A well-planned day on the water is about more than just sunshine and good company; it involves clear roles and responsibilities to ensure safety and fun for everyone on board. Whether you’re heading out for fishing, leisure or sports, knowing and performing your role effectively can make all the difference. Here’s a guide to the essential roles each member can play to contribute to a smooth and enjoyable boating experience. 

The Captain

The Captain holds the ultimate responsibility for the operation and safety of the vessel and passengers. This role includes conducting pre-departure safety checks, ensuring the use of the engine cut-off switch, and checking batteries and other essential equipment before venturing out. The Captain also agrees to be the Sober Skipper^TM, ensuring that everyone on board understands and follows safety protocols such as maintaining three points of contact or staying seated while underway, and positioning children in the safest spots on the boat.

The Life Jacket Posse

Critical to ensuring the safety of all passengers, the Life Jacket Posse is in charge of distributing and fitting life jackets for everyone on board before departure. They make sure that each person’s life jacket fits properly and is worn correctly throughout the trip, ready to provide instructions and assistance as needed.

The Beverage Crew

Tasked with hydration and refreshments, the Beverage Crew plays a pivotal role in promoting responsible drinking by helping to designate a Sober Skipper and ensuring that the captain remains alcohol-free throughout the voyage. Their role is crucial in managing the beverage supply and making sure that alcohol consumption does not compromise the safety of the excursion.

The Fun Squad

Responsible for keeping the mood light and enjoyable, the Fun Squad organizes onboard entertainment and activities, especially for the children. They carefully store fishing equipment and other gear, ensuring it remains both secure and easily accessible without posing any hazards. Through their proactive preparation and attention to detail, they create an environment where everyone can relax, have fun, and feel safe.

The Anchor Team

Whether led by the captain or a designated crew member, the Anchor Team is responsible for managing the anchor. This includes calculating the correct scope, ensuring the appropriate amount of line is deployed, and hauling the anchor at the end of the day. Their attention to detail guarantees that the boat is securely anchored and remains in a safe position.

The Lookout

The Lookout plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of watersports activities like wakeboarding and tubing. Tasked with keeping a vigilant eye on the surroundings, they watch for other watercrafts, swimmers and potential hazards in the water. Their primary responsibility is to alert the captain of any impending dangers or obstacles that could interfere with safe towing activities.

The Docking Mates

This team takes charge as the boat approaches and leaves the dock. Their Docking Mates responsibilities include preparing docking lines and fenders, securing the lines to the dock cleats and pilings or removing them upon leaving, ensuring that docking maneuvers are carried out safely and communicating with the captain to assist in smooth docking operations.

The Clean-up Gang

After a day of fun on the water, the Clean-up Gang helps to ensure that the boat is left in good condition. This includes organizing and storing gear, disposing of any trash, and tidying up the vessel to keep it clean and ready for the next adventure.

All Roles Matter

Each role on a boat is vital to the safety and enjoyment of your water excursion. By understanding and embracing these responsibilities, every crew member contributes to a safer, smoother sailing experience. Remember, a successful day at sea is a team effort, and knowing your role is the first step toward ensuring everyone has a great time on the water.

The Sea Tow Foundation is showcasing the winners of the 2023 National Boating Safety Awards via individualized blog posts that answer specific questions posted to each winning company.

Boston Whaler won the 2023 National Boating Safety Award in the category of Top Marine Public Relations and Marketing Effort.

1. Please briefly describe your winning entry and tell us about the process of creating/launching it.
   
   Our winning entry for Boston Whaler was a comprehensive boating safety campaign that was aimed at encouraging Boston Whaler boaters to participate in safe boating. We utilized social channels, our website, and emails to drive the most awareness and make give our audience some important tips that could be useful during their own boating. And Capt. Wil Rogers helped with lots of videos on boating safety tips.

2. What inspired your company to promote boating safety?
   
   For Boston Whaler, boating safety is one of our biggest priorities. We maintain the reputation of being unsinkable, and therefore upholding quality boating for all our customers. Recognizing the significance of maintaining our reputation, our company has consistently prioritized safety initiatives, ensuring that every boater feels confident and secure on the water. This campaign, building upon our unsinkable legacy, represents another milestone in our ongoing commitment to fostering a culture of safety within the boating community.

3. What does winning this award mean for your company?
   
   

We are so honored to win this award because it validates our efforts in promoting boating safety and it also acknowledges the impact of our initiatives within the industry. It serves as recognition of our dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of boaters and emphasizes the need for ongoing boating safety campaigns, not just during National Safe Boating Week.

4. Is your company working on any future boating safety projects or campaigns? If so, is there anything you can share about what you’re planning to do?
   
   

Looking ahead, Boston Whaler remains committed to promoting boating safety in future projects and campaigns. We continue to release blog articles and landing pages for our audience that contain essential safety tips. We find that providing these resources to our boaters is the best way to communicate the importance of safe boating. We continue to explore new avenues of reaching boaters and emphasizing the importance of safety. Our goal is to continue raising awareness and providing resources that empower boaters to make informed decisions and enjoy the water responsibly.

Boating is a fantastic way to spend time with family and friends and enjoy the fresh air. However, we all know that conditions can change, and things can happen, so it is important to be prepared and carry all of the required equipment. The Sea Tow Foundation has put together a list of the 10 Essentials for Boating to make sure you have everything you need (plus everything required to take) before heading out for a day or weekend on the water. And, these would be great gift ideas for the boaters in your life! We've provided some links to help you purchase our favorite items*!

1. Life Jackets – The Coast Guard requires that a properly fitted life jacket be on board for each person in the boating group plus a throwable device like a ring buoy or floating cushion. While the universal-size life jackets that came with your boat will meet the requirements for adults, they won’t fit children, so you’ll need to have other life jackets for them. And it’s also a good idea to invest in some better life jackets for the adults that are comfortable and will provide better buoyancy like an inflatable life jacket. And, make sure that throwable device has some rope tied to it so you can bring someone back onto the boat! Don't forget that the Sea Tow Foundation’s nationwide life jacket loaner program has over 1,300 stations where you can easily borrow a vest-style life jacket if you invite any last minute guests on board and need a life jacket for them.
   
   
2. Fire Extinguishers – If your boat has an engine, you are required to have a fire extinguisher on board. It also needs to be rated for marine use. Even a personal watercraft needs to have a fire extinguisher on board. 
   
   
3. Signaling Gear – If you need to get help to your position or notify someone of a problem, you’ll need to carry signaling gear. For non-powered boats on inland lakes and rivers, a mirror is usually sufficient, but if you are on a power boat or are going into the Great Lakes or Coastal waters, then you're required to carry traditional flares or an E-Flare. For more information about the different types of flares, check out our page devoted to Flare Education.
   
   
4. Lights – Boats are required to have Navigation Lights (red, green and white) to help other boats see you on the water and know which direction you are moving. If you are in a non-powered boat, even if you don’t plan to be on the water after dark, it is a good idea to carry a water-proof flashlight on board. As the days get shorter in the fall and spring, the nighttime often sneaks up on you and it is good to know that a flashlight can help you with finding the boat ramp and it also alerts other boats to your position so that they can avoid you.
   
   
5. Anchor and Extra Line – Being able to stop your boat from moving is important if the battery or engine fails so that you don’t drift into a boating channel or into dangerous waters. That's why carrying an anchor is required. The anchor should be strong enough for the type and size of boat that you’re using and rated for the bottom type that is found in that area whether that is mud, sand, clay, grass, or rocks.
   
   
6. Safety Kit – This is one of the items that it's required for legal purposes, but you should still take the time to put together a boating safety kit that includes a first aid kit complete with bandages, gauze, tape, alcohol wipes, anti-nausea medicine, gloves, tweezers, and cold compresses. If anyone in your boating group has a medical condition like Diabetes, it is a good idea to include glucose tablets or tubes of icing to assist with low blood sugar. Adding a Multi-Tool and duct tape to any safety kit are good ideas as they both can be used in multiple ways whether that is patching up the boat or a wound.
   
   
7. Sound Signal Device – Depending on the type of boat you’re using, helps determine the type of signaling device youre required to carry. A canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard should have a whistle attached to every life jacket and it isn’t a bad idea to add whistles to the life jackets on every type of boat, too. Any boat less than 39.4 feet in length must have some device that can produce a sound, so powerboats often have a horn on board to meet this requirement. Boats that are larger need to make sure that the device can be heard for a half mile with a 4-6 second duration.
   
   
8. Communications Device – Getting in touch with a friend or family member to let them know that you’ll be late for dinner is important, but being able to get help in an emergency is critical. You can’t always rely on a cell phone to work, even on an inland lake or river, so it is a good idea to carry a VHF radio or a satellite communication device like a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) or a Garmin InReach.
   
   
9. License, Registration, and Nautical Chart – All boat operators are required to carry their boat’s registration paperwork as well as a copy of their boating license and/or driver’s license. It’s also a good idea to have a paper chart of your waterway just in case the electronics don’t work for some reason. And, keeping all of these in a waterproof pouch is a smart idea so that they stay dry at all times.
   
   
10. Food and Water – The last item isn't required, but is always a good idea for any trip out on the water. Plan to pack enough food and drinks for everyone on board for at least double the amount of time that you plan to be on the water. If you are packing for an afternoon boat ride that will last 4 hours, make sure to have enough food and water that you can be comfortable for at least 8 hours. That way, if you are delayed in returning to the boat dock for whatever reason, you and your boating group will not feel as hungry and thirsty as they otherwise would.

Bonus item: Having a Sea Tow Membership is always a smart idea so that you and your boat will be taken care of because members always get priority service. And this mans that you can get back to enjoying your day on the water even faster.

*The Sea Tow Foundation may receive compensation as an affiliate of Amazon for purchases made with these links.

As a non-profit organization, the Sea Tow Foundation does not receive dedicated funding from any source, so your support is important to continue our life-saving programs. These programs include our nationwide Life Jacket Loaner Program, Sober Skipper Campaign, Flare Education Program, and the National Boating Safety Awards. Our goal is to provide free education, tools and resources to eliminate preventable boating accidents, but we need your help. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today.

The Sea Tow Foundation programs are available to our nationwide network of Sea Tow Captains, and many of them utilize our programs or provide monetary support, like Capt. Kerry Kline of Sea Tow Central Florida Lakes. In the video shown below, Capt. Kerry says, “we see too many accidents and fatalities on the water. It is heartbreaking…. That’s why Sea Tow Captains like me donate so much of our time and effort to establishing, maintaining, and promoting free life jacket loaner stations across the country.”

If now is not the time to consider a monetary donation, please consider donating your time to promote boating safety. You can volunteer to help at one of the 1,300+ life jacket loaner stations, order Sober Skipper materials to hand out at an event, or you can share our Flare Education infographics on social media.

Capt. Kerry supports the Sea Tow Foundation. His reason: “I know it makes my community safer. I want my community, my neighbors, my friends, my family and my members to be safe.”

Help keep the people you care about safe and support the Sea Tow Foundation with a donation today at www.boatingsafety.com/donate.

August is Summer Sun Safety Month, which means now is the perfect time for a boating safety refresher! When you think of boating safety, you probably only think of what’s required on boats, like life jackets or flares. What most people don’t know is that boaters should always be prepared just in case of a worst case scenario.

In this blog post, we’re going to go beyond the boating safety basics and cover water safety equipment that you may not think of, but are essential to have on every boat.

Proper Life Jacket Quantity, Sizes & Type
Federal law requires that everyone under the age of 13 wear a life jacket on board and that there should be one life jacket on board for each person above that age. While these requirements are standard and in place, boaters should take it a step further and ensure that they have the right type of life jacket for their boating or water activities. For instance, vest style or inflatable life jackets work just fine for sitting in a flat water canoe, fishing in a jon boat or hanging out with your family in a pontoon boat. But, for an activity that involves higher speed or the chance of hitting the water (like riding a PWC, whitewater kayaking, or wakeboarding ), a vest-style life jacket rated for this type of activity is needed. In many cases, it may even be required to be worn while doing these activities regardless of your age.  It’s also important to consider investing in high-quality life jackets that often provide improved visibility, extra comfort, more durability and added safety features, all of which increase your chance of survival in emergencies. They also offer greater versatility and specialized functionalities, making them a worthwhile investment for anyone seeking optimal protection on the water.

Extra Safety Materials
A true captain is prepared for any scenario. Having e-flares, an anchor, extra line and life rafts on the boat could prevent injuries or speed rescuers to your location in the case of an emergency.

First-Aid Kit
Many think that this is a given on any boat, but a first-aid kit is critical. When building your own first-aid kit, make sure to start with the basics, like adhesive bandages, antiseptic materials, cold packs and scissors. Adding boating specific items like aloe for sunburns, antihistamines for bug bites, and keeping everything in a water-proof bag will make sure that if you ever happen to need one of these items, you’ll be so grateful that your first-aid kit is fully stocked and ready to go!  

Cell Phones and VHF Radios
While on board, it’s important to have audible and clear communication with other boaters. Your cell phone won’t work if you go off-shore and may not even work close to shore depending on locations of cell towers, so always make sure to carry a VHF Radio on board. Before leaving the dock, ensure your cell phone and VHF radio are charged so you can stay aware of any water emergencies or incoming weather alerts.

Extra Food & Drinking Water
You never know when your half day boat trip ends up turning into a 10-12 hour trip. It could be as simple as wanting to stay out longer while the fish are biting or you could have engine trouble and are waiting for assistance to arrive on a busy holiday weekend. This is why it’s important to pack extra drinking water and food – proper hydration and nourishment are important to stay aware and alert on board. It’s also important to think about what you would need if the weather suddenly got colder or it started to storm.  Extra clothing, layers and blankets could help keep you warm on the boat so that a mechanical issue doesn’t turn into a medical issue, too.

Sea Tow Membership
It’s always better to be safe than sorry, which is exactly why you should also get a Sea Tow Membership. With Sea Tow, you have access to 24/7 priority on-water assistance services for every boat you own or rent. You’ll receive the most comprehensive member benefits available, and have peace of mind knowing that help is there should you ever need it.

Keep in mind that your destination, the operational characteristics of your boat and the number of people on board should influence the type of safety equipment you carry on board. The proper safety equipment ensures comfort and safety for everyone, and it’s always best to play it safe and think beyond the basics when packing safety equipment for your boat!