What You Need To Know About Drinking On Boats
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Transcript of What You Need To Know About Drinking On Boats
• When you think of boating, a few things naturally come to mind:
o Racing
o Socializing
o Fun
• Unsurprisingly, alcohol is often a prevalent feature within the boating community.
• However, there are many reasons that alcohol should remain an activity for bystanders and passengers only.
• Boating in itself can cause the body to have unpredictable reactions to environmental factors.
• Heightened exposure to sun, glare, wind, noise, vibration, and motion on the water can be a constant source of distress to boaters.
• Pairing these elements with alcohol only enhances the likelihood of
physical and mental impairment, when operating a vessel.
• The constant barrage of the elements while boating can affect the body in many ways:
o Dehydration
o Loss of equilibrium
o Decreased coordination
o Heat exhaustion
o Hindered vision
• Competing with the elements and the decreased reaction time that inevitably comes
with intoxication, greatly reduces your capacity to effectively drive a boat.
• Clearly, taking these factors into consideration is of great importance so
as to avoid inflicting physical injuries to oneself or others.
• We’ve all heard it before: don’t drink and drive.
• Whether on land or in the water, the consequences of driving under the influence
remain the same:
o Bodily harm to yourself or others
o Possible jail time
o Fines
o Community service
• Clearly, drinking and driving is never a risk worth taking.
• The national blood alcohol limit while
operating a boat is 0.08; anything over that is illegal.
• Depending on height, weight, and gender, this is about equivalent to one to two drinks per hour.
• Penalties for driving above the legal limit may include:
o Fines up to $5000
o Imprisonment of up to one year
o Unpaid community service
o Mandatory substance abuse
counseling
• If you are going to be out on a boat
with alcohol onboard, designate a
sober driver to stay alert.
• If you must boat alone, know your limit
and drink responsibly while the boat is
anchored.
• Most importantly, always practice
moderation in order to maintain good
judgement.
• Now that you understand your role in keeping yourself and others safe on the water, let’s consider how to keep yourself safe from other boaters.
• It’s important to know the signs of an inebriated boat operator. What to look out for:
o Running on plane in confined spaces after dark
o Ignoring hazards to navigation
o Running lights turned off in transit
o Dangerous maneuvers
• Why put yourself at risk? Designating a sober driver will make all the difference in keeping you and your loved ones safe
and having a blast.
• For fun with safety in mind, take advantage of available educational materials that endorse safe boating.
• Manitou strives to give our clients the best in luxury pontoon boat
performance, with advanced technology and the ultimate custom experience available. Higher horsepower, superior handling, and impressive styling to enhance performance, Manitou works to keep our clients safe and having fun.
• For more information, visit www.manitoupontoonboats.com or call 1-800-999-9788.
Sources
• http://www.manitoupontoonboats.com/
• http://www.boatingmag.com/how-to/dangers-boating-under-influence
• http://fishandboat.com/drinking.html
• http://www.dbw.ca.gov/Pubs/Alcohol/ba.pdf
Summary
• Enjoy boating and enjoy drinking, but make sure you know what’s safe and what’s not. This presentation covers tips to keep in mind, and also reminds you there are regulations to drinking on the water.
