As the fog and rain cleared and sunshine appeared, recreational boaters are heading for the water.
Now is the time to watch out, check the safety equipment and reconnect your common sense, the Marine Patrol warns.
Lt. Jon Cornish, a district supervisor, has some tips for boaters.
Check, check and re-check, he said.
Speeding, especially near the shore, has caused accidents. “We have had complaints of jet skis speeding near the shore,” he said.
“Please he careful,” he said. “Jet skiers must always wear a personal floatation device too.”
Boaters should remember to check their safety equipment before leaving the dock.
“Check your fire extinguisher and life jackets. Remember that the law requires all children under 10 to wear personal floatation devices. Be sure not to put an adult life jacket on a child,” he said.
This is especially true for kayakers.
“We have had some fatal accidents in the past where kayakers flipped over and couldn’t get out,” Cornish said. “We had some close calls too with kayakers who were on the water at near dark conditions and lobstermen almost hit them because they couldn’t see the smaller craft.”
The summer has been filled with foggy days and these can cause problems for occasional boaters.
“Be sure to check your compass, make sure you have an up to date chart, and be sure you know how to read it,” Cornish said. “Follow the buoys and stay in the channel.”
Some of the tidal rivers, like the Damariscotta and Kennebec, have spots where the tide can run five or six knots in spots. Be careful, he warns.
In the Sasanoa River, the area known as Hell’s Gate, can cause problems for small outboards. “Be careful there too,” he warned.
He also warned boaters that the patrol and other law enforcement agencies check boaters for safety equipment and to make sure they are not drunk.
Letting children ride on the bow of a speedboat when it is going 30 miles per hour is also a really bad idea too, he said.
On several occasions in the past, police and sheriff’s deputies have found locked cars parked at the waterfront and no one is around.
“Sometimes the boaters have parked their cars, unloaded their kayaks and paddled to an island to camp over night without telling anyone where they are going or when they plan to return, he said.
“We have no way of knowing what happened and we have called out law enforcement to start a full scale search, then the boater shows up and wonders what’s wrong,” he said.
Always, always let some one know where you are going, when you are leaving and when you plan to return, he urged.
“You could also leave a note for us on the windshield, under the wipers, to let us know where you are and when you plan to come back,” said Cornish.