW-Green Bay, UW-Manitowoc, and UW-Superior.
Lightning usually strikes the
highest object in a given area, and a boat on the water is asking for trouble.
"The most important safety rule about lightning and boating is simple: Get off the water immediately," said UW Sea Grant Water Safety Specialist James Lubner.
"If you are unfortunate enough to be caught in a storm on the water, stay as low as you can in the middle of your boat, and do not touch any metal parts of the boat or any electronic equipment that is attached to antennas," Lubner said.
For more information on lightning, try these links:
(Lightning photo by Chuck Clark, from the Atmospheric Electricity HomePage)
Near-shore waters are the most common
place for boaters to tangle with commercial fishing nets, according to UW Sea Grant Water Safety
Specialist James Lubner.
Many nets are set with two buoys on a line perpendicular to shore. The buoy closest to shore will have two flags, and the buoy farthest from shore will have only one. Because it is often not possible to see both buoys, boaters should pass on the shore side of a two-flag buoy and the sea side of a single-flag buoy.
"Boaters should also remember that they can
not tie up to any buoy they find," Lubner said. "Only mooring buoys, which are
white with blue stripes, can be used for tying a boat up."
Illustration from "Where the Buoys Are:
How to Avoid Commercial Fishing Nets" © University of
Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute
During the sultry days of July and
August, hypothermia may be the last thing on your mind. But even July water temperatures
in the Great Lakes are low enough to be life threatening in as little as 30 minutes,
according to UW Sea Grant Water Safety
Specialist James Lubner.
"Water temperatures lower than 80 degrees Fahrenheit can cause quick reductions in body temperature," Lubner said.
The surface temperatures of the Great Lakes can be much colder: mean temperatures in July range from 43 F (6 C) in Lake Superior to 72 F (22 C) in Lake Erie.
"And upwellings of cold water, which are
fairly frequent near the leeward shores of the lakes, can reduce water temperatures to 50
or 60 degrees Fahrenheit. At these temperatures, you’ll get real cold real
quick," Lubner said.
For More Information:
James Lubner, Advisory Services Water Safety Specialist, (414) 227-3291
Created in 1966, Sea Grant is a national network of 29
university-based programs of research, outreach and education dedicated to the protection
and sustainable use of the United States' coastal, ocean and Great Lakes
resources. The National
Sea Grant Network is a partnership of participating coastal states, private
industry and the National Sea Grant
College Program , National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration , U.S. Department of
Commerce . The University of Wisconsin
Sea Grant College Program is administered by the Sea Grant Institute on the UW-Madison campus in Madison, Wisconsin.
Posted 7/7/98 by John Karl
Last updated 19 January 2000 by
Wittman
Lightning photo by Chuck Clark, from the Atmospheric Electricity HomePage
Net illustration from "Where the
Buoys Are: How to Avoid Commercial Fishing Nets" ©
University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute
Survival illustration © University of Rhode Island Sea Grant
Copyright 1998 University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute
www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news releases/boatingsafety.htm
