Use sense to curb boating issues
We treasure our readers, and we want you all to remain alive and in good health, so please boat safely this weekend.
On all weekends, for that matter.
It was a long but thankfully mild winter. We’ve worked hard at our jobs. Students have waited a long time for school to end, and many graduated recently and will start the next chapters of their lives in college, in the military or in the workforce. This is a happy time, and we’re all looking forward to spending a long weekend relaxing on Arkansas lakes and rivers. Please, don’t ruin it for yourselves and for your families by having a preventable boating accident.
The rules of the road when driving a car apply when driving a boat. Watch out for the other guy and boat defensively, and never operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants.
Common sense notwithstanding, Arkansas law prohibits anyone from boating while intoxicated (BWI). This includes the operation of any motorboat or other vessel, or manipulation of water skis or other device, while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance.
According to Arkansas law, you’re considered to be boating while intoxicated if you have a blood, breath or urine alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent. If you’re under age 21, 0.02 percent constitutes intoxication.
You can also be busted for BWI if your reactions, motor skills, and judgment are substantially altered and you present a clear danger of physical injury or death to yourself or others.
A first conviction can carry penalties of up to $1,000 in fines and/or one year in jail. You’ll lose your boating and car driving privileges for six months, and you might be issued a restricted license.
Penalties get harsher for subsequent convictions, and then you’ve got attorneys’ fees and court costs on top of the rest.
We mention this because Alex Hinson, boating education coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said that many Arkansans are not aware that we have a Boating While Intoxicated law. It’s a big deal, but that kind of trouble is easy to avoid.
If you drink, don’t boat. Spend the day on an island or anchored in a cove, and have a designated driver.
Be careful about entering the water if intoxicated, too. An impaired mental and physical condition can cause or exacerbate accidents. They happen fast, often without anyone noticing, so take care of yourself out there.
Make sure your running lights are in good working order, and use them in darkness and other times of low visibility.
Wear your life jackets when underway, and make sure children wear them always. Always wear your kill switch when your big motor is running.
It’s not only your safety at stake, but the safety of anyone you encounter.
FREE FISHING WEEKEND
The annual Arkansas Free Fishing Weekend will be from noon June 9 through midnight June 11.
During that time, anyone may fish anywhere in Arkansas without having to buy a fishing license or a state trout permit.
If you are an adult that has quit fishing, Free Fishing Weekend is the perfect time to reconnect with a noble pastime. It’s also a perfect time to go fishing with friends or a child.
One cannot overstate the restorative and inspirational qualities of fishing. It fosters communication in ways that nothing else can. I believe it’s because fishing has a way of crumbling even the most well-crafted facade. It brings out the real person behind the shield, and it has a way of making you reflective and approachable.
Fishing is a big part of how I make my living, but more than that, it’s a way of life for me. It’s a common thread in some of my closest and dearest friendships with people such as Mark Hedrick and Ray Tucker, Alan Thomas, Bill Eldridge, Rusty Pruitt, Ed Kubler and a list that’s too long to fit on a page.
The $10.50 I pay for a resident fishing license is a bargain, but for one weekend, you can do it for free. It would be a shame and, dare I say, fiscally irresponsible, to pass without giving it a try.