National Safe Boating Week 2013
National Safe Boating Week 2013 is here! It is no coincidence this week, focused on educating boaters about the latest safe boating practices, takes place in the days leading up to Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the recreational boating season. Many Americans will be visiting our nation’s lakes, rivers and coasts for the first time in months and should keep safety at the forefront of their plans.
Shipmate of the Week – Belinda Ellis
Situated along the Oregon coast, just off Highway 101, is the unassuming Siletz Moorage. People travel to Siletz Bay from all over for a day of fishing for Chinook salmon or crabbing; in fact, Siletz boasts “the best crabbing on the Oregon coast.” But due to the quick thinking of Belinda Ellis, one of the moorage managers, Siletz is now home to lifesavers.
ICE: Intelligence, clothing, equipment
Many recreational boaters in colder parts of the country have put their boats away until spring, but scores of boaters still rely on their vessels for hunting, fishing and transportation. Once familiar lakes or rivers can freeze over and become unpredictable and dangerous. Ice is an ever-changing surface, and the fluctuating weather conditions affect the ice’s stability.
Have fun, but boat safe!
For the most part, we go out on the water to get somewhere or to just have fun. Either way, a successful and enjoyable trip includes having good equipment and knowing how to use it, knowing where to go and what to stay away from and being ready for emergencies. An annual vessel safety check is an excellent way to prepare for time on the water. It is completely free and voluntary, will help ensure compliance with regulations and might help avoid a tragedy.
Shipmate of the Week – Ryan, Cody, Brian & Jack
There’s an old English proverb that says, “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.” That proverb would be best served carved onto every boat that enters the water. Things can change in a moment’s notice, and boaters have to be prepared. And, it’s because they were prepared that Ryan Miller and his son Cody Mack, Brian Nelson, and Jack Fischer Jr., all from Michigan, are still alive to tell their harrowing story of spending 14 hours in the waters of Lake Huron after their boat capsized July 9.
Boat Safe. Boat Sober.
What is one of the leading contributing factors in fatal boating accidents? Alcohol. Just like being behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated, the consequences of boating under the influence are deadly. Alcohol can impair vision, coordination, balance and [...]
12 tips for 12 weeks of summer
Written by Petty Officer 1st Class Judy L Silverstein, 7th Coast Guard District Public Affairs. National Safe Boating Week is officially over, but we’re providing 12 tips to highlight the importance of safe boating throughout the 12 weeks of summer. [...]
Saved by the jacket: John Pine
In conjunction with National Safe Boating Week 2012 we will be featuring first-person accounts of those who survived an accident on the water. Today’s story comes from a sailor who fell off his sailboat not once, but twice. We are [...]
Saved by the jacket: Holly S.
One day, my family and I went on our boat in the river. When we got to the beach, my little cousin, Malcom, wouldn’t’ put on his life jacket. He always made jokes like that so we thought he was kidding. As we were about to get into the boat, he did not put on his jacket. We had to beg him to put on his life jacket for a while when we were in the boat, and he would not put it on, but he finally did.
Saved by the jacket: Amir Pishdad
In conjunction with National Safe Boating Week 2012 we will be featuring first-person accounts of those who survived an accident on the water. Today’s story comes from a dad who explains the fear he felt when his child went missing [...]
