FOLLOW THE RULES OF
THE ROAD
FOR A SAFE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND ON THE WATER
By Rich Hoops
MADISON, Wis. (05/26/99) — The Memorial Day weekend might seem like a perfect time to get your boat off the trailer and into the water – maybe for the first time this year. But if you’re going out on the water this weekend, pay attention.
Jim Lubner, marine safety specialist with the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, says a lot of other people will be out there, too. He says you can expect congestion – and you can also expect some people to be on the water for the first time this year, and their boating skills might be rusty.
His advice: "Know the rules of the road, follow the rules of the road, and do not assume that anybody else on the water knows the rules of the road. They’re supposed to know them, but they may not."
And what are the basic rules of the road?
Situation number one: Two boats approach each other head on. The preferred manner for passing, says Lubner, is "left side to left side" – that is, you would steer your boat toward your right as you face the bow when approaching the other vessel. However, just one boat or either boat can take action to avoid the other.
"If you’re in a situation where you’re lined up ‘right side to right side’ and can pass safely, that’s OK," says Lubner. "Don’t try to take the other approach if it means you have to cut across the path of the oncoming vessel."
Situation number two: One boat is passing another from the rear. The boat that is doing the passing is responsible for staying clear of the other boat, and the boat that is being passed is responsible for holding a steady course and speed. These rules apply whether the boat that is passing is approaching from directly behind the other boat or from the left or the right side of the rear of the other boat.
Situation number three: Two boats crossing paths. If you see a boat that will cross your path from your left to your right, you have the responsibility to maintain steady course and speed. If you see a boat that will cross your path from your right to your left, you have the responsibility to take some evasive action, which typically would be to swing to your right and go behind the other boat.
"The rules oftentimes come down to courtesy and common sense," Lubner says.
Lubner emphasizes that the single most important piece of safety equipment on a boat is a personal floatation device or PFD. Federal and state rules require that all passengers in a boat have a PFD approved by the U.S. Coast Guard that is suitable for their size. Those means adult-sized life vests for adults, child-sized life vests for children.
Lubner adds one other bit of advice about PFDs – wear them. That’s because most fatalities on Wisconsin waters occur when a boat capsizes or a passenger simply falls overboard.
"In those circumstances," Lubner says, "the only PFD that really does you any good is one that you’re wearing."
Another thing to keep in mind while boating is the weather. Check forecasts in advance and keep your eye on weather patterns to the west because that’s the direction from which storms approach. Just the same, stay alert even in clear weather, whether it’s Memorial Day or any other day in the summer.
"Most boating accidents in Wisconsin – the vast majority of boating accidents in Wisconsin – happen in small boats on summer weekends in inland lakes in good weather," says Lubner. "Add to that a holiday weekend and you end up with even more chances for accidents."
More information on boating safety is available in a new book called "Water Wise: Safety for the Recreational Boater " by Jerry Dzugan and Susan Clark Jensen. It’s a 200-page, all-in-one boating safety book that applies to the skippers of small and large recreational boats, in all waterways nationwide. Published by the University of Alaska Sea Grant program and the U.S. Marine Safety Association, a limited supply is available from the UW Sea Grant Communications Office in Madison (608-263-3259) and the Sea Grant Marine Safety & Education field office in Milwaukee (414-227-3291). Cost is $19.95.
For More Information:
Jim Lubner, Marine Safety Specialist, Sea Grant Advisory Services, (414) 227-3291Created in 1966, Sea Grant is a national network of 30 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 05/28/99 by Karl
Last updated 29 March 2000 by Karl
All contents copyright 1998 University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute
http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/communications/news_releases/memorial_day_boating.html
