North American Safe Boating Week takes place from May 19 to 25 in 2012. The purpose of the week is to promote safe boating practices to the estimated 16 million recreational boaters in Canada who head out in canoes and kayaks, sailboards and sailboats, fishing boats, personal watercraft and power boats.
This year’s week has five key messages:
• Wear a PFD (personal flotation device) or lifejacket.
• Don’t drink and boat.
• Take a boating course.
• Be prepared, both you and your vessel.
• Be wary of the dangers of cold water immersion.
Denis Taylor, officer in charge of the Powell River Coast Guard Station, said the biggest danger for boaters and their passengers is not wearing a PFD. When boaters end up in the water, their reaction is to gulp in air. “When you’re in the water, it’s not air you’re gulping in, it’s water,” he said. “A life jacket saves you that minute of flailing around in the water. It gives you a chance to get under control and assess the predicament.”
Boaters should ensure they have safety gear, Taylor said, including flares, a bailing device, an anchor, oars and signaling devices, such as a whistle or a horn. They should also maintain their vessels and make sure the engine is looked after. “If you take care of yourself first and then your boat, you won’t go wrong,” he said.
When boaters head out on the water, especially on the ocean, they should make a sail plan and tell someone where they’re going, Taylor said. “That’s a huge factor when we’re doing search and rescue,” he said. “Where did they start from? Where did they go? What were their intentions? Who is on board?”
As of 2009, every boater needs to have a pleasure craft operator’s certificate. Information about how to obtain the certificate is available online.
