http://www.outdoorsafetyusa.com/safety/beach-safety/ocean-safety/boating/ Boating is a lot of fun, but before you venture out, make sure you know the rules of boating safely. en-us Mon, 23 Jan 2006 16:09:11 EST Mon, 23 Jan 2006 16:09:11 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 Before you go out on a boat, make sure you know how to operate the boat, how weather conditions effect boating, and general boating safety rules. Know Your Vessel Obviously, a sailboat is going to take more knowledge to run that a basic motorboat. If you have a relatively small vessel on a big body of water, you're going to have to pay a lot of attention. Bigger boats should be watching out for smaller ones, but in case they don't see you, make sure you have some sort of air horn on board to let them know you're there. In addition, when a big boat goes by and leaves you rocking on the waves, you'll have to know how to handle your boat in those waves (or any other for that matter) so you don't tip over. Any boater should know to have flares and a fire extinguisher on board. In addition, there should be enough life jackets on the boat for everyone on board. Most people don't like to wear life jackets when they go boating, but it's a good idea. Along those same lines, every boat should have a life preserver. What do you do if you run out of gas or if something happens to your motor? For one thing, you should have a radio on board so you can call for help. (Having a cell phone isn't enough. Often when you're out boating, you're out of range and can't get a signal.) Know Your Waters Obviously, boating in the ocean is much more dangerous than boating in a lake. Lake waters tend to be calmer, and since lakes are smaller, if anything happens, you have a better chance of being found. In the ocean, you have bigger waves to contend with, as well as tides, sandbars and ocean creatures to be aware of if an accident should happen. Being prepared for an emergency ahead of time will minimize the possibility of anything going wrong. Other important boating safety rules: Know how to "drive" your boat Know how to transport your boat Know how to read an oceanic map Know how to interpret tide reports Don't boat in bad weather Don't overload the boat Do all these things and you should have a safe and fun boating trip! Mon, 23 Jan 2006 16:09:11 EST