The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
SAFE SUMMER FUN ON THE WATER
Coast Guard, boating experts share safety recommendations
Spring and summer bring with them warmer and clearer weather, giving boaters more opportunity to start their engines and hit the waters of Lake Erie.
Although the coming months seem bright, they are also known as SAR season to the U.S. Coast Guard, meaning “search and rescue” season, because of the large amount of boaters becoming lost or endangered on the water.
Thankfully, if boaters take the right measures, they can greatly reduce the risk of falling victim to SAR season and end up making the most out of their summertime.
Local Coast Guard service members and boating experts have shared their recommendations for doing just that, and one of the most touched-on subjects was that of life jackets.
“A life jacket’s required for everybody aboard,” said Edith Blystone of Blystone Marine. “But also, you have to meet the weight requirement.”
According to ODNR, if a boat is less than 16 feet in length, wearable life jackets must be available for each person on board. Sizes also depend on the person’s weight.
Life jackets are required
“A lot of people have their boats in right now. And they’re not aware of the temperatures. And if you were to fall in that water, your life expectancy is a lot lower than it would be if the water was 80 degrees.” — Boatswain’s Mate Second Class Scott Sjostrom, who is stationed the Coast Guard station in Fairport Harbor
by law to be worn while riding a personal watercraft (such as a jet ski), while waterskiing or being towed on a similar device and they must also be worn by children less than 10 years old on a vessel less than 18 feet in length.
In their most recent report, the U.S. Coast Guard reported 658 boating fatalities in 2017 in the United States. When the cause of death was known, 76 percent of those fatalities were due to drowning. Over 84 percent of the drowning victims were reportedly not wearing a life jacket.
Ohio reported 117 boating accidents in that same year.
“(The station) usually runs about 100 cases a year,” said Boatswain’s Mate Second Class Scott Sjostrom, who is stationed at Fairport Harbor.
Blystone said that she suggests new boaters take Coast Guard boating safety classes.
“I highly recommend it, for a novice or a new boater, is to take the Coast Guard course,” Blystone said. “You can do it online or you can go to their classes. And what’s nice about that, usually if you take the course, you do get a discount on your boating insurance.”
“It just tells you that you know the rules of the road,” Blystone continued, saying that many people don’t have certain knowledge.
For instance, she said that a lot of people who come into her store don’t know how much anchor line to put out.
“For every foot of water you’re in, you’ve got to put five feet of anchor line out,” she said.
For boaters gearing up after a dormant winter, Blystone said that they should take a few steps to be ready.
“The first thing they should do is make sure they check their oils and change them,” she said. “They should actually change them in the fall.”
She also recommended that boaters put anti-fouling paint on the bottom of their boat before they wax the top of the boat, because otherwise, the wax can streak and make a mess of the paint.
Cold water is also a concern at this point in the year. As of May 22, the Coast Guard reported that Lake Erie’s water temperature was around 55 degrees. Water is considered cold until it reaches 77 degrees.
The National Weather Service reports that Lake Erie only reaches an average of 73 degrees from around mid-July to midAugust.
According to the Nation Center for Cold Water Safety, water between 50 and 60 degrees can cause total loss of breathing control, maximum intensity cold shock and inability to control gasping and hyperventilation.
“‘Dress for the water temperature, not the air,’” Sjostrom said, quoting a publication by the Coast Guard’s Ninth District (Great Lakes).
“A lot of people have their boats in right now,” Sjostrom added. “And they’re not aware of the temperatures. And if you were to fall in that water, your life expectancy is a lot lower than it would be if the water was 80 degrees.”
The boatswain’s mate also highlighted that lakegoers should have a “float plan” before going out on the water. This can help give emergency responders critical information in the event of a search and rescue.
“A float plan is communicating your plans (to someone on-shore) of where you’re going, when you’re going to be back,” Sjostrom said. He added that free float plan forms can be found at http://floatplancentral.cgaux.org/.
Again, Sjostrom highlighted the importance of life jackets.
“Make sure you have the right size,” he said. “Adultsized life jackets will not work for children and vice versa... While wearing it, they’re supposed to fit snug. So that if kids fall in, they won’t slip through it.”