june 30, 2020 boating& leisure...furnaces - fireplaces heaters (lp/nat. gas) - log sets steel...

Boating& Leisure

a special section of The Derrick. / The News-Herald

June 30, 2020

TUEPLO, Miss. (AP) — Guy Conner, like so many other business owners, was deeply concerned about how the coronavirus pandemic would affect his business.

Conner is owner of Midway Marine in Fulton, Mississippi, which carries Ascend Kayak, Nitro, Mako, Ranger Boats, Sun Tracker, Tahoe, Tracker Boats and Mercury Outboard.

With stay-in-place orders and busi-nesses having to close, Conner feared the worst as the annual spring rush on boats threatened to be throttled.

As it turns out, just the opposite has happened.

“We were having a good year, and then when the pandemic hit, everybody canceled all their activities like travel and it left boating and fishing wide open,” he said. “We’ve had growth for the past seven years, and excellent growth last year.”

According to Businesswire, U.S. boat sales reached the second-highest volume in 12 years in 2019.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association said data from the sales

trends reports showed more than 200,000 new outboard, inboard, jet-propelled and sterndrive boats were sold in 2019, the second highest in 12 years, with growth in outboard cruis-ers (up 18%) inboard wake sport boats (up 6%) and personal water-craft (up 5%).

Data from the trade report shows exports of recreational boats and marine engines totaled $2.1 billion in 2019, up 6 percent from 2018, while imports were up 5 percent to a new high of $3.5 billion.

“I didn’t think there would be any way to top last year, especially with the coronavirus, but here we are and we’re up about 25% so far,” Conner said.

Boating in his bloodConner has been around water and

boats practically all his life. In his teens, his family lived and traveled by boat for about a year and a half, mak-ing the loop up to the Great Lakes, down the Eastern Seaboard and back to the Gulf.

“My parents bought the marina in 1990, and after college, I took a job as a captain, worked for a big boat dealer in Nashville, then got into selling other

people’s boats – brokering,” he said. “I sort of ran out of boats to sell then got into new boats to sell. Some did, some didn’t. Then we got into the accesso-ries business and working on boats. It sort of all evolved from being in boats to filing a need.”

Midway Marine got its start in 1995, and has been at its current location off Interstate 22 since 2005.

Midway Marine’s location off the highway may seem a bit odd, but it is about a mile and a half from the nearest boat ramp, plus the heavy volume of traffic from Northeast Mississippi and northwest Alabama makes the dealer-ship an ideal spot.

“And we’re closer to Tupelo, which is our home market,” he said.

As for what’s selling, Conner said just about everything.

“We can’t keep used boats,” he said. “And we’ve run out of Sun Tracker pontoon boats. We have auto-replen-ishment, where we get one every time we sell one, but we’ve outrun that. Fishing boats are probably 85% and pontoon 15% and we can’t seem to keep anything in stock right.”

2 – THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald: Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Boating sales buoyed despite ongoing pandemic

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� The newest data just in from the National Marine Manufacturers Association shows an unprecedented increase in personal watercraft sales in May, up 75% compared to May 2019; and outboard engine sales saw a 7% jump year over year.� These numbers also support recent findings that interest in fishing and

boating has grown amidst the pandemic.� According to a recent Harris poll, 1 in 5 Americans said they’re more

likely to try these activities than they were prior to the pandemic. And among parents, the statistic is 1 in 4.� Top Google searches this summer include new powerboats, boat racks,

wake boards, paddle boards, life jackets and more boating-related products.

Personal watercraft purchases in May increased a whopping 75% compared to 2019

See SALES ARE UP, Page 3

THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald: Tuesday, June 30, 2020 – 3

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It’s not just new boats Americans are buying; there were nearly 1 million pre-owned boats (powerboats, personal watercraft, and sailboats) sold last year. Also, boating is primarily a middle-class lifestyle, as more than 60% of of American boat owners have an annual household income $100,000 or less.

Midway Marine typically carries some $2.5 million in inventory of boats, with cost ranging from $1,000 John boats to decked out Ranger fish-ing boats in six figures.

“We usually have about 100 boats to sell,” Conner said.

Midway Marine also services boats, and as owners have been getting back into the water, its 15 employees have been busy taking care of them. Demand is so heavy that service jobs are taking bout three weeks, about a week more than usual.

Conner isn’t sure how long it’ll be to return to the inventory level he’d like, as manufacturers are slowly get-ting back up to speed.

“If we can get supply, demand is there, and I think we can continue our lead over sales we’ve had in the past,” he said.

“We still have plenty of boats left to buy,” Conner added. “Just not as many as usual.”

And it should be noted that 95% of powerboats sold in the U.S. are made in the U.S., and more than 12 million

boats are registered nationwide. Last year, Mississippi was 29th in new boat registrations.

Sales Are Up�

Continued from Page 2


Checklist helps recreational boaters prep for season

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Getting the boat ready for the sum-mer boating season is an exciting time for America’s nearly 12 million recre-ational boaters.

Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has a Spring Commissioning Checklist to help boaters start the season right, along with a new YouTube Spring Fitting Out video library that shows you how to do some basic tasks, from chang-ing the outdrive oil or fixing broken trailer lights to replacing zincs or changing a propeller.

Before you launch� Inspect and replace hose clamps

as necessary. Double clamp fuel lines and exhaust hoses with marine-rated stainless steel hose clamps. While not technically required, it’s a wise move to double clamp whenever possible on all hoses — especially those below the waterline.� Inspect all hoses for stiffness, rot,

leaks and cracking, and replace any that are faulty. Make sure they fit snugly.� Inspect prop(s) for dings, pitting

and distortion. Make sure cotter pins are secure.� Grip the prop (on inboard drive

systems) and try moving the shaft up and down and side to side. If it’s loose and can be wiggled, the cutless bearing may need to be replaced.

� Check the rudderstock to ensure it hasn’t been bent. Operate the wheel or tiller to ensure the steering works cor-rectly.

� Inspect the hull for blisters, dis-tortions and stress cracks.� Make sure your engine intake sea

strainer (if equipped) is not cracked or

bent from ice and is free of corrosion, clean and properly secured.

Inspecting hoses should be a part of your boat’s Spring Commissioning. Any found too old and stiff, like this decades-old reinforced potable water line, should be on your list to replace.

See CHECKLIST, Page 6


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� With inboards, check the engine shaft and rudder stuffing boxes for cor-rect adjustment. A stuffing box should leak no more than two drops each min-ute when the prop shaft is turning.� Inspect, lubricate and exercise

seacocks.� Use a garden hose to check for

deck leaks at ports and hatches. Renew caulk or gaskets as necessary.� Inspect and test the bilge pump

and float switch to make sure they’re both working properly.� Check stove and remote LPG tanks

for loose fittings and leaking hoses.� Inspect dock and anchor lines for

chafe and wear.� If equipped, ensure that the stern

drain plug is installed.� After the boat is launched, be sure

to check all thru-hulls for leaks.Engines and fuel systems

� Inspect fuel lines, including fill and vent hoses, for softness, brittleness or cracking. Check all joints for leaks, and make sure all lines are well sup-ported with noncombustible clips or straps with smooth edges.� Inspect fuel tanks, fuel pumps and

filters for leaks. Ensure portable tanks and lines are completely drained of stale fuel before filling with fresh fuel. Clean or replace fuel filters and/or fuel-water separators if not done before winterization.

� Every few years, remove and inspect exhaust manifolds for corro-sion (for inboard-powered and inboard/outboard boats).� Charge battery.� Clean and tighten electrical con-

nections, especially both ends of bat-tery cables. Use a wire brush to clean battery terminals, and top up cells with distilled water (if applicable).� Inspect the bilge blower hose for

leaks and run the blower to confirm correct operation.

Engine outdrives and outboards� Inspect rubber outdrive bellows

for cracked, dried and/or deteriorated spots (look especially in the folds) and replace if suspect.� Check power steering and power

trim oil levels.� Replace anodes/zincs that are

more than half wasted.� Inspect the outer jacket of control

cables. Cracks or swelling indicate cor-rosion and mean that the cable must be replaced.� Inspect lower unit oil level and

top up as necessary.Sailboat rigging

� Inspect swage fittings for cracks and heavy rust (some discoloration is acceptable). Inspect wire halyards and running backstays for “fishhooks” and rust.� Remove tape on turnbuckles and

lubricate threads, preferably with Teflon. Replace old tape with fresh tape but don’t wrap airtight.� If you suspect the core around a

chainplate is damp, remove the chain-plate to inspect and make repairs.

Trailers� Inspect tire treads and sidewalls

for cracks or lack of tread and replace as necessary. Check air pressure; don’t forget the spare.� Inspect wheel bearings and repack

as necessary.� Test all lights and replace any

broken bulbs or lenses.� Inspect winch to make sure it’s

working properly. Inspect hitch chains.� Inspect trailer frame for rust.

Sand and paint to prevent further dete-rioration.� Inspect brakes and brake fluid

reservoir.Safety

� Check expiration dates on flares.� Inspect fire extinguishers. Replace

if more than 12 years old or if age is unknown. More than 40 million Kidde extinguishers with plastic handles were recalled on Nov. 2, 2017.� Ensure you have properly sized

and wearable life jackets in good con-dition for each passenger, including kids. Check inflatable life jacket cylin-ders and dissolvable “pill” bobbins in auto-inflating models.� Test smoke, carbon monoxide,

fume and bilge alarms.� Check running lights for opera-

tion and spare bulb inventory.� Update paper charts and chart-

plotter software.� Replenish first-aid kit items that

may have been used last season or are expired.� Check the operation of VHF

radio(s) and that the MMSI number is correctly programmed in. (BoatUS members can obtain a free MMSI number at BoatUS.com/MMSI.)� Get a free vessel safety check

from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Squadrons. Find out more at SafetySeal.net.

For the dock� In addition to checking its entire

length for wear or abrasions, check both ends of the shore power cable connec-tions for burns, which indicate the cable and/or boat’s shore power inlet or the dock’s receptacle must be replaced.� Test ground-fault protection on

your boat and private dock, and know how to prevent Electric Shock Drowning.

The paperwork� Make sure your boat registration

is up to date. Don’t forget your trailer tags.� Review your boat insurance poli-

cy and update coverage if needed. BoatUS provides free quotes at BoatUS.com/Insurance. Provide a copy to your marina or club.� Ensure your BoatUS Membership

is in good standing. Login to BoatUS.com/Account to check your member-ship status or join at BoatUS.com/Membership.� Download the free BoatUS app to

make it easy to summon on-water assistance and speed response times.

Checklist�

Continued from Page 4


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Apprenticeships/PreApprenticeship Programsto Meet the Needs of Our Region

Backyard pools provide families with ample opportunities for recre-ation. It’s easy to be distracted by all the fun when swimming in a backyard pool, but it is crucial that homeowners take steps to ensure everyone is safe when spending time in the pool.

Establish a barrierThe Consumer Product Safety

Commission warns that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children between the ages of one and four in the United States.

Pools attract curious children, so maintaining a barrier between the home and the pool is essential.

Many municipalities require some sort of fencing around pools or ladders that self-latch or can be closed off to climbing.

Locks and alarms on windows and doors that face or provide access to the backyard also can serve as barriers.

Keep play under controlChildren and even adults may be

swept up in the fun and engage in potentially dangerous behaviors.

Pool users should not be allowed to run around the perimeter of an inground pool, as the cement can get slippery

when wet and lead to falls that can cause injuries.

Exercise caution when using diving boards or diving into pools. It’s easy for divers to hit their heads when div-ing off a board into a pool due to close proximity of the transition wall in the deep end of the pool or by diving into shallow water.

The Red Cross recommends a water depth of 11.5 feet for safe diving and the transition wall should be at least 16.5 feet from the tip of the diving board. However, the standard depth for many pools is 7.5 feet of water and a slope beginning seven feet from the board.

Exercise caution with inflatablesThe Good Housekeeping Research

Institute found that inflatable pool toys

are especially dangerous. Such toys can flip easily, putting

children at risk for injury (from strik-ing the sides of the pool) or drowning (especially if the children were ejected into deep water).

Inflatables also can prevent access to the surface of the water for sub-merged swimmers.

Choose a backyard lifeguardAt least one person should be desig-

nated as backyard lifeguard when the pool is in use.

This person should always direct his or her focus on the pool, counting swimmers and keeping track of who enters and leaves the pool.

Safe Kids Worldwide suggests rotat-ing water watchers every 15 minutes.


Fun in the pool can lead to distractions

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Pools are fun places to spend summer afternoons, but homeowners must take crucial steps to ensure the safety of swimmers.


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LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — Only a kayak, paddle and life vest are needed. And maybe some fishing skills.

Kayak fishing has caught on as a popular past time during coronavirus. The activity is naturally isolat-ing, a good excuse to leave the house, and can even provide some free food.

Doug Menefee has been out on the water at least once a week since quarantine, though the stay-at-home order didn’t effect his schedule. Fishing tour-naments mean Menefee is normally kayak fishing often this time of the year.

The tournaments have been modified for corona-virus — instead of every kayak fisher hauling in their biggest catch of the day, fishers snap a photo of their catch on a measuring board and send it in, allowing for a catch and release-style fishing if competitors want.

“It’s good to get away,” he said.The 51-year-old has competed in four tourna-

ments since quarantine began. He started formally competing 10 years ago, having fished for decades. After wanting to elevate his fishing game, but not having the space or money for a boat, Menefee set-tled on a kayak.

The large differences he’s found between a boat and kayak are having to pay attention to weather conditions a lot more with a kayak and not being able to go as far out. But he’s able to go into shallow places boats can’t, and can find fish just about any-where.

Since his first kayak, he’s upgraded to one with feet propellers as opposed to the standard hand pad-dles.

“We like to fish more than we like to paddle,” he said with a laugh.

He’s also joined two local fishing clubs — Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club and Bayou Coast Fishing Club.

Beginners can learn the basics of kayak fishing at Pack & Paddle, a Lafayette outdoor store, and chanc-es are their guide will be Butch Ridgedell.

The 63-year-old started kayak fishing seven years ago after finding out about the sport from Australian co-workers.

“I started late,” he said. “I’m one of the older guys, but I keep up with younger guys.”

He competes in the same competitions as Menefee. Although Ridgedell hasn’t done as well this year as

he has in the past, he’s enjoyed being able to catch and release this year. Ridgedell was looking forward to the largest kayak fishing event in the world, Ride The Bull Kayak Fishing Tournament in Grande Isle. Hundreds of fishermen typically swarm the island for a week of fun and fishing, but it has been post-poned this year.

On his own time, Ridgedell has been able to catch some impressive fish. He’s just happy to be on the water though, calling it an “entirely different world.”

“This is the perfect sport for this kind of thing,” he said. “You can go, get away by yourself, while still seeing others.”

The same rings true for Beth Bella, who as been fishing her whole life but got more seriously into kayak fishing four years ago after her parents got a camp near Lake Fausse Pointe.

For her, kayak fishing has been helpful because she doesn’t have to worry about putting anyone at risk. And since she started working at home, the sport has been a good excuse to leave the house.

Fishing at the beginning of quarantine was pro-

ductive and exciting for Bella, as it was spawning season — the fish were either large with eggs or pro-tective over their babies.

She even managed to catch her personal best dur-ing quarantine, though it was on an aluminum boat.

The big difference between boat fishing and kayak fishing for Bella is the ability to go in shallow water and the lack of noise.

“You’re not scaring anything away,” she said. “Everything is coming right next to you. Fish, birds, alligators.”

When she can’t go out and fish on the lake, she’s either fishing behind the Broussard public library or in the Vermilion. And though she isn’t competing in the kayak fishing tournaments, she and a friend have a competition going to see who can catch the biggest fish in the Vermilion.

The best thing to come out of fishing for her is simply the food, enjoying a fish fry after a long day on the water.

“Good thing to do if you’re trying to avoid the grocery store. It’s kind of a primal thing though,” she said with a laugh.

Kayaking is a fun way to spend an afternoon, particularly in summer-time. If smiles on the faces of kayak-ers aren’t enough to convince you just how fun this sport can be, per-haps statistics can convince you how enjoyable it is to paddle away in a kayak.

According to the Physical Activity Council, which each year conducts the largest single-source research study of sports, recreation and leisure activity participation in the United States, recreational kayaking is the most popular paddlesport in the United States, attracting more than 11 million participants each year.

People who have never before been in a kayak may be intrigued by those statistics and tempted to follow the example set by millions of kayak-ers who take to the water every day when the weather permits.

Safety should be a top priority for all kayakers, and especially for novic-es.

A kayaking course can be a great way for novices to familiarize them-selves with the basics of kayaking, including the best practices in regard to staying safe on the water.

Local watersports retailers and recreational organizations that take watersports enthusiasts out on the water may offer safety courses, and these courses can be great resources while also helping people get their feet wet before paddling away.

When kayaking for the firs time, it’s important that novices choose the right type of water for their experi-ence level. Rough, choppy waters can prove challenging to even the most skilled kayakers, and these same waters can be deadly for novices.

The following are some character-istics novice kayakers should look for in a body of water before pushing

themselves and their kayakers into the current.

� Size: Novices should avoid vast bodies

of water, such as oceans, rivers or large lakes, until they gain more expe-rience.

Large ponds and small lakes can be great places to gain some experience and familiarize oneself with the nuanc-es of paddling.

� Demeanor: Demeanor might not be a trait one

normally associates with water, but looking at a body of water in this way can be a great way to determine if it’s the right place for a novice.

If a body of water is raging, with choppy waters and rapid waves, then

steer clear. If the water is calm, then it’s likely a safe spot for novices.

� Traffic: Novices may be intimidated by

crowds, but other kayakers can serve as something of a safety net for novic-es. Kayaking is a fun group activity, and novice paddlers should never go it alone.

� Variety: Novices should steer clear of waters

that allow power boats. Such vessels can alter paddling conditions quickly, and that can put novices in potentially precarious positions. Stick to waters that allow only canoes or other boats that won’t affect water conditions.

� Access: Until they get more comfortable in

their kayaks, novice kayakers should stay close to shorelines so they have quick and simple access to land should they struggle to get acclimate to the water and being in a kayak.


Novice kayakers must choose right type of water

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Kayaking is a popular activity that even novices can enjoy, espe-cially when they take certain measures to ensure their safety.


Here are 10 ideas for having fun with a boat

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Boating, as a sport and a popular outdoor recre-ational activity, is a natural form of social distancing. Your boat has to stay a certain distance away from other boats (just like cars on a roadway), and when you’re on a boat, you’re surrounded by water and fresh air.

So, when a sunny day comes along and you’re look-ing for fun things you can do outdoors with your fam-ily, boating is the perfect stress-reliever — and it’s easy to find boat rentals if you don’t own a boat of your own. Boating is an on-demand escape from everyday life — and a safe activity you can do with a small group of close friends and family.

Here are 10 fun things you can do on a boat while staying safe with your family, and without breaking the bank.

1. FishingRegardless of whether you’re freshwater or saltwa-

ter fishing, there’s no need to go far offshore to satisfy the urge to catch fish. In fact, having a boat near-shore means you can fish not only in the traditional way, but also with fly-fishing gear.

Some people prefer to bait a hook and wait for a fish to bite. Others prefer to troll with bait in the water. Still others love the rhythm and exercise of repeatedly cast-ing a fly-fishing rod. All of those techniques can be used pretty much everywhere, with what you catch depending on where your boat is located.

2. WakeboardingMost boats are set up for wakeboarding. Assuming

that you already have life jackets on board, all that you need to add to the equation is the actual wakeboard and a tow rope for the rider to hold onto while you pull him through the water.

A good wakeboard and a tow rope can be purchased online for about $300 total, and they can be used and reused not just for one season, but for years to come.

Wakeboarding can be hours of fun and exercise; consider a contest among your kids, to see who can stay upright the longest, or who can jump the highest over the boat’s wake.

3. Water SkiingOld-school watersports lovers may prefer water skis

to wakeboards, simply because back in the 1960s and ’70s, everyone was trained to face forward, hold onto the tow rope and let the boat pull you up out of the water.

Wakeboards force the rider to start out with legs turned sideways — a position that can be challenging for older riders to get comfortable using.

Water skis are also less expensive than wakeboards.

A good pair can be had for about $160 to $180 online. And, like wakeboards, the water skis can be used for years to come.

They’re an investment in what will add up to hours upon hours of fun on the water.

4. Riding Tow-ToysLong gone are the

days when there were only inflatable tubes that kids of all ages could ride on behind a boat.

Today’s inflatable tow toys come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, ranging from two-person bananas to four person “lounge chairs” with individual handholds (if the boat tows you slowly enough, you might even want to try sitting out there with a beverage). The smallest inflatable toys can be purchased online for less than $100, and they’re shaped as everything from swans to fighter jets, to suit every family’s personality.

5. CampingSometimes, you just need a change of scenery.

Boating offers that option in spades, even at the last minute, should the weather turn nice and your calendar have a couple days open for cruising a ways up the coast.

You can anchor out on a mooring ball or with your own ground tackle, instead of pulling into a marina, which lets you create natural social distancing from all the people ashore (as well as from all the other boats in the harbor).

Simply waking up the next morning in a new setting — with the sun shining, the reflection bouncing off the water and the smell of fresh air all around — can be a psychological lift unlike any other.

6. Take-Out Dockside Dinner with a ViewOne of the greatest pleasures of boating is pulling up

to a waterfront dock-and-dine restaurant, collecting your phoned-in order of fresh catch of the day or peel-and-eat shrimp, and then taking it back to the boat to eat with a 360-degree view of the sunset over the water. This experience has long been a favorite among boat-ers, even without social-distancing requirements. Dinner with a waterfront view from the boat is even more of a treat now, with the option of cracking open a favorite beverage and sleeping at anchor for the night in the fresh air.

7. SnorkelingFew sights are as delightful as the ones just off the

swim platform of a boat, where wearing a snorkeling mask and fins lets you enter a whole world of natural scenery that doesn’t exist anywhere else. Coral comes in shapes ranging from staghorn to mushroom, and in col-ors that sometimes seem too vivid to be real. The fish swimming around the coral also can be breathtaking, from tiny clownfish to larger parrotfish. With a basic underwater camera to capture your favorite moments, the fun of a few hours spent snorkeling can bring smiles in keepsake photo albums for years to come.

8. Scuba DivingIf you’re looking to escape from the daily barrage of

news headlines, then there is no better place to be than 40 to 70 feet underwater in scuba gear, where the news simply cannot reach you. This is about the depth where you can place yourself in the middle of all kinds of underwater life, literally swimming through schools of fish and, occasionally, seeing a ray or turtle go by. In locations where there are vertical coral walls, you can scuba dive along them, looking in all the nooks and crannies for everything from sea stars to moray eels. The closer you look, the more you’ll see, and the very act of scuba diving will let you regulate your breathing and relax your heart rate.

9. Stand-Up PaddleboardingA stand-up paddleboard is the best way to practice

social distancing while giving yourself a serious core workout. Once the boat is at anchor in a scenic, quiet bay, the paddleboard can be dropped into the water in a matter of seconds, and you can step onto it from the boat’s swim platform. Paddleboarding is one of the quietest activities out on the water, perfect for anyone who wants to watch the birds in the trees ashore — or, depending on the clarity of the water, the fish just beneath the surface. And the workout is great for the arms, core and legs alike. Paddleboarding is a whole-body experience.

10. KayakingOne- and two-person kayaks are small enough to

store on a boat, and they can be taken out for playtime after the mothership is on a mooring ball in a scenic harbor. Kayaks are usually inflatable or rigid plastic, so they’re also light and easy to launch. And they require pretty much zero training to use. If you can hold a paddle, then you can explore in a kayak. Better models also have foot pedals to help with steering for beginners and anyone kayaking through water that runs a little fast.


From novices to experienced boaters, safety is key

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Boating is a recreational activity enjoyed by thousands of people.

Spring and summer are prime times of year for boating, though people who live in temperate climates may be able to enjoy boating all year long.

Everyone who takes to the water, novices and experienced boaters included, should be familiar with boat-ing safety guidelines.

In fact, it is a good idea to take a boating safety course prior to boating for the first time or as a refresher if it has been a while since reviewing the rules of the water.

Boating safety goes beyond learning basic operation and navigation. Safety guidelines also involve getting a vessel safety check.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offers complimentary boating exami-nations.

They can verify the presence and condition of safety equipment required by federal and state organizations. Boaters also may be able to conduct virtual vessel exams.

This means boat owners can per-form a self-inspection of the boats based on digital prompts.

Licensure and registration of boats are part of responsible boat owner-ship.

Along with boating inspections and water rules, some other ways to stay safe involve educating oneself of the

larger dangers on the water. These generally involve risky boater

behavior, such as failing to wear a life jacket or having an inadequate number of life jackets for passengers.

Alcohol use while boating also can be problematic.

Being under the influence can adversely affect boaters’ reaction times and decision-making abilities.

According to the 2018 U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics Report, alcohol continued to be the

leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents in 2018, accounting for 100 deaths (19 percent) of total fatalities.

Curbing alcohol use while boating can help avoid accidents and deaths.

Excessive speeds also can derail nice days on the water.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says that, although there are no numerical speed limits on the water, excessive speed can cause acci-dents in crowded areas.

Speeding makes it difficult to react to obstacles — including underwater wildlife — and bring the boat to a stop within a safe distance of others.

Boating season is heating up, and that means making safety a big part of operating and enjoying a vessel.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pennsyl-vanians caught boating under the influ-ence could face stiffer penalties as sup-port for stricter laws grows in the state Legislature.

The House and a Senate committee passed a measure that would make the penalties for people driving a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The legislation particularly focuses on those boating with minors on board.

If the legislation passes, boating under the influence with a minor on board would carry a fine ranging from $1,500 to $10,000, or imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both.

According to the Fish and Boat Commission, there were 45 boating under the influence arrests in 2019.

In 2018, around 20% of boating fatal-ities were drug- or alcohol-related, according to a report by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Penalty for boating under the influence

may go up in PA


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