SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – It’s National Safe Boating Week, and it’s important to make sure your boat is functional, and you’re aware of safety tips before you hit the water for the summer.
With the holiday weekend quickly approaching, many will want to take their boat out on the lake. Still, it’s important to check and make sure you have everything on board you need, starting with life jackets.
“You want to check your life jackets to make sure that they’re still operable, they’re still in good condition, they’ve not decayed over the year, and it’s a good time to get those replaced with new ones. Also, make sure that the sizes of the life jackets that you have are also adequate for the persons that you’re going to have on the boat,” said Sergeant Michael McClure with Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop D.
Fire extinguishers are another important thing to check. You want to make sure those are up-to-date and functional.
“You’ve had a lot of time for during the fall and winter for dirt dobbers and other insects to build nests inside the nozzle of fire extinguishers. So, just double-check those out. While you’re checking for proper charging and the date of expiration on your fire extinguishers, if you have a boat that’s gas-operated,” said Sgt. McClure.
You also want to make sure your boat is in operable condition before taking it out for the holiday.
“Make sure that everything from the hole doesn’t leak, bringing water in causing maybe swamping or submerging, to making sure that the motor is operable, and the equipment that’s inside the engine compartment itself, because it is a motor vehicle engine adapted for marine use. So there’s some things in there that need to be looked at before you take it out on the water,” said Sgt. McClure.
If you want your boat inspected by a highway patrolman, Sgt. McClure says you can wave one down at the lake. They’ll do a courtesy inspection for you.
Aside from being safe before hitting the water, you also want to be safe on the lake. Lakes and waterways are bound to be busy with the warm weather, so show common courtesy and go slow and pay attention.
“Just be patient, take your time. Always be on the lookout when you’re approaching docked areas or marinas that may or may not have buoys out there that tell you how far that you are from that. Just watch your wake. In other words, slow down, as slow as possible and still having forward momentum on the boat, you’re not going to leave a damaging wake, particularly those that have larger ski boats or larger boats in general can leave a wake that can damage structure and it can also toss people off,” said Sgt. McClure.
If you’re towing someone or something behind your boat, like a tube or water skis, make sure you have a flag on board to let people know when someone’s fallen off. If you’re boating, make sure you’re watching for people in the water.
“Just be cognizant of that possibility that somebody has fallen from an inner tube or other waterborne device and you’re looking out for that. So keeping your head on a swivel is always a good thing, and looking for those flags, even though a flag may not be in place, be looking for those persons outside the vessel,” said Sgt. McClure.
Remember, operate sober as well. Always have a plan and a sober driver in place.
“We may minimize the effects of drinking and driving a vessel compared to driving a vehicle but it’s it’s just as dangerous, if not more so, because there’s no lanes of traffic on the waterway. So it’s just important to include safety in your plans for the weekend. And designate that sober operator before we ever get on the water,” said Sgt. McClure.
If you run into any issues on the water, you can dial *55 to get to the Highway Patrol non-emergency line and ask for help.
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