| Boating can be a safer and more pleasurable | | | | but to most people their a practical mode of |
| recreational activity if you're mindful of | | | | transportation. A pontoon boat, however, is |
| your actions and take responsible steps for | | | | primarily recreational, and when we're in our |
| avoiding the basic situations in which people | | | | recreational mindset we often don't think |
| get hurt or killed. By keeping these five | | | | defensively like we do when we're on the road |
| dangers in mind, and making it second-nature | | | | in our cars and trucks. Keep in mind that |
| to avoid them, you'll be far safer on the | | | | drugs and alcohol should not be used by |
| water and find your time on the water more | | | | pontoon boat skippers and that they cause |
| enjoyable. | | | | serious impairments and subject everyone to |
| | | | more danger. |
| Danger #1: Smoking while putting fuel in the | | | | |
| gas tank - It might seem like common sense, | | | | Danger #4: Unfamiliar operators - don't just |
| but it's worth emphasizing that gasoline is | | | | let anybody skipper your pontoon boat. |
| still highly flammable even if your boat is | | | | Inexperienced boaters may not have the |
| sitting on top of all that glorious water. | | | | maturity or temperment to guide your craft |
| Don't smoke cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or | | | | wisely. Use your best judgment before you |
| whatnot around the engine or fuel tanks. | | | | hand over the well-being of your passengers |
| | | | (and yourself and those folks in other |
| Danger #2: Smoking while near the battery | | | | vessels) to someone who isn't a proven and |
| (especially while recharging the battery) - | | | | experienced boater. |
| This one is more subtle because most people | | | | |
| don't realize that charging marine batteries | | | | Danger #5: Piloting in reverse - when someone |
| produces hydrogen. (You've heard of the | | | | is in the water, don't back the boat up and |
| hydrogen bomb, right?) Hydrogen is highly | | | | injure them with the propellers. Too many bad |
| explosive, and can build up in a closed | | | | things can happen when the propellers of your |
| battery compartment when recharging. So the | | | | engine start moving your craft backwards |
| best rule is to not smoke cigarettes, cigars, | | | | closer to the person in the water. Boats |
| pipes, or whatnot around the your battery at | | | | don't have brakes - they DON'T stop on a |
| all. | | | | dime. |
| | | | |
| Danger #3: Operating the boat while under the | | | | This concludes our first installment of this |
| influence of drugs or alcohol. Most people | | | | two-part series. The second installment, |
| will agree that drugs (even prescription | | | | entitled "Six More Stupid Ways to Injure |
| drugs) and alcohol impair judgement and | | | | Yourself and Others on a Pontoon Boat" will |
| response times and shouldn't be used when | | | | highlights six additional dangers of boating |
| driving a car. On boats drugs and alcohol can | | | | - so that your time in the boat can be more |
| be even more deadly because there are fewer | | | | safe and rewarding. Make sure you read the |
| protections (no airbags or seatbelts, right?) | | | | second article and test your knowledge of the |
| and the mindset on a boat is usually more | | | | common dangers that boaters can face - and |
| relaxed. Why are people usually more relaxed | | | | see just how safety-aware you are! |
| on a boat? Cars may be recreational to some, | | | | |