Boater Safety Tips for 4th July

For many people, the Fourth of July is the perfect opportunity to spend the evening on the lake. Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens, however, urge boaters to use caution on the water and suggest leaving the alcohol at home.

Nighttime fireworks shows tend to bring more boaters out on the water at night during the Fourth of July weekend. Everyone is urged to be careful on the water, avoid alcohol, wear life jackets and be sure running lights are working properly. Recreational boating safety is an important responsibility of Texas game wardens. In addition to checking boats for equipment required under the Texas Water Safety Act and monitoring boating activities to sensure safe operation, wardens also enforce the boating while intoxicated (BWI) statue.

Legislation effective Sept. 1, 1999 lowered the blood alcohol content from 0.10 to 0.08 percent for boat operators as well as automobile drivers. The first BWI offense is a Class B misdemeanor that may result in a jail sentence of up to 80 days, a fine not to exceed $2,000, or both. Texas parks and game wardens also emphasize the importance of wearing a life jacket. Under Texas law, all children under the age of 13 must wear a life jacket while in a boat that is underway. The most common water safety citations are for an inadequate number of life jackets on board and children under 13 not wearing a life jacket.

Booze and boating just don’t mix

Boaters need to remember that booze and boating do not mix. Alcohol impairs your ability to operate a vessel safely in the same way that it impairs your ability to drive a car safely. However, there are other factors that add to the intensity of your impairment when on the water, including the motion of the boat and dehydration. Balance is one of the first things you lose when you consumer alcohol, and when you combine this with the rocking of a boat, the chance of falling overboard increases. The sun causes you to perspire, which removes the water from your body but leaves the alcohol in. This can cause impairment to happen more quickly. In a study of boating fatalities in four states, 51 percent of the people who died had a blood alcohol content of .04 or more. A blood alcohol of .10 or more was found in 30 percent of the fatalities.

There are several myths about alcohol that boaters should know:

• Beer is NOT less intoxicating than any other alcoholic beverage.

• Only time will sober a person, NOT black coffee or a cold shower.

• It is NOT easy to tell if someone is impaired. Many experienced drinkers can hide their impairment.

• You are NOT the best person to judge if you are fit to drive. Your judgment is one of the first things you lose when you drink.

Remember, safe boating starts before your first trip out on the water. Do not wait until an accident happens to educate yourself as well as your family on the rules of safe boating.

Fire on Board!
Having fire extinguishers on hand is of vital importance

Fire aboard a boat can be a terrifying experience. A person may only have a split second to act to save themselves and all passengers. The importance of having fully charged fire extinguishers on hand is vital.

Most boat fires can be put out rapidly if you act immediately. If a fire starts, grab the extinguisher, activate it and direct it at the base of the flames. Use short bursts and sweep it from side to side. Do not wait until a fire starts to read the directions on the label. Take the time to make sure that you and those who boat with you regularly know and understand exactly how to use the fire extinguisher.

There are several preventable measures to take in order to avoid most boat fires:

• Clean bilges often and maintain proper gear stowage.

• Make sure short-tie cables are properly connected.

• Place oily rags in covered trash cans or dispose of them on shore.

• Store propane fuel for stoves in a secure area.

If and when a fire does break out on board your boat, never use water on fires started electrically, by gasoline, oil, or grease. Water will spread a gasoline fire and since water is a conductor of electricity, you may receive a damaging shock from an electrical fire. Water should only be used to extinguish burning wood, mattresses, rags, rubbish and alcohol. When extinguishing the fire, make sure it is completely out. If not, it may smolder for a long while and possibly start again. If possible, soak burning materials over the downwind side of the boat.

Follow these steps if fire breaks out while you are underway in order to prevent the fire from spreading to other parts of the boat:

• Slow or stop the boat. Wind from the boat’s motion feeds the flames.

• Keep the fire downwind. If the fire is aft, head the bow into the wind. If forward, put the stern into the wind.

• If the motor catches fire, shut off the fuel supply immediately. Always remember not to panic. Many boats burn to the water line because people jump overboard without assessing the situation first. If you realize that the fire cannot be put out with the fire extinguisher, put on your life jacket and exit the boat upwind of the burning craft.

“Tune in” to special marine warnings and weather statements

As the sun rises high in the sky, the tropical oceans and atmospheres become more and more active by absorbing heat energy. This starts the recipe for thunderstorm and hurricane production. Knowing what signs to look for and where to find weather advisories could make your time spent on the water much more enjoyable.

When spring and summer roll around and outside boating activities increase, the frequency of severe thunderstorms roll over the horizon. Usually when you observe
dark, fast moving clouds headed your way, it is too late to head for a safe location if you are out in the open water. Having knowledge of the larger weather picture and knowing exactly what to do when these sudden storms appear could help you enjoy a safer and more pleasant journey.

Fortunately, those boats equipped with NOAA weather radios will be able to tune into the Special Marine Warnings and Special Weather Statements being issued by the local Weather Service office. These statements will give you instructions on where the storms are heading and how severe they are expected to be. If your vessel is not equipped with NOAA weather radios, get to know the weather story from local TV stations and the National Weather Service briefings. The following information is an explanation of the type of warnings you can expect to hear from the National Weather Service:

• SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY: To alert mariners to sustained weather or sea conditions, either present or forecast, that might be hazardous to small boats. The threshold conditions for this advisory are usually 18 knots of wind or hazardous wave conditions.

• GALE WARNING: To indicate winds within the range 34 to 47 knots; or tropical cyclones 34 to 63 knots

• STORM WARNING: To indicate that winds 48 knots and above, no matter how high the speed.

• HURRICANE WARNING: Issued only in connection with a tropical hurricane to indicate that winds 64 knots and above are expected.

• HURRICANE WATCH: This announcement is not a warning, rather it indicates that the hurricane is near enough that everyone in the area covered by the “Watch” should listen to their radios for subsequent advisories and be ready to take precautionary action in case hurricane warnings are issued.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Source: The Training Circular
The Training Circular, a publication of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Risk Management Department, is published monthly in an effort to promote and enhance risk management issues related to TDCJ employees.