Be a Sober Skipper: How to Keep You, Your Boat and Friends Safe

Just like when you’re driving a car, drinking while boating is illegal!  Practice boating safety at all times by saving the alcohol for later. The probability of being involved in a boating accident doubles when alcohol is involved and studies have shown that the effects of alcohol are exacerbated by the sun and wind.  Where the primary cause was known, alcohol was listed as a leading factor in boating-related deaths. 

In New Jersey, you are not permitted to operate a vessel while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, a narcotic, hallucinogenic or habit-producing drug or with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or more. If you are the owner of the vessel or are in control of the vessel, you cannot allow someone else who is under the influence to operate the vessel.  Penalties for Boating While Intoxicated (BWI) are similar to DUI laws.  Penalties range from fines to jail time.   In NJ, if convicted of boating while intoxicated, that person can lose their driving privileges as well as their boating privileges.

Key Facts on Boating and Alcohol:

• Danger Level: Alcohol is involved in nearly 50% of all recreational boating accidents.

• Legal Limits: The federal and state limit is 0.08% Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) for operators, but lower, stricter limits apply in many areas, and you can be arrested at any point based on an officer's assessment.

• Impairment: Environmental stressors (sun, wind, vibrations) speed up alcohol consumption's effects, making a boater with a .10% BAC 10 times more likely to be killed than a sober one.

• Consequences: Penalties for Boating Under the Influence (BUI) include fines (often over $1,000), jail time, and suspension of both boating and, in some cases, driver's licenses.

• Passenger Safety: Alcohol consumption is dangerous for passengers, leading to increased risks of falling overboard.

What should you do?   Be a responsible boater!

Take a boating safety course. Aside from being a REQUIREMENT in New Jersey, you will learn valuable tips that can help save your life in unexpected situations.  By taking a NASBLA (National Association of Boating Law Administrators) approved boating safety course, you will be able to operate a vessel in all other states that require a boat safety certificate or boat license.  Boat Safe US provides in-person classes as well as the exam for the online courses.See our schedules at www.BoatSafeUS.com 

Designate a sober skipper every time. Save the drinks for when the boat is tied up and everyone’s done being on the water.

Wear a life jacket. No matter what activity you have planned on the water, always remember to wear a life jacket every time you are on the water. Accidents on the water can happen much too fast to reach and put on a stowed life jacket. Make sure your life jacket is U.S. Coast Guard approved, appropriate for your water activity and fits properly. A life jacket that is too large or too small can cause different situational problems.

Know state boating laws. Rules and laws can differ from state to state and violations can result in ticketing, fines or jail time.  Go to the NJSP website: https://njsp.njoag.gov/msb-boating-safety-cert-license

Always file a float plan. File a float plan with someone you trust that includes details about the trip, boat, persons, towing or trailer vehicle, communication equipment, and emergency contacts.  For more info – See: https://floatplancentral.cgaux.org

Always follow navigation rules. Know the “Rules of the Road” such as operator’s responsibility, maintaining a proper lookout, safe speed, crossing, meeting head-on, and overtaking situations. Know what’s going on around you at all times, and always travel at safe speeds for the environment.

Keep in touch. Communication devices can be the most important piece of emergency equipment on board a vessel, especially in case of emergency. Be sure to have at least two communication devices that work when wet, such as satellite phones, emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRB), VHF radios, and personal locator beacons (PLB). And, know how to use it.

Boat Safe US www.BoatSafeUS.com

Bottom line: Stay sober on the water! And listen to our Capt. Bob: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PuKCkxZ6iAk?feature=share

Learn this and more at your NJ Boat Safety Course: www.BoatSafeUS.com