This weeks article comes to us via a press release from Boat US. The article details some important factors to consider before pulling away from the dock for this weekends July 4th fireworks.
Recreational Boating Traffic Expected to Peak This Weekend:
Getting Safely Home After the Fireworks
ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 27, 2011 - It’s not a Thanksgiving holiday traffic jam. However, for America’s boaters, it may as well be. Boat Owners Association of The United States says the July 4th holiday is expected to bring record numbers of boaters to the water, jamming lakes, rivers and bays with thousands of revelers celebrating America’s birthday at evening fireworks displays. With nightfall, it also means a heightened awareness with boating safety.
The 24-hour BoatUS on-the-water dispatch centers and TowBoatUS and Vessel Assist towing fleets are expected to receive a total of nearly 3,000 requests for assistance from boaters during the holiday weekend, with a big spike likely to occur each evening - timed with conclusion of waterfront fireworks shows as boats pull anchor en masse and head home. While this number is down from previous years due to economic conditions, it still means a lot of boaters will need jump starts, tows home or ungrounding help.
“For many, this will be the only time of year they operate their boat in the dark,” said BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water President Chris Edmonston. “As you’re about to pull the hook to leave after fireworks show ends, boaters should understand that the risk of having an accident significantly increases after the sun goes down.”
Boating at night requires a heightened awareness of the unique hazards a boat may encounter. Obstructions from something as simple as a buoy or even a floating log, to unlighted piers or sandbars, are much more difficult to see. Always post an extra crewmate or guest as a secondary lookout.
Vessel navigation lights are designed to not only help others understand a boat’s direction of travel or how fast it is go