Coast Guard Safety Tips For Memorial Day Weekend FL Boaters
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Floridians are getting their boats out of the garage as they gear up for Memorial Day weekend, which is the busiest boating time in the nation. That's especially in Florida, where there are 961,266 registered vessels, according to a 2019 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Commission report.
The report said the Sunshine State leads the nation in boating accidents with 723 reportable boating accidents last year. The United States Coast Guard offered safety tips this year that include coronavirus precautions.
Captain Matthew Thompson, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg Sector commander, wants boaters to prepare before they get out onto the water by making sure there are life jackets available for every person onboard, especially for children, and that they fit securely on each person.
"There's different size life jackets so an adult life jacket may not properly keep a child's head above water so just having the right size life jacket is important," said Thompson.
Boats are not allowed to have more than 10 people onboard during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. The agency has not confirmed to Patch what kind of punishment will be issued to boaters who disobey this regulation.
The Coast Guard also reminds boaters to follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines when out on a boat. Social distancing at boat ramps, fuel docks, marinas and having personal protective equipment such as gloves and hand sanitizer are all a must.
Along with coronavirus precautions, boaters need to remember a basic: Don't operate a craft while under the influence.
"We're just hoping that everybody's out there boating safely and having a good time because I understand everybody needs a little fresh air after being inside all this time," machinery technician Petty Officer 2nd Class Mallory Velez told Patch. "But we're really just prepared for any mishaps people might have on their vessels via running aground and other things. We're at least hoping not to come across boating under the influence too much with it being a holiday weekend, because we usually do on holiday weekends. We just want everyone to have a safe weekend out for the first time in what's been a long time now with everything going on."
Safe Boating Tips For Memorial Day Weekend:
Do not operate boats under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Have an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon on board that alerts search and rescue services in the event of an emergency.
Have plenty of water and food on your boat.
Include water, food and other important survival items in your ditch bag.
Carry a VHF radio to call for help
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Commission report, the leading cause of death in statewide fatal boating accidents last year was drowning with 43 fatalities. Boaters falling overboard is the leading type of boating fatality. Pinellas County ranks five in the top 10 counties of 2019 for boating accidents. Other Florida counties in the list include: Miami-Dade, Citrus, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, Lee, Collier, Monroe and Okaloosa.
It's important for boaters to have secure communication established with the Coast Guard while out on the water, and while a cell phone can make a phone call to a Coast Guard base or station or call 9-1-1, Thompson said boaters need a backup VHF radio in case of an emergency.
"It's very common now that everyone has a cell phone to call 9-1-1 or the Coast Guard but to have that (very high frequency) radio it can give you a much greater range than a cell phone can, and also the battery life. A lot of times with cell phones, if you do get stuck out there and have a problem, the battery life could be an issue until you are able to get somebody out and assist."
The Coast Guard has a system with the VHF radio called Rescue 21 that provides the radio with a direction finder bearing capability. Thompson explained that having this on a boat helps Coast Guard search and rescue crews find the position of a boat much faster than if they just had a cell phone on board, which doesn't offer these capabilities.
Before heading out, boaters should have a float plan with somebody who is onshore in case the craft doesn't return at a specified time, Thompson said.
Information to share in a float plan can include where the boat is taking off from, how many people are onboard, where they plan on going, description of the boat, does anyone onboard have any medical conditions, number of life jackets on the boat, what kind of emergency equipment is equipped on the boat and the approximate return time. Giving this information to someone not on the boat ensures they call the Coast Guard to report the boat missing and can help in the search and rescue process.
Thompson recommended downloading the Coast Guard Boating safety app that has features of filing a float plan, reporting pollution out on the water and other boating safety features. The features on the app do not override the capabilities of a VHF radio.
Machinery Technician Petty Officer 2nd Class Rebecka reminds everyone to make sure they're staying up to date on weather conditions and the marine forecast, along with making sure they have enough fuel for their boats and enough life jackets on board.
For more information about boating safety, visit the United States Coast Guard Boating page.
This article originally appeared on the St. Pete Patch
