Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

Chapter 18: The Best Defense Is Common Sense
Keep a Clear Head: Don’t Drink and Boat
When the sun drops below the yardarm, many boaters like to enjoy an adult beverage or
two aboard. Nothing wrong with that, as long as the boat is securely anchored or tied to
the docks for the night. But operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs is asking
for big trouble. The majority of boating fatalities nationwide each year involve boating
while intoxicated (BWI).
The designated-driver rule that applies ashore goes double afloat; while you may not
mind if your passengers party on, the person at the wheel must be a teetotaler until the
engines are shut down for the day.
All states have BWI laws, and it doesn’t take a lot of alcohol to put you over the legal limits
that range from .05 to .08. For most men, three to four beers will do the job, while two
or three may do it for small-bodied women.
You don’t have to be legally drunk, though, to
be incapacitated as a skipper. Researchers say
the effects of alcohol afloat can be more pronounced
on the water than ashore. Dehydration
from exposure to sun and wind, plus the rocking
of waves and the tiredness that comes toward the
end of a day of boating, can all contribute toward
making you more tipsy for a given number of
drinks than you might be back on shore.
The penalties for boating under the influence are as severe afloat as they are ashore, and
the authorities can pull you over and check if you show any signs of BWI. In some states,
Florida for one, any BWI conviction can result in points being added to your landside driver’s
license.
Don’t take chances—steer clear of alcohol. The best policy is to keep your mind completely
clear any time you may be called on to make decisions affecting the safety of your
crew or your boat. (This caution also goes for mind-altering drugs, both the illegal kind
and prescriptions—avoid anything that may slow your decision-making.)
Running Out of Gas
Look Out!
The majority of boating
fatalities involve alcohol. Never
operate a boat while under the
influence of alcohol or drugs!
Pretending to run out of gas might be a nice ploy to get cozy with a prospective mate, but
the real thing is not very amusing when you’re miles from shore with no other boats in
sight.
255