Set sail safely this summer

Anchors Away! Yes, it's that time of year — when boating,  deep-water fishing, water skiing and other water sports are so appealing.

But once again, since our mission is safety, we want to remind you that certain basic rules are in order, especially if you don't want to be included in the U.S. Coast Guard's annual boating statistics. In 2005, the latest year for which figures are available, there were nearly 5,000 boating accidents, resulting in 697 fatalities and 3,451 injuries.

So take care:

• Always wear life jackets. According to the Coast Guard, nearly 90 percent of people who drown in boating accidents aren't wearing life jackets. Use Coast Guard-approved life jackets. For children, make sure the jacket is the right size (not too loose) and properly belted. Blow-up water wings, toys, rafts and air mattresses should never be used as life jackets or life preservers.
• Remember, alcohol and boating do not mix. Alcohol was involved in about a third of all boating fatalities in 2004.
• Don't overload your boat with passengers and/or gear.
• Develop a water plan — about where you're going and for how long — and give it to a responsible person who will remain onshore.
• Be alert to local weather conditions and prepare for electrical storms. Head back to shore if skies look threatening or you see or hear a storm.
• Guard against carbon monoxide from the boat engine — both in the boat and in the water. If your boat has a gas engine to generate electricity (to run an air conditioner in a cabin, for instance) make sure there's proper ventilation. And install carbon monoxide detectors in sleeping and a living quarters.
• Discourage anyone from the new and growing sport of "teak surfing," where an individual holds onto the teak swim platform of a vessel while a wake builds, then lets go to body surf the wave created by the boat. The Coast Guard says the teak surfer is directly exposed to the CO in the engine exhust and this could result in a loss of coherent responsnes or even death (it could also expose the surfer to possible propeller injury).   
• If you're the pilot, take a boat safety course. If you're a passenger, make sure the pilot has taken such a course.  The Coast Guard says over 70 percent of the reported fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety information.

And if you're water-skiing, take some extra precautionary steps. Here are some tips from Mayo Clinic:

• Know what you're doing — take lessons before you put those skis on.
• Make sure your life jacket fits; the brighter the color, the better.
• Don't ski after dark and avoid heavily traveled boating lanes — or areas reserved for fishing.
• Make sure there are at least two other people in the boat: the driver needs to be paying attention to what's ahead; there should be another person watching you.
• Make sure you all know the hand signals to slow down, speed up and turn around.
• One more thing: don't approach a boat with a running motor. The propellers, needless to say, are dangerous.

See also:

• Safety alert: Carbon monoxide hazards on boats
• Beware carbon-monoxide hazards on the water
• Coast Guard Boating Statistics 2005 (PDF)
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Life Jackets and Life Preservers
• Coast Guard press release on teak surfing