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Woods & Water: Safety while boating doesn’t just happen

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By Joey Wray / Sports Columnist

Memorial Day weekend is typically the beginning of the major boating season in Tennessee. With that weekend being behind us, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) would like to remind those that may be going to the lake this summer “safe boating doesn’t just happen.” It is a conscious effort of the boat operator and those on board.

Memorial Day generally marks the first family boating outing for the summer. To assure a safe, fun outing on the water, there are a few pointers to keep in mind.

  • Make sure your boat is currently registered. If your registration has expired, just go to the nearest place that sells hunting and fishing licenses and you can renew your registration there.
  • You must have a wearable life jacket onboard for every person. Keep life jackets easily accessible and remember — all children under the age of 13 must wear a life jacket at all times while on a boat underway. (Drifting is considered underway).
  • Eighty percent of all people who drown in boating accidents were not wearing a life jacket.
  • Make sure your navigation lights work and carry extra fuses and bulbs. Lights must be on at night and during times of restricted visibility.
  • Fire extinguishers are a must if your boat has enclosed storage compartments, closed living spaces, and if the boat is 26 feet or longer.
  • Fire extinguishers are required on personal watercraft too!
  • Check your fire extinguisher to make sure it is fully charged.
  • Alcohol affects people 3 times faster on the water than on land because of external “stressors” such as heat, glare, motion, and vibration.

    Boating under the influence detection and apprehension is a top priority for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Keep alcohol to a minimum and choose a designated boat operator. Start off the boating season with a safe Memorial Day Weekend and then be safe all summer long.

    This year, the TWRA will have the usual patrols on the water, but they will also have an ‘eye in the sky.’ An aircraft will be used during busy periods to help with covering the thousands of acres of water across East Tennessee. The aircraft will make it much quicker to cover a lake or move from lake to lake. A major emphasis of the aircraft will be watching for wreckless operation.

    The most common cause of accidents is operator inattention, which leads to collisions and often to injuries and sometimes fatalities. Be alert; always keep an eye out for what’s happening around you; and look out for the other boats, swimmers, and obstructions. Remember — Boat Safe. Boat Fun.
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