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If your DSC VHF is not registered, or still registered to the prior boat owner,
you’re not helping yourself and could likely waste valuable response time in an
emergency.
Do These 4 Things Now to Help Ensure
a Summer of Safe Boating
Boatyards,
marinas and clubs are waking up after a long winter’s nap, and boaters have
begun preparing their vessels for the season. While the boat needs to be looked
at and readied for a summer of fun, so does your safety. The BoatUS Foundation
for Boating Safety and Clean Water says that doing these four free or low-cost
things now will help ensure a summer of safe boating.
- Get
a free Vessel Safety Check: Where else can you ask a professional to
go over your boat to ensure it’s safe and has all the required safety
equipment? And if the boat is not up to snuff, you won’t be penalized in
any way and will instead get some welcome, friendly advice on how to
improve. That’s what a Vessel Safety Check does, so schedule
a Vessel Safety Check now. Offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and
the U.S. Power Squadrons, Vessel Safety Checks are completely free, and
you may be surprised by what they find.
- Register
your DSC-VHF Radio to get your MMSI number: Digital
Selective Calling (DSC) VHF radios can greatly reduce rescuer response
times – but only if you have taken the time to register the radio and
request your vessels’ unique Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI)
number. If it’s not registered, or still registered to the prior boat
owner, you’re not helping yourself and could likely waste valuable
response time in an emergency. BoatUS offers DSC VHF radio registration to the
public for $25 or free to BoatUS members.
- Inspect
and prep your life jackets: Inflatable life jackets need to be opened
up every season to ensure they are in good
shape. Regular (noninflatable) life jackets need to be brought out of
hiding, inspected,
and placed in locations aboard the boat that make it very easy for
passengers to access. Life jackets are no good (and not legal) if they are
buried at the bottom of a storage compartment and not “readily available.”
- Take
a free boating safety course: The numbers don’t lie. The U.S. Coast
Guard reports that 81 percent of boating fatalities occurred on boats
where the operator did not receive boating safety instruction. Recognize
the upshot of these statistics and get instruction now at BoatUS.org/Free. The free online
BoatUS Foundation state boating safety course easily fits into busy
schedules, allowing course takers to stop at any time and pick up again
later where they left off. It could also earn your state’s boating safety
certification. BoatUS membership is not required.
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