National Safe Boating Week is May 21-27 this year. And Memorial Day is just around the corner. The new recreational boating season is upon us and it’s a good time to review some boating basics.
The National Safe Boating Council (safeboatingcampaign.com) has several tips for boaters. The most important one is to wear a life jacket. U. S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in four out of every five recreational boating fatalities in 2020. And 86% of those drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket.
Start this season by checking your life jackets (personal floatation devices, or PFDs) to make sure that they are clearly marked as being approved by the U. S. Coast Guard. This is not the time to save a buck and buy cheap knockoffs.
Make sure your PFDs are appropriate for your activity, as PFDs for kayakers, jet-skiers, and sailors differ. And make sure they fit. Be sure young kids don’t slip out of their PFDs—and remember that kids 12 and younger must wear a life jacket at all times.
And finally, don’t sit on it, wear it, because if the “stuff” hits the fan, you don’t want to waste time digging through a pile of stowed gear to try to find your PFDs. Next time you’re about to leave the dock: ask your passengers to find and put on their PFDs. See how long it takes. Better yet, try treading water while you try putting on a simple T-shirt. You get the picture. That’s why they’re called life vests, not seat cushions.
In last month’s column I recommended that every boater, regardless of their years of experience or their vessel, take a boat safety course (americasboatingcourse.com). This month, I’d like to recommend that boaters schedule a free vessel safety check with a vessel examiner certified by the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary or a local U.S. Power Squadron like the Wawenock Midcoast boating group I represent. For more information, go to usps.org/2016-01-06-11-01-04/sss-vessel-examinations.
There aren’t too many “freebies” these days. And there aren’t many experts who freely volunteer their expertise. Last fall, after a busy boating season, I interviewed Ken Gricus, an experienced and certified U.S. Coast Guard-approved vessel examiner. Ken’s a member of the Midcoast Wawenock Boater’s Club and he’s one of a couple dozen certified vessel examiners in the Midcoast area.
Ken’s been conducting vessel safety checks for at least 20 years. Boats from “6 feet to 60 feet,” as he told me. He’s based in Camden, but Ken says he’d happily check any vessel, anywhere, in any state. He’s examined all kinds of vessels, from canoes and personal watercraft, to power boats and sail boats. Their owners were at all levels of boating experience. Last season, Ken conducted a vessel examination for an experienced boater registered in New Hampshire who was planning to sail from the coast of Maine to Bermuda and just wanted to make sure his boat was properly equipped.
Like every certified examiner, Ken has taken a specialized vessel examiner’s course and had to “shadow” another examiner, conducting five vessel exams before he was on his own. This past year, he renewed his certification by taking an 87-question exam on line, required of all vessel examiners every five years.
Ken wishes more boaters — of all experience levels — would get their vessels examined. Annually, if possible. After all, it’s free. And the exam normally takes only about an hour. And who hasn’t got at least an hour to spare? What’s the safety of your passengers worth? And, as Ken told me, “A vessel exam is fun — not something to be feared!” In other words, it’s not like that last final exam you took in school! And did I mention that it’s free?
I’ve had the Susan B examined twice with different examiners, and it was a great way to start the boating season. Like having a good conversation with a very experienced boater.
Let me point out that a vessel examination is not a boat “survey,” which is what you’d pay handsomely to have done if you were about to buy a used boat. When a vessel examiner like Ken Gricus shows up at your dock, he’s easily identified by his vessel examiner’s cap and his official red T-shirt. He’s certified to examine boats whether they’re federally documented (boats over five tons) or simply registered. The boat owner, who must be present, just has to show Ken (or the examiner) the vessel’s registration papers or federal documentation and the vessel exam starts, with the examiner checking off the boxes on his checklist. After you pass the vessel exam, the examiner signs a form and gives you a decal that you can proudly post on your vessel.
As Ken said, “Wouldn’t you rather talk with me now, during a vessel safety check, than with the U.S. Coast Guard out on the water?” (A Coast Guard patrol has the right to stop any boat on the water to conduct a safety check. Boats with a vessel safety check sticker prove their commitment to boating safety.)
One more benefit: boat owners get an insurance reduction if the vessel has had a safety check.
Make your appointment for a vessel safety exam about two weeks early. By the way, a vessel safety check can be conducted “on the hard” (on dry land) or when the boat is on the water.
Among Ken’s recommendations:
- Shake your fire extinguisher at the start of the season. The powder inside can settle and render the extinguisher useless, even if it’s not expired/
- Get a sticker showing passengers how to use your VHF radio properly in case you, the captain, are incapacitated.
- Leave a float plan on shore (someone should come up with an app that does this!) to let folks know where you’re headed, a description your vessel, your expected return, and how many aboard.
- Always take a compass along. Ken told me a story about a guy in a tender who was lost in a fog.
- Know how to use a flare and know the different kinds of flares. Tip: if you want greater visibility duct tape your flare to the end of a boat paddle and hold it high off your rail.
According to John McMullen, another Wawenock vessel examiner, over 100 vessel safety checks were conducted in the Midcoast area in 2021. Why not go online and schedule a vessel safety exam now?
By the way, “The Boater’s Guide to Maine Boating Laws and Responsibilities” is now available only online. (maine.gov/ifw/docs/maine-boating-laws.pdf) It’s free. Why not check it out? Even old sea dogs can learn new tricks. And we all need a good refresher now and then.
One last thing: Got a favorite harbor in Maine? (Hint: you can write in “Damariscotta.”) Get your vote in by May 31 at usharbors.com/best-harbor-vote.
“Safe journey and always a handsbreadth of water under your keel!”
(William Anthony is a member of the America’s Boating Club – Midcoast Maine. He lives part of the year in Edgecomb on the Damariscotta River, whose waters he explores in a wooden boat built in Maine. He is the author of the novel, “Farnsy,” now available through Maine Authors Publishing in Thomaston or Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop in Damariscotta.)
