Boating is a fun activity, and everyone loves boating. And a minute of distraction is enough to get caught in a boating accident. Here are some helpful tips to prevent boating accidents.
- Check the weather regularly while boating and before starting the trip as well.
- Don’t overload the boat.
- Educate your passengers regarding the safety equipment.
- Always have a proper lookout while boating.
- Always maintain a safe distance between the boats.
- Don’t drink alcohol while driving the boat.
- Don’t neglect the boating rules.
- Keep all the safety equipment in the boat.
- Don’t drive the boat too fastly.
- Take a boating safety course to learn about all the equipment and the boating rules.
- Properly maintain the boat and safety equipment.
- Always pay proper attention while boating.
- Have a float plan.
- If you are renting the boat, know where all the safety equipment is located in the boat.
Those are the essential things to do to prevent boating accidents. You can avoid many of them by following the rules properly and using some common sense.
Many accidents are happening in lakes, ponds, reservoirs, dams, gravel pits. All the accidents are happening in Calm waters (waves less than 6″) and moderate speed (7 – 14 mph) during day time. This means many boat operators are not paying proper attention while boating.
Check my article on Essential causes for boating accidents (opens in a new tab) to get a clear understanding of what are the significant causes of boating accidents.
1. Check the weather regularly while boating and before starting the trip as well
Checking the weather is an essential task to do. Not only before starting the trip, but you also need to check the weather while boating as well. If you are boating in the seas or oceans, the weather can change within minutes. So, you need to check the weather regularly while boating to prevent any accidents.
This is the first thing you need to do while you are thinking to go for boating. You need to check the weather before going boating. Follow some apps or websites like the windy app or AccuWeather website or some other websites for the broadcasting news.
Your whole ride depends on this step. Sometimes you might be boating in a lake or sea, and suddenly the weather might change. Weather can change very quickly, so you need to prepared for everything. You should have a plan for coming back to the shore quickly if the weather changes.
Bad weather is one of the major causes of boating accidents. Each year around 200 accidents and around 40 deaths are happening due to bad weather. So, don’t go boating in bad weather. In 2019, 184 accidents, 31 deaths, and 58 injuries happened due to bad weather (source).
Check my article on Safety tips for boating: A detailed guide (opens in a new tab) to get a good understanding of the boating safety.
2. Don’t overload the boat
Overloading the boat is one of the causes of boating accidents. If the boat is overloaded, then the boat can tilt or capsize, and everyone may fall in the water. Sometimes, people might trap under the boat as well. So, don’t overload the boat to prevent boating accidents.
Each year around 100 accidents and 50 deaths are happening due to overloading the boat. In 2019, 100 accidents, 41 deaths, and 52 injuries happened due to overloading the boat (source). You can check the boat’s maximum weight capacity sticker on the boat itself near the stern or somewhere.
If it is no there, you can use a rule of thumb for finding the maximum number of persons the boat can handle. Length of the boat times width of the boat divided by 15. Then you will get how many members can sit in the boat. In this case, the weight of each person is the average weight(around 150 lbs).
Suppose the length of the boat is 15 feet, and the width of the boat is 5 feet. Then the seating capacity is (15 * 5) / 15 = 5 members. Calculate like this for your boat, if you don’t have the boat capacity sticker.
Check my article on Preventing capsizing a boat (opens in a new tab) to prevent capsizing the boat and what to do if the boat capsizes.
3. Educate your passengers regarding the safety equipment
Educating the passengers is also an essential task because if any tragedy happens, everyone can help each other preventing injuries. Knowing about the safety equipment and its location in the boat is very useful, you can help others immediately without wasting any time during an emergency.
As a skipper (boat operator), you need to teach some of the basics, such as wearing a life jacket, trowing the life rings, etc. By doing that, the crew members will help others during emergencies or for helping others if some others are in danger.
And also show them where the safety equipment is located in the boat as well. So, they can take out the safety equipment by themselves to help others.
Sometimes you might be in a hurry or busy, and you may not be able to take the safety equipment yourself. At that time, the boat crew will help if they know where all the safety equipment is kept in the boat. Even if you fall overboard, you can ask your crew members to go through a life ring near you.
4. Always have a proper lookout while boating
Improper lookout while boating is one of the major causes of boating accidents. As a boat operator, you need to check the surroundings and listen to the sounds carefully. So, by having a proper lookout, boaters can avoid the majority of the boating accidents.
Each year around 400 accidents and around 25 deaths are happening due to improper lookout while driving the boat. In 2019, 506 accidents, 26 deaths, and 425 injuries occurred due to improper lookout while driving the boat (source).
The best way to prevent improper lookout while boating is by using some of the safety equipment such as radar, binoculars, visual or sound signaling devices, etc.. Or take help from the crew members to look out properly. So, you won’t distract much while driving the boat.
If you are alone in the boat, then you need to do it yourself. While doing other works, slow down the speed and be careful. Doing both the things at a time (driving and other works) will distract you. So, slow down the boat and do it carefully by yourself.
If there are any crew in the boat, then you can ask them for help. Ask them to check the radar or AIS regularly or ask them to use binoculars and lookout properly. In such a way, you can take help from the crew members to look out properly to prevent boating accidents.
5. Always maintain a safe distance between the boats
Maintaining a safe distance between the boats is an essential thing to do while boating. By keeping a safe distance between other boats, boaters can prevent the majority of boating accidents.
Maintain at least 100 or 200 feet between your boat and others. While boating, if any big wave comes, then the boat will shake, and the boat might get out of the path. If there are any other boaters near your boat, then you might hit them.
6. Don’t drink alcohol while driving the boat
Drinking alcohol while boating is one of the major causes of deaths related to boating accidents. If you drink alcohol, you might not be able to control your body properly. Most of the deaths related to boating accidents are caused due to driving the boat after drinking alcohol.
Boating under the influence can affect your balance, which is very crucial in the boat. When you are unstable in moving platforms (like a boat), you can easily fall overboard. Alcohol decreases the ability to react to several different signals at once. So, don’t do boating under the influence.
It is legal to carry alcohol in the boat, but the skipper should not drink alcohol at all in the boat. In 2019, 282 accidents, 113 deaths, and 221 injuries occurred due to driving the boat after drinking alcohol (source).
If you are under the influence and fall overboard, then it isn’t easy to get back into the boat. Suppose, if you are alone in the boat, then it is tough to get back into the boat. If you are not alone in the boat, then with the help of your friends, you might get in the boat.
Check my article on Getting back on a boat after falling out (opens in a new tab) to know how to get back into the boat without a ladder.
7. Don’t neglect the boating rules
Neglecting the boating rules is one of the major causes of boating accidents. If you don’t know the boating rules, then you don’t know what to do if some other boaters drive near you. By taking a small boating course, you will get to know all the boating rules.
Knowing the boating rules is essential if you are driving the boat. Without knowing them, you might cause problems for you and other boaters too. In 2019, 235 accidents, 21 deaths, and 141 injuries occurred due to not following the boating rules(source).
Suppose, if someone comes in the opposite direction, then you need to turn a little bit towards the right side, they also will do the same. If you don’t know the rules, then if you turn towards the left side, you might hit the boat, which is coming in the opposite direction. So, know some of the boating rules before taking the boat.
8. Keep all the safety equipment in the boat
Without the safety equipment, you can’t travel peacefully in the water. Safety equipment is a must for a boat; one day, it might save your life. Here are some of the essential safety equipment for a boat. You shouldn’t carry the same safety equipment every time it should vary from places to places.
If you are boating in closed waters (lakes or ponds), then you might need the safety equipment listed below.
- Life jacket for each person
- life ring for each person
- Flotation devices
- Whistle or horns
- VHF radio optional(nice to have a small radio)
- Torchlight
- Binoculars
- Flares
- Bucket
- Ladder
- Paddles or oars
- Documentation
- Ropes
- Depth finder(nice to have)
- First aid kit(don’t forget to check the expiry date)
- Fire extinguisher
- Tool kit
- Extra gas(nice to have)
- Duct tape
- Knife
- Bilge pump
- Anchor
For boating in closed waters (lakes and ponds), those things are sufficient. Mostly, you don’t need a VHF radio in closed waters. If you are boating in a big lake or less crowded areas, then you might need it.
If you are not boating in closed waters (seas or oceans) and moves far away from the seashore, then you might need all the safety equipment listed below.
- Life jacket for each person
- life ring for each person
- Flotation devices
- Whistle or horns
- VHF radio, EPIRB
- Satellite phone or messenger is optional (but nice to have as a backup)
- Chartplotter is like GPS for a boat (for navigating)
- Automatic identification system (AIS)
- GPS optional (all the above devices have it already)
- Thermal imaging camera (if you are boating at night)
- Torchlight
- Flares
- Binoculars
- Bucket
- Ladder
- Paddles or oars
- Documentation
- Ropes
- Lights
- Depth finder
- First aid kit (don’t forget to check the expiry date)
- Fire extinguisher
- Tool kit
- Duct tape
- Extra gas (nice to have)
- Knife
- Bilge pump
- Anchor
- Maps (optional)
For moving far away from the seashore, those things are sufficient. If you are thinking of staying in the boat at night, then you might need to know the night navigational rules.
Check my article on Safety equipment for a boat: 31 things you need (opens in a new tab). In that article, I mentioned all the gear every boater needs to have on their boat.
9. Don’t drive the boat too fastly
Over speed is one of the reasons for boating accidents. If you drive the boat too fastly, you can’t control it quickly if anything comes in between (rocks or other boats). So, don’t drive the boat fastly in unnecessary conditions to prevent boating accidents.
Each year around 250 accidents and around 30 deaths are happening due to driving the boat fastly. In 2019, 358 accidents, 22 deaths, and 325 injuries occurred due to driving the boat fastly (source).
While driving the boat fastly, you can’t see anything clearly what is there in front of you. If there are some rocks or other boater comes suddenly, then it will be hard to control the boat. So, don’t drive the boat fastly in unnecessary conditions.
You need to go moderately in the rough waters. If the waves are too choppy, then you may need to increase the speed a little bit. If the waves are less choppy, then you might not need to increase the speed. At what speed you need to travel in rough seas all depends on the waves.
10. Take a boating safety course to learn about all the equipment and the boating rules
Taking a boating safety course is an excellent option because, in a course, they will explain everything about the boat, they will teach you how to use all the safety equipment and boating rules as well. By knowing and following all the rules, boaters can prevent the majority of boating accidents.
Some of the courses paid and free courses as well. BoatUS Foundation Online Course is a free course that can be completed online by participating in six lessons and completing the final exam. Choose when and where to take your course. Take it on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.
Check this Boatus website on the courses offering by them click here (opens in a new tab). In this, they listed all the available courses.
11. Properly maintain the boat and safety equipment
Boat failure or boat equipment failure is one of the causes of boating accidents. Some of them are engine failure, throttle failure, helm failure, shift failure, equipment failure, etc. Each year around 400 accidents and around 20 deaths are happening due to boat failure or equipment failure.
In 2019, 526 accidents, 22 deaths, and 108 injuries occurred due to boat failure or boat equipment failure (source). Some of the significant boat failures or boat equipment failures are listed below (source).
- Engine failure
- Electrical system failure
- Throttle failure
- Steering system failure
- Shift failure
- Auxiliary equipment failure
Proper maintenance is the only way to prevent equipment failure or boat failure. Such as, checking the boat before starting the ride, checking whether all the safety equipment is working properly or not before starting the trip, and always keep the tool kit in the boat. So, by having a tool kit, you can repair the boat immediately if it is a small problem.
Check my article on Simple maintenance tips for boats: DIY (opens in new a tab) so that you can do some of the small boat maintenances by yourself.
12. Always pay proper attention while boating
Boat operator inattention is the main reason for the majority of boat accidents. All these accidents happened during the day and in normal weather only, not in bad weather or at night. So, be attentive while boating to prevent boating accidents.
Each year around 600 accidents and around 40 deaths are happening due to improper attention. Boat operator inattention is one of the reasons for the majority of boating accidents in 2019. In 2019, 546 accidents, 36 deaths, and 296 injuries occurred due to improper attention (source).
One of the easy ways to prevent operator inattention while boating is by not doing any other work by themselves. While boating if you want some help for navigating or calling someone or for signaling others or some other work, ask the crew members to do that work.
If you are alone in the boat, then you need to do it yourself. While doing other works, slow down the speed and be careful. Doing both the things at a time (driving and other works) will distract you. So, slow down the boat and do it carefully by yourself.
If there are any crew in the boat, then you can ask them for help. Ask them to check the radar or AIS regularly or ask them to use binoculars and lookout properly. In such a way, you can take help from the crew members to look out properly to prevent boating accidents.
13. Have a float plan
Sometimes, having a float plan will help you a lot. Don’t forget to give your full float plan (exactly where you are going, how long it will take to come back home, and how many people are going) to one of your friends or neighbors. Just in case if you didn’t reach your home in time, they will help you.
If you didn’t show up early, your family members or friends will inform to coast guards about your float plan and everything. Then the coast guards will make a move quickly, and they will find you quickly.
While boating, if you change the plan or if you modified the plan, don’t forget to inform your family members or friends. If you think that you might show up late, even then inform your family members or neighbors. It is a good practice to have a float plan and informing others.
14. If you are renting the boat, know where all the safety equipment is located in the boat
If you are renting the boat or borrowing a friend’s boat, know where all the safety equipment is located in the boat. At the time of any emergency, you need to know where the safety equipment kept in the boat.
If someone is drowning in the water, then you need to through a throwable floatation device or ring immediately. All the safety equipment should be in a hand reachable distance. You need to act quickly and save them, and you should not make a delay while doing that process.
To make that quick, you need to know where all the safety equipment is placed in the boat, then only you can do that quickly. So, keep all the safety equipment in a reachable distance and know their locations in the boat as well.
Key takeaways
- Check the weather before starting the trip and also check it regularly while boating as well.
- Educate your passengers regarding the safety equipment. So, they will help others or each other during an emergency if they know how to use them.
- Always have a proper lookout while boating. Keep all the necessary equipment in the boat so you can look out a mile or two ahead.
- Always maintain a safe distance between the boats.
- Don’t drink alcohol while driving the boat. Most boating deaths are caused due to alcohol consumption.
- Don’t neglect the boating rules. Not following boating rules will cause problems for you and other boaters as well.
- Even if you are going for boating in small lakes or ponds, keep all the safety equipment in the boat. So, you will be prepared for everything.
- Don’t drive the boat too fastly in unnecessary conditions such as near the port or the marina to prevent boating accidents.
- By taking a boating safety course, you will get to know how to use all the safety equipment and boating rules as well.
- Do the regular maintenance for the boat and safety equipment as well so they won’t fail.
- Always pay proper attention while boating.
- Have a float plan.
- If you are renting the boat or borrowing a friend’s boat, know where all the safety equipment is located in the boat. So, if there is an emergency, you can take things out quickly and help others quickly.
