Not all boating accidents happen on the water

Contributed by Joseph McCoy
PA Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 14-07

Some boating accidents occur while transiting to and from the water and quite frequently on the launch ramp. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary says “a successful boating outing begins when you leave home and ends when you safely return home.” Since the majority of recreational boats in the United States are transported to and from the water, it is important that boaters take as much care transporting their boat, whether it is a power boat, sailboat, paddle craft or personal water craft, as they do operating their boat on the water.

When it comes to trailered boats, nine out of ten trailering malfunctions and accidents can be directly traced back to a failure to dedicate some time to the most basic preventative maintenance. Wheel bearings, suspension parts, lights, and a host of other components require constant attention to help ensure any trailering trip goes smoothly and hassle free. Special attention to the tow vehicle’s hitch is a good idea, as that is the only link between the tow vehicle and trailer. Also consider the fact that one needs a special license and classification to drive things like motorcycles, school buses and vehicles with air brakes like semi-trailer trucks, gravel trucks, etc. But just about anyone can go out and buy a $30,000 boat and trailer, attach it to his/her car… and simply drive away.  No special training is required beforehand and no special license classification is needed.  Anyone who has ever hauled a boat around for a number of years knows that it may not be too difficult to drive in a straight line at low speeds.  But when it comes to things like driving at highway speeds, passing other vehicles, high winds, backing up, etc… the task becomes much more difficult than one might think.  
 
 
The U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety offers safety tips for trailering, pre-launching preparations, launching, retrieval and boat storing at
http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/metlife_archived_9-21-2007/boat_trailer.htm.

For more potentially life-saving information, along with how to boat more safely, consider attending one of the following instructional sessions offered at the St. John’s River Community College, Building C, Room C-116.  The Coast Guard Auxiliary provides instruction to boaters at all levels, from the fundamental to the advanced. This instruction is provided by experienced and knowledgeable instructors committed to the highest standards of the U.S. Coast Guard.  About Boating Safely sessions will be held on Saturdays from 7:45 am until approximately 5:00 pm.  A $25 registration fee includes a workbook.   A second family member can be added for only $5!  The remaining sessions scheduled for 2008 are as follows:

June 7th
July 12th
August 23rd
September 27th
November 1st

To register for one of these sessions, please contact Vic Aquino at (904) 460-0243 or Ken Beccard at (904) 287-1870.

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 14-07 meets the first Thursday of every month 7:30 pm at the St. Augustine Yacht Club near the St. Augustine Lighthouse.   The Flotilla is always looking for new members, particularly those who own aircraft, boats and have radio equipment and skills.  If you are interested, contact Ken Beccard at
(904) 287-1870.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian component of the United States Coast Guard. Created by an Act of Congress in 1939, the Auxiliary directly supports the Coast Guard in all missions, except military and direct law enforcement actions. The Coast Guard Auxiliary is an integral part of the United States Coast Guard. For more information visit www.cgaux.org if you are ready to join visit http://join.cgaux.org/ .