There is nothing like spending fourth of July on your boat with family and friends on your favorite East Tennessee Lake. From joining mega boat raft-ups to watching fireworks exploding over the water, boating is one of the best ways to celebrate the 4th. But the 4th of July holiday is also one of the busiest times of the year on the water and even from the shore or your lakefront home. Even occasional boaters go out on their boat… and almost everyone has extra guests on board. All these boats and people on the water mean lots of extra activity – more boats to look out for, and more people that may not know how to behave on a boat.
Lakefront Living Realty in East Tennessee shares some practical precautions for 4th of July boaters to make sure they are safe when celebrating the holiday on your lake.
Don’t overload your boat: Every boat owner becomes popular on July 4th because they’ve “got a boat”. Whoa, that doesn’t mean everyone can safely come aboard. Overloading combined with intense wake action always spells trouble on recreational boating’s most highly-trafficked holiday. Keep to your boat’s capacity limit, ensure everyone has a seat inside the boat, and have a life jacket for everyone aboard. Wearing life jackets, especially after the fireworks end when the risk of a nighttime collision is the greatest, is a wise move.
Get all of the lights working: In the dark, the only way to determine a boat’s direction is by seeing its navigation lights. Fix any broken lights before you hit your East Tennessee lake– and ensure they are visible from 360 degrees. You may be surprised to learn that just because the light switch is turned on, it doesn’t mean your nav lights can be seen from every quarter.
Patience is a virtue: Wait a little bit after the fireworks show ends for boating traffic to thin out before you haul anchor. It’s also better to pass other boats astern to avoid anchor line entanglements – one of the top reasons why boaters will call for on water assistance. Always be aware of your surroundings boating but the mad dash back to Tennessee boat ramps can be a dangerious place.
Check your dock: Before you invite everyone down to your East Tennessee lake house, ensure that any dock with electric service or a boat tied up to it isn’t leaking any stray current into the water. Minute amounts of alternating current in fresh water can be hazardous to swimmers and lead to Electric Shock Drowning. An easy way to check your dock is with a circuit tester and a clamp meter. If in doubt, just shut off all electricity to the dock, relax, and enjoy the fireworks on our beautiful East Tennessee Lakes.
Boat Sober: While it’s embarrassing to be arrested for boating while intoxicated, it also means the boat driver has forgotten his or her responsibility to keep everyone aboard safe. Wait until after you’ve tied up for the night before drinking, or one of the hundreds of law enforcement officers assigned to increased patrols may have to remind you in a very unpleasant, humiliating and costly way. Drunk driving on the water can cost you your car driver’s license, too.
Be prepared for emergencies: Accidents happen quickly, often with little or no warning. Take the time to familiarize your crew and guests with basic emergency procedures and equipment, like man overboard modules, and show them how to contact authorities for help via marine radio or cell phone. If you boat in an area that requires flares, make sure they are up to date, but never use flares as a form of fireworks. Doing so constitutes a false distress call, which is a class D felony, punishable by up to six years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines, plus the cost associated with the false distress.
Be aware of carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas produced any time a carbon-based fuel, such as gasoline, propane, charcoal, or oil burns. It is colorless, odorless and tasteless. Sources on your boat include gasoline engines, generators, cooking ranges, and space and water heaters.
Original Article at My Boat Life.
Re posted by Oceana Richards, Lakefront Living Realty, TN.