An engine cur-off kill switch is an important safety feature.
Sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most. And it’s so true in recreational boating. Here are six quick reminders to keep your boating season safe.
- Do you use your engine cut-off switch link? If your boat is 26 feet or longer and your boat was manufactured on or after April 1, 2021, you’re required to use this switch when boating. Attach it to yourself as captain/driver before you leave the dock and if you fall overboard for instance, the switch disconnects and immediately stops your boat. Have a spare on board so that the boat can be restarted.
- Life jackets. Georgia law requires all children under 13 years of age to wear a Coast Guard-approved and properly fitted life jacket while on board a moving vessel unless they’re inside an enclosed cabin. To be extra safe, everyone of any age should wear a properly fitted life jacket when on or around the water. Today’s life jackets are more comfortable, cool and stylish, and in the event of an accident, they might save your life.
- Always keep a specified lookout while boating. Driver distraction and failure to have a lookout are two of the top five contributing factors in boating accidents. Assign a passenger to assist the captain/driver as a lookout to spot shallow water, other boats and hazards. Boating is fun and everyone is having a great time, and assigning a lookout for the ride – that person can switch off; just let the captain know – can avert a disaster.
- Don’t mix alcohol, drugs and boating. It can be a deadly combination and is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents. There can be serious repercussions when driving under the influence AND when boating under the influence, including heavy fines and potential jail time. If you plan to party on the water, have a designated skipper responsible for navigating the boat safely. It is not illegal to possess alcohol on the water if you are 21 or older, but you can’t drive the boat if you are drinking.
- Get educated. Every boat operator born on or after January 1, 1998, must complete a boating education course approved by DNR. America’s Boating Club Atlanta course meets this requirement. Even if you’ve been boating for decades, it’s a great refresher of safe boating operations before the boating season starts. It can lead to advanced education and seminars for cruising, navigation, weather and small-boat engine repair.
- Give your boat a Vessel Safety Check. Take 30 minutes with a vessel examiner with America’s Boating Club Atlanta or the local flotilla of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary to ensure that you have all the legally required equipment on board. Sometimes light bulbs burn out, fire extinguishers expire, or new rules are put in place, and our examiners will keep you up to date. The exam is free, with no penalties if you don’t pass. Correct the deficient items, call the examiner back, and they will verify and issue the current year decal.
To learn more, visit the America’s Boating Club Atlanta website at www.americasboatingclubatlanta.org. You can also sign up on the website for a basic safe boating class for only $25.
Thanks to Dave Fuller, past commander and member of America’s Boating Club Atlanta and past national director of education with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary for these tips.
What’s on your boat?
Do you have these items easily accessible on your boat? Depending on the length of your boat, you may need additional safety equipment or must meet additional requirements.
- Fire extinguishers. No more than 12 years old, green gauge
- Life preservers for each person aboard
- Your current boat registration and registration decals
- A Type IV throwable flotation
- A horn, whistle or bell
- Navigation lights
- Boats under 26 feet have an engine cutoff switch and the lanyard must be worn by the operator when underway the same as a PWC.
The Vessel Safety Check program is free and is designed to educate boaters about the minimum legal requirements plus additional information and suggested safety equipment to make you a safer boater.
Contact America’s Boating Club Atlanta, americasboatingclubatlanta.org, or the US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 29, http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=070-02-09 to learn more and schedule a free Vessel Safety Check.
Photo: courtesy ABC Atlanta
