On a boat, wind, vibration, noise, and the sun can impair balance, coordination, and concentration - all of which are intensified by the use of alcohol, drugs, or even some medications.

Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents every year, but if every boat were to have a Sober Skipper at the helm, these accidents and deaths would be 100% preventable.

Our goal at the Sea Tow Foundation is to eliminate Boating Under the Influence (BUI) by encouraging all boaters to choose to be or to designate a sober skipper before leaving the dock and "Take the Pledge" to not drink any alcohol or take any drugs. Do it for your family, your friends, your passengers and everyone else on board your boat and on the water, so nothing can take you down.

What do you think is missing from our tips? Would you add anything to our list? Let us know in the comments.

National Safe Boating Week Tip #4 - Pledge to be a Sober Skipper

Most people don’t realize that the sun, wind and motion of the boat greatly magnify the effects of alcohol or drug use even if the driver is under the legal limit. These additional stressors on the body can mean that the boat operator can still be impaired to the extent where safety is compromised. And, according to the U.S. Coast Guard’s report on recreational boating, there were 282 accidents, 113 deaths and 221 injuries that were attributed to Boating Under the Influence (BUI) in 2019. Every single one of these tragic events could have been prevented by having a Sober Skipper in control of the boat and all of the passengers on board to keep everyone safe.

The Sea Tow Foundation’s Sober Skipper Campaign was started in 2015 and, since that time, events have been held in all 50 states where yellow wristbands are distributed signifying that a boater has taken the pledge to be the Sober Skipper. To get a wristband that identifies you as a Sober Skipper, go to www.soberskipper.com and Take the Pledge today. Together, we can eliminate Boating Under the Influence accidents and deaths and keep everyone on the water safe.

Sea Tow Foundation Announces $330,000 in Grants Awarded for 2019-20

The Sea Tow Foundation – a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading awareness of safe boating practices – has announced it will receive a series of grants from the United States Coast Guard for the 2019-20 grant year and beyond.

The grants – administered through the Coast Guard’s Sport Fish Restoration & Boating Trust Fund – will be used to support the Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Program and Sober Skipper Program.

“We couldn’t be more excited to continue to receive such resounding support from our friends at the Coast Guard,” said Gail R. Kulp, executive director of the Sea Tow Foundation. “These grants will go a long way toward saving lives on waterways all throughout the country, both this year and beyond.”

The Coast Guard has awarded the Foundation’s seminal Life Jacket Loaner Program with $210,000 for the coming year – an increase of nearly 8 percent year-over-year. In addition, the Sea Tow Foundation has been awarded the same amount for the following two years to guarantee that the Life Jacket Loaner Program will continue well into the future.

The grant money will be used toward increasing the number of Life Jacket Loaner Stations – of which there are currently more than 575 across the country. In addition, it will help fund replenishments and repairs of existing stations. Applications for next summer’s life jackets and loaner stations will begin on November 1, 2019 on the Sea Tow Foundation’s website. Kulp said more information will be shared this fall.

The Life Jacket Loaner Program grant will also help in the development and maintenance of an online database of life jacket loaner station locations around the country, along with a map of those locations,

A second grant of $120,000 has been awarded for the Sober Skipper program, which celebrated its sixth year in 2019. These funds will help the Foundation continue its goals of building greater awareness of the importance of sober boating through grassroots efforts to spread the message in boating communities around the country.

“Alcohol is the leading known contributor in fatal boating accidents, so our Sober Skipper program couldn’t be more important,” Kulp said. “Through these grants, we’ll be able to continue to increase the program’s reach through additional advertising and social media efforts.”

In the past year, the Sea Tow Foundation has established a brand-new American Sober Skipper Advisory Council, which works to unite the corporate and non-profit sectors of the boating industry around a shared message of safe boating. Grant funding will continue to support the Council, as well as fund a new component of the Council – a boating industry awards program to recognize and honor businesses who are promoting safe boating within their companies.

“It’s humbling to see so many influential members of the boating industry lock arms with one another through our Sober Skipper program,” Kulp added. “With the help of grants like these, we hope to do away with Boating Under the Influence for good.”