New Fire Protection Regulation

On April 20, 2022, the new fire protection regulation for recreational boats takes effect. If your disposable (non-rechargeable) fire extinguisher has a date of manufacture stamped on the bottle that is older than 12 years, the extinguisher is considered expired and must be removed from service. The most recently published rule can be found here. To determine if your fire extinguisher is approved for use on boats, the label on the bottle will state “Marine Type – USCG Approved”.

Carrying Requirements for Boats

There are no changes to when marine fire extinguishers are required on boats or to the number of extinguishers required to be on board.

The following recreational boats are required to carry marine fire extinguishers:

1. Boats with permanently installed fuel tank(s), or
   
   
2. Spaces that are capable of trapping fumes, such as a
   - Closed compartments, such as those under seats with space large enough to store a portable fuel tank.
   - Double bottoms that are not sealed to the hull or that are not completely filled with flotation material.
   - Closed living space.
   - Closed stowage compartment in which combustible or flammable materials is stowed.

For all fire extinguisher requirements for the recreational boater, including how many are needed for different boat sizes, go to the U.S. Coast Guard FAQ page.

Ready When You Need It

It’s important to keep your extinguisher readily accessible and in good and serviceable working condition. Inspect it monthly to check the pressure gauge, seals and to ensure there is no rust or damage. If you find yourself needing to use one, keep the acronym PASS in mind: Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the lever, and Sweep side to side.

If a fire does erupt on your boat, stop the engine immediately and make sure that everyone on board is wearing a life jacket in case you have to abandon the boat. If possible, position the boat so that the fire is downwind and then use the fire extinguisher. If the fire continues to burn after using the extinguisher, place a MAYDAY call on your VHF radio or call 911 if you are in cell phone range and prepare to abandon ship.

To continue providing these blogs, please consider a donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.

When John and his 15-year-old grandson Beau left their home in Texas to travel to Louisiana to go fishing, they expected to land some redfish. Unfortunately, they ended up with a ticket and fine from the local marine patrol officer who explained to John that the free, online boater education class he took in Texas was not valid in Louisiana because the certificate wasn’t state-issued. Plus, Beau was too young to not have a life jacket on when the boat was in motion.  The fishing trip turned out to be a lot more expensive and a lot less fun than John and Beau had planned because they didn’t know that boating laws are different in each state.

Next time, before John and Beau think about traveling out of state to boat, they will need to know and understand the laws that apply to the state they’ll be boating in. The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) website has everything a boater would need to know about state-specific boating laws for every state and territory in the U.S.

On the NASBLA website, an informative portal can be used to quickly find state boating laws by clicking on the Boating Safety Dashboards. Each dashboard breaks down the information into categories such as Boating Education, BUI Enforcement, and Life Jackets, just to name a few. Clicking on a category will direct you to a series of interactive maps.

After clicking on “Boating Education” that will take you to a new page where you can see individual sets of data about boating education requirements for each state and territory. Using the Education Requirements – State map, clicking on your home state can tell you the following pieces of information:

• Who is required to have a Boating Education Card in that state.
• Whether the law applies to powerboats and what size motor or boat.
• What is required for an adult visiting from another state (most states require a NASBLA-approved course)
• If there is a minimum age for operating boats in the state
• Whether taking a challenge exam is allowed instead of taking an approved course
• And a link to the State’s Education Website is provided for additional information as well as contact information if other questions come up

Going back to the main dashboard, you can also click on the BUI Enforcement icon and, just like the Boating Education section, individual sets of data are available on the topic of Boating Under the Influence (BUI). While the penalties and punishments differ from state to state for BUI, you should know that boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal in all U.S. states and territories. And, drinking any amount of alcohol while driving a boat makes it less safe for everyone on board because of the additional stressors involved with boating such as the wind, waves, and sun. In an attempt to eliminate boating under the influence accidents and fatalities, the Sea Tow Foundation developed the Sober Skipper Campaign, which urges boat drivers to make the right choice and take the pledge to abstain from drinking alcohol and taking drugs while driving a boat to keep you and any passengers on board safe on the water. 

The NASBLA Life Jackets tab provides state-specific requirements for mandated life jacket wear by age and type of boat as well as whether season wear is required. While it’s important to stay in compliance with the law, to practice safe boating, smart boaters should go beyond the legal minimums to help keep everyone aboard safer. To learn more, check out the Sea Tow Foundation’s article Top 10 Times When You Should Absolutely, Positively Wear a Life Jacket. To borrow a life jacket at one of the 933 loaner stations nationwide, visit the Sea Tow Foundation’s online Life Jacket Loaner Station map nationwide. Understanding (and complying) with state boating laws will go a long way to ensure you’re boating lawfully and can enjoy a safe, fun, and memorable boating experience – wherever your boating destination takes you!

To continue providing blogs, please consider a donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.

Kim, our new nonprofit project administrator, brings experience and boating passion to the Sea Tow Foundation. Perry brings a wide range of talents including graphic design, social media networking, communications, marketing and business administration to the position.

“We are thrilled to have someone of Kim’s caliber working with us to help keep boaters safe,” said Sea Tow Foundation Executive Director Gail Kulp. “Not only does she have an impressive skill set, but she also has a passion for boating, which helps give her insight into our mission.”

Perry’s duties will include organizing and archiving program reporting data as well as curating imagery and articles submitted by volunteers around the country. She will also be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with sponsors and donors, managing social media accounts and creating content for the foundation’s blog, website and e-newsletter.

In her spare time, Perry loves boating in New York and New Hampshire with her family.

She looks forward to learning more about the Foundation’s boating safety initiatives.

Knowing What to do When a Person Falls Overboard Can Save a Life

Sometimes a situation on our boat will cause a person to fall overboard into the water. This could happen when leaning too far over the side to land a fish or it could happen if another boat’s wake causes your boat to be tossed around leading to someone being ejected. The U.S. Coast Guard’s 2020 Recreational Boating Statistics Report ranked falls overboard as the fifth highest cause of boating accidents leading to 181 deaths and 161 injuries. That is why it is important for everyone on board to know what to do if anyone falls overboard so that they can be recovered quickly and safely. And these techniques can also be useful for helping someone who has a water emergency when you are on land whether at the marina or at a dock alongside the waterway.

The Sea Tow Foundation has provided the following 4 steps to help in an overboard emergency:

Step 1: If anyone falls overboard, someone on the boat should immediately yell “Man Overboard” and point to the person in the water. If the person who noticed the fall overboard is the operator of the boat, another person should be designated as the water watcher and continue to point at the person in the water throughout the rest of the event until the person is back on the boat. If the person who fell overboard is the boat operator, someone else should immediately step up and complete the next step while someone else keeps an eye on the person in the water.

Step 2: The boat operator should immediately stop the engine and also press the MOB (Man Overboard) button on the boat’s GPS unit, if one is equipped. If not, a pin can be dropped on an online map to mark the location. This will note the exact coordinates of the location, which may be needed later.

Step 3: Begin the rescue process. When looking to rescue someone in the water, the phrase to remember is “Reach, Throw, Row and Don't Go” as the order to take to bring the person in the water to safety. These steps can work if someone falls in a pool while you are on land or if the person falls into the water from a boat.

• Reach an item out to  the person in the water like a boat hook, paddle, or other item and use it pull him or her toward the boat. The object can help extend the reach and keeps the rescuer safe from being pulled in by the person in the water.
• Throw  a boat cushion or life ring or some other type of floating object to the person overboard so that they can hold on to it. It is even better if this floating object has a rope attached that can be used to bring the person to you. Remember, all boats longer than 16 feet except canoes and kayaks are required to carry a throwable flotation device.
• Row (or motor) the boat slowly toward the person, keeping the person on the boat’s starboard (right) side for better driver visibility. Be careful that the propeller does not get anywhere near the person in the water if the motor must be used to move the boat.
• Don't Go into the water to get the person unless it is the last resort and only if it is safe to do so. The rescuer should be trained in water rescue and be able to swim, plue they should always wear a life jacket. Someone else should stay on board the boat and watch the rescue.

Step 4: Contact the Coast Guard on Channel 16 immediately if you lose sight of the person or can not rescue them. Provide the last know location or coordinates of the missing person.

Don’t forget that using an Engine Cut-Off Switch is now the law!

As of April 1, 2021, federal law requires the use of an Engine Cut-Off Switch (ECOS) for boats less than 26 feet when in motion. This device saves lives by stopping the engine when the boat operator leaves the helm because the device is connected to the operator by a lanyard. There are also wireless models that are available on the market that can offer protection for the boat operator and all of the passengers when each person wears a pendant or FOB on their life jackets. Sea Tow Members can receive a 15% discount on the MOB+™ system and accessories by visiting buy.fellmarine.com.

Free ECOS Wristband with a Donation for a limited time

The Sea Tow Foundation is offering a wristband that can be easily attached to an Engine Cut-Off Switch lanyard for a donation of $50 that goes directly to benefit safety and education programs. The bracelet has a Velcro-adjustable strap for a custom fit and can be quickly removed when the boat operator needs to temporarily leave the helm. And, it meets the requirements for the new Federal Law.  Get yours today at www.boatingsafety.com/ECOS-Wristband.    

National Safe Boating Week Tip #6 - Wear Your Life Jacket

Wearing a life jacket is the single most important thing you can do to improve your safety on board a boat. According to the U.S. Coast Guard’s most recent Recreational Boating Statistics report, 79% of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims, 86% were not wearing a life jacket. In other words, 8 out of 10 lives would have been saved had the people been wearing life jackets.

The Sea Tow Foundation and U.S. Coast Guard recommend that boaters wear life jackets at all times because you can never predict when you’ll need them. You can’t put on a seatbelt in a car while you are in the middle of a car accident, and you won’t be able to put on a life jacket in the middle of an on-water emergency either. Wearing it is the best option.

Modern life jackets are designed to be comfortable to wear and some kid’s models are colorful and feature fun themes, which help make children want to wear them. The two most important pieces to check is that 1) the life jackets are U.S. Coast Guard approved and 2) the life jackets are the proper size for the person wearing them. A child can’t wear an adult-size life jacket because they will slip out of it in the water and an adult would never float if they were hanging onto a child-size life jacket.

Inflatable life jackets are also an option for those at least 16 years of age. They can be worn on the waist or like a pair of suspenders so that they are out of the way until they are needed, but they must be worn to be approved. Also, if you plan to go white water kayaking, wake boarding, riding a PWC, or participating in any other activity with high impact, an inflatable life jacket is not an option.

If you don’t have enough life jackets for everyone on board or don’t want to purchase a life jacket for a one-time boat visitor, don’t worry. The Sea Tow Foundation has established over 750 life jacket loaner stations throughout the United States where boaters can easily borrow and return life jackets in all sizes to ensure that they have the right size for everyone on board. You can find a life jacket loaner station near you at www.boatingsafety.com/map.