Safe, Happy and Sober Boating

BWI...no, that's not Baltimore Washington International Airport. The delays you'll face if you're found BWI are so much longer and more problematic, that you'll wish you were grounded in a snowstorm at the airport.

BWI is Boating While Intoxicated! Also called Boating Under the Influence. That means Alcohol, Narcotics or any Drugs, prescription or otherwise!

Let's face it, having a beer, or a cocktail ,or a few drinks, just seems to go along with a sultry summer day at the boat. The problem is when people have more than constitutes legal intoxication, which is .08 BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) in most states and then get behind the wheel of a boat and operate it. Some people, in fact, don't need to even have the legal limit to become unable to operate a boat safely, and even if they do not have that .08 limit in their system, thay can be considered "impaired" and still arrested if they are operating a vessel unsafely.

Most states now have a ZERO BAC tolerance for those under the legal drinking age. This pertains to BWI as well as the DWI laws. If a person under the legal age to consume alcoholic beverages is found to have alcohol in their bloodstream, they will be immediately arrested. In fact, some states now have a requirement that teens caught under the influence, and driving, will lose their ability to have a drivers license until they are 21! And, that goes whether they are caught in a car or a boat!

The costs of BWI or DWI (Called DUI or Driving Under the Influence) are astronomical. Estimates in California are that it can cost $10,000 for the first offense, considering legal fees, fines, etc. Your vessel could be towed or impounded by the Coast Guard or Marine Police, and, if you're involved in a collision and cause property damage, bodily injury or God forbid, a fatality while operating under the influence, you could be facing felony charges and huge fines as well as lawsuits. Lawsuits not only by persons on a vessel you might hit, but by people on your own vessel who are injured by your negligence.

If you think it can't happen, think again! In my career, I've responded to many incidents where the operator was "three sheets to the wind" and thought the damage caused by his vessel was minor. Inebriation tends to do that...make everything seem minuscule. Even backing over a swimmer seemed unimportant to one "captain" when he reversed his out drive as a swimmer was hanging on. Granted, the swimmer should never have been there; they both were intoxicated, but the operator never looked, and in his state, probably would never have seen the swimmer anyhow.

Please remember that safe boating is sober boating. Life is so precious that it makes no sense to waste it foolishly. Enjoy partying at the dock. If you drink, drink responsibly. Don't wander all over the docks while drunk, either. (We had a man fall overboard some years ago and drown after a night of heavy drinking; he was found the next morning). It might sound very funny, but if you've had a bit too much to drink and feel the absolute need to walk around on the docks, wear that life vest. Being tipsy on the dock with a life vest sure beats being cold and dead in the morgue.

My wish for each and every one of you is a safe and happy holiday season filled with love, happiness and that your new year is bright and prosperous as you look forward to a great boating season ahead.

Safe Boating!

MARINE ELECTRICAL SAFETY

In the harsh marine environment, electrical systems take a beating. Exposure to salt, fuel, ultraviolet radiation, strain, abrasion and overloading are a few of the reasons. You know how some of your 12 volt systems look after a few seasons; your shore power system is in the same environment.

Every year, we read of untold millions of dollars in marine losses, and occasional fatalities, due to faulty, or improperly installed. marine wiring. The facts are that 110 volts can kill; as little as 1/10 of an ampere is all it takes. And, talk about heat, a short circuit can generate well over a thousand degrees of heat, more than enough to ignite wood, fiberglass and most other boat building materials.

Some safety hints:

1. Use only a shore power cord set capable of handling your boats power load, and UL Listed for the marine environment. Marine cord sets are available in two common load ratings, 30 amperes and 50 amperes. If you have a 50 amp system, use a 50 amp cord set. A 30 amp cord set will overheat and will likely fail over time.

2. Use only plugs and connectors designed for marine service. Taped together wiring laying on docks, or on deck, is an invitation to disaster.

3. Don't use regular outdoor extension cords. These are subject to rapid deterioration, and expose you, and your boat, to significant danger of fire and electrical shock.

4. Check your shore power cord regularly. It should be free of knots, have no frayed areas, and the male and female connectors secure and weathertight. If it is damaged or deteriorated, replace it.

5. Keep your shore power cord out of the water. Rapid loss of zincs on your boat from stray electrical current reaching your hull is costly, but the danger to divers, and others who may be in the water, can be deadly.

6. Use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI's) on all 110 volt electrical outlets on your boat. If your boat didn't come with GFCI's, you can install them for about ten dollars each. They interrupt the flow of electricity when a ground fault (leakage) of electricity is far below the lethal zone.

7. Don't "jerry rig" electrical wiring. If you can't handle the job, have a qualified electrician, competent in marine wiring, do the job. It will be a lot less costly in the long run.

If you have a 110 volt generator on board, the electrical system should be carefully monitored for deterioration. The generator is usually in the engine room, where the marine elements can damage and corrode components without being noticed. If you have any reason to suspect an electrical problem, have your systems checked out as soon as possible.

Routine inspection and maintenance of your shore power electrical system is not difficult. All it takes is a little time and care, to extend the life expectancy of your electrical system, and YOU!

Safe Boating.

Mosquitoes and Other Annoying Buzzing Things

Many of us are annoyed at small things that buzz, and cause us to flinch and shake our heads in disbelief. Yet, all such things cannot be eliminated simply with a flyswatter or a large can of Raid. Yes, I am talking about Personal Water Craft or PWC. Sometimes better known as Jet Skis, water bikes, Sea-Doo's or similar, although I have heard them, and their operators, called things I won't mention here!

PWC's, ridden responsibly, are great fun. They provide a relatively inexpensive means for tens of thousands to enjoy the water, and unfortunately, for a few to be careless, irresponsible and, in some cases, downright negligent. As a result of such carelessness,often on the part of other riders, some have died, and many others have suffered serious injury.

PWC's are not toys. They are high performance, high speed water craft that should be handled as seriously as one handles a high performance boat or car. There is a time and place for speed and fun, and a time to operate slowly and cautiously. Launching areas, marinas, mooring areas and high boat traffic areas are NOT the place to operate at high speeds.

Many of the new models are multi-rider capable and have high-horsepower engines. Although manufacturers agreed to limit speeds of to 65 miles per hour, tuners have brought the speeds way beyond that and, in many cases, far beyond the safe handling capacity of the vessel, or the operator.

PWC operators, like any boat operator, are responsible for the damage done by their wake. Running too fast in a marina area can result in boats at berth being damaged. Running in or close to swimming areas can result in injury or even death to swimmers. And, jumping wakes too close to the stern of large vessels can have catastrophic results. At that point, the PWC operator cannot see approaching vessels, and may easily run into, or be run over, by a vessel moving in the opposite direction.

All craft, whether larger vessels or PWC's, need to observe the rules of the road, and use common sense in operating their craft. Failure to do so will result in injury, death, and the one thing we all dislike most, more regulation. The move has been afoot for years for operator licensing for boats, and some states have enacted laws that require a permit to operate a boat. Due to the proliferation of personal water craft, and the carelessness of some operators, even some boat owners are calling for licensing, or at least mandatory safety education, for PWC operators.

There are a lot of responsible boaters, and PWC owners out there. It's up to each and every one of us to operate our craft in a safe, responsible manner. If we don't, restriction, regulation and laws will hamper everyones enjoyment of our waters.

So, like mosquitoes, PWC are not likely to go away any time soon. We must learn to live with them. But, keep that flyswatter and can of Raid handy, anyway. It won't help with the PWC's, but it might help if you decide to head for the bush to rid yourself of the incessant drone of those PWC's!

Safe Boating!

BREATHLESS

Interesting how we take so many things for granted. Sunshine, warm breezes, summer nights, breathing. Wait a minute, what's this breathing all about? It's a fact that we all breathe. Without life sustaining oxygen, we'd all be at Davy Jones' Ball.

Our air is comprised of about 21% oxygen. That's what it takes to breathe naturally. When the percentage goes down to 16% or so, breathing gets to be a chore. And as the oxygen percentage gets lower, so do we, until we are rendered unconscious, and ultimately lifeless, by a thing called anoxia, which means lack of oxygen.

On a vessel, air is not usually a problem. There's plenty of it, and it all contains about the right amount of life giving oxygen. But, there may be a sinister figure waiting to sneak in and take your breath away. It is called carbon monoxide. Tasteless, colorless and odorless, it silently steals into your living spaces, and infiltrates your body through your lungs and into your blood stream. There it inhibits the blood from carrying oxygen, and if not caught in time, sends you to shake hands with Davy Jones and other long lost sailors.

At mooring or anchor, and on deck, is no guarantee that carbon monoxide poisoning won't pay a visit. Adjacent boats, running their engines, can send your carbon monoxide levels sky high. Generators running, with the exhaust reentering the vessel through hatches, ports, or other openings has resulted in death. A group of boaters, happily rafting up off Catalina, were enjoying a day of fun and sun. Maybe too much fun in the sun, as a number of participants complained of headache, nausea, dizziness, mental confusion or fatigue. One of the boaters recognized that something was very wrong, much more than too much beer and sun. Suddenly, the droning of the generators on the rafted up boats made her realize this was carbon monoxide poisoning! Had there not been a combination of her sharp observations, a fast run to Los Angeles, ready paramedics and the availability of a hyperbaric chamber, this trip would have had a tragic ending. Luckily, all survived.

Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. It has no warning properties. High concentrations may cause only transient weakness and dizziness before death. Longer term exposure results in one or more of the symptoms described above. Carbon monoxide poisoning is cumulative, meaning lower concentrations over hours or days can result in poisoning.

Prevention is much better than cure. The first line of defense is a good carbon monoxide detector. There are a number available, but those built to withstand the marine environment are best. Good cabin and bilge ventilation with fresh air, and an exhaust system, free of leaks, that disperses the exhaust well behind, or off to the sides of the vessel, are other safeguards.
Stop the silent killer on your vessel before he stops you. Be aware and be prepared.

Safe Boating.