Sponsored by the Nationwide Secure Boating Council (NSBC), Nationwide Secure Boating Week is a world effort devoted to selling protected boating practices. In 2019, the latest 12 months for which knowledge is out there, the U.S. Coast Guard reported 4,168 boating accidents that resulted in 2,559 accidents, 613 fatalities and $55 million in property harm.
At Garmin we need to encourage boaters to take a couple of easy steps now to make sure they’ll get dwelling safely from adventures on the water later. Whether or not you’re new to leisure boating otherwise you’ve been crusing the seas for many years, now’s the right time to refresh your self on what you could be doing previous to and through your time on the water. Your life — and the lives of these round you — may simply rely upon it.
- Buckle up. (Your life jacket, that’s.) Of the leisure boating accidents reported by the U.S. Coast Guard in 2019, 86 p.c of drowning victims weren’t sporting a life jacket. Right here’s the factor: Each particular person in your boat must put on a life jacket always. No exceptions. In case your passengers are youngsters, be sure to know tips on how to make their duds match correctly. Now could be the right time to take the NSBC’s “Put on It” pledge and to make sure you have the suitable variety of life jackets on board.
- Put together your vessel. It goes past simply ensuring you’ve acquired sufficient life jackets for everybody. Garmin has a set of easy-to-use, onboard electronics designed to extend peace of thoughts for any sort of boater. You’ll need to look into on-water entry to our industry-leading mapping to boost situational consciousness, radios and transceivers, GPS satellite tv for pc communicators and extra. Keep related and prepared for something, irrespective of how far out you go.
- Know your security plan. It may come within the type of climate, different boaters practising unsafe habits or another type of emergency, but it surely’s necessary that you’ve security plans in place within the occasion of hazard. Know tips on how to safely get off (or again on) your boat, be certain that all passengers are conscious of the placement of security gear and don’t neglect to go away somebody on land with a tough itinerary of your journey.
- Boat sober. It ought to go with out saying, however sadly, now we have to: Boating and booze don’t go collectively. Alcohol is the main contributing issue to leisure boating fatalities, in line with the Nationwide Affiliation of State Boating Legislation Directors. Working any water vessel whereas underneath the affect — whether or not it’s a motorboat, a kayak or one thing in between — is against the law, and maritime regulation enforcement takes it each bit as severely as driving a automobile when underneath the affect.
- Take a boating security course. The NSBC provides loads of coaching, each on-water and on-line, together with free movies and quizzes associated to the fundamental navigational guidelines of sailing. Most boaters concerned in accidents, the council says, have by no means had a boating security course. If in case you have an web connection (which we’re guessing you do, when you managed to entry this text), be sure to’re educated earlier than heading out onto the water this season.
There’s nothing extra necessary than your security when on the water — and by taking simply the 5 actions above, you’ll be nicely in your approach to a boating season that continues to be enjoyable for everybody. For extra sources and training, go to the NSBC’s Nationwide Secure Boating Week web site: safeboatingcampaign.com.
