Education

IMPORTANT LINKS

Discover Boating

United States Power Squadron

United States Coast Guard - Office of Boating Safety

America's Waterway Watch Website - click here to watch video

Operating your Boat at Night

With the popularity of night time fishing, there are many additional concerns regarding safety on the water at night. Be sure all of your safety gear including your running lights are fully functional, and your signaling equipment especially your flashlight and flares are in good order. Visibility and disorientation are the major factors concerning operation at night - watching for other vessels can be very difficult (remember - you MUST keep a watch, at all times, by sight and sound). Can you see other vessels and any objects in the water? Even vessels with running lights are difficult to spot against a lighted shoreline. Control your speed, slow down to allow extra time to avoid situations. Judging distance is much more difficult at night or in any circumstance of poor visibility.

Be sure you know the Collision Regulations (Rules of the road) based on the red, green and white running lights you may see on the water. These lights will tell you the type of vessel and how it is approaching you or how you are approaching it. This will determine your action even though you cannot see the vessel. If anchored, use your anchor light (white light 360°), NOT your running lights. .

If you or a passenger fell into the water, can they be located quickly? Darkness can make this extremely difficult. Consider including such devices as a light, light sticks or quick flashing (strobe) light and waterproof whistles and attaching these to all your life jackets.

And of course, wear your life saving device.

Protect your night vision - bright lights aboard your vessel will reduce your ability to see at night. Usually it is best to dim all lights aboard and use the natural light of the night (moon, stars etc.) to navigate. It can take up to a half hour for your night vision to adjust. Boats do not use headlights to operate at night. If your vessel is equipped with forward facing lights at the bow, these are docking lights, and should only be used for that purpose. Using a search light will assist in picking out the reflective markings on buoys and beacons, but do not shine a search light on another vessel as you will reduce their night vision. Search lights are not intended to be used to navigate, the narrow field of vision available in a search light beam is not usually adequate to navigate safely. A compass or electronic navigation gear is designed for this purpose.

Do you have the equipment and do you know how to use it? At night, when you cannot see familiar landmarks, this equipment along with the appropriate charts are invaluable.

If you become lost or disabled, run aground, or are involved in a collision you will be much harder to locate in the darkness. Distress signals, unless you carry flares, are much more difficult to see, and there are fewer vessels out on the water to assist you. Plan your distress signals with darkness in mind, consider VHF radio equipment and file a float plan so someone will come looking for you. Rick Scott, S.C.O.T.T.S. BOAT SAFE

COLD WATER SURVIVAL

by Rick Scott

We have now shifted from ice fishing to getting the boat out on the water. Has the water

warmed up yet? Are you prepared for a sudden or unexpected dip. Do you know how

you will react if you are suddenly immersed in cold water?

You should be thinking about these questions. Boating in early spring or late fall, when

the water is cold can present its own special dangers. Most victims do not enter the

water intentionally.

A boater who ends up in the water may die from complications of cold water immersion

but can survive for a surprising length of time if they are wearing a PFD and take the

proper actions. It is important not to panic and make the proper decisions in order to

survive.

Boaters, in Canada’s typically cold waters, should be aware of the Three Phases of

Cold Immersion:

1. Cold Shock Response causes gasping and intense breathing for 1-3 minutes

after falling into the water. Gasping could result in drowning if the mouth slips

beneath the water and excessive hyperventilation could result in fainting and

then drowning if a PFD is not worn. It is important not to panic, try to enter the

water slowly and keep your head above the water and try to control your

breathing by consciously relaxing.

2. Cold Incapacitation occurs when muscles and nerves become so cold, they fail

to work properly and an individual is unable to swim, climb aboard a boat, or

complete other tasks required for survival and to prevent drowning. In ice water

(0 °) cold incapacitation could occur within 5 -15 minutes but would take longer at

higher water temperatures.

3. Hypothermia results from prolonged exposure to cold weather, particularly in

water-soaked clothing, or from direct cold water immersion. Hypothermia is a

drop in body temperature from a normal value of 37° to below 35°. At this lower

temperature a person’s mental functions are affected. A person exposed to cold

water, and becoming hypothermic, can exhibit certain progressive signs and

symptoms:

Ø shivering and slurred speech, conscious but withdrawn at the early stage;

Ø slow and weak pulse, slow respiration, lacks coordination, irrational,

confused and sleepy at intermediate stage;

Ø weak, irregular or absent pulse or respiration, loss of consciousness at

final stage.

If you do end up in the water, it is important to do everything you can to conserve

energy and body heat.

How Long can I survive in cold water?

Survival in cold water depends on many factors. The temperature of the water is only

one, others include body size, fat, and activity in the water. Large people cool slower

than small people, fat people cool slower than thin people. Children cool faster than

adults.

By swimming or treading water, a person will cool much faster than if remaining still. An

average person, wearing light clothing and a personal floatation device/lifejacket may

survive 2 to 3 hours in 10° water by remaining still. This survival time can be increased

considerably by getting as far out of the water as possible and putting on any insulation

that might be available. Getting into or onto anything that floats can save a life.

You may extend your survival time if you:

1. Wear your PFD or lifejacket. If you are not wearing your PFD valuable

energy will be lost keeping your head above water so you can breath.

2. Climb onto a nearby floating object to get as much of the body out of or

above the water, if possible.

3. Adopt a “Heat Escape Lessening Position” (H.E.L.P.) by pressing arms

tightly against the chest and pressing the legs tightly together. (Crossing

arms and drawing knees up adds little thermal protection but makes it

much harder to maintain an appropriate position and perform other tasks).

4. It is important to keep a group of survivors together. Either connect each

member by some type of tether, or you might try to “HUDDLE” by getting

the sides of everyone’s chest close together with arms around mid to

lower back and legs intertwined. This position may be difficult to maintain

in waves and movement is limited.

What Do I Do If An Accident Occurs?

Remember that water conducts heat away from the body about 25 times faster than air

of the same temperature. Most boats will float even when capsized or swamped, so get

in or on the boat to get as far out of the water as possible. Wearing a PFD or lifejacket

is a must. It will keep you afloat even if you are unconscious. Remaining still and, if

possible, assuming the Heat Escape Lessening Posture will increase your survival time.

Should I Swim for Shore?

This is a most difficult decision and depends on many things. Remember distances on

the water are very deceptive. Staying with the vessel is usually the best thing to do.

This will make it easier for rescuers to spot you. Even a capsized vessel is easier to

see than a person in the water. Do not swim unless there is absolutely no chance of

rescue and you are absolutely certain you can make it. Swimming in a lifejacket or PFD

requires many times the strength and energy otherwise required and you will move

much slower through the water but, never remove your PFD or lifejacket, it is your last

defense against drowning.

How Can I Avoid Hypothermia?

Because most boaters who die in water-related accidents had no intention of going into

the water, the obvious answer is to avoid those behaviors that cause accidental

immersions.

Ø do not stand or move around in a small boat

Ø do not overload your boat and make sure the load is evenly distributed

Ø do not decelerate suddenly, allowing the stern wake to overtake and

swamp the boat by washing over the transom

Ø always wear of PFD/lifejacket

Boaters can protect themselves by wearing their PFD or lifejacket with multiple light

layers of dry clothing and a water or wind-proof outer layer. Other pieces of equipment

that may provide additional protection from hypothermia include:

Ø a floater suit - a full nose-to-toes PFD

Ø an anti-exposure work suit - a PFD with a thermal protection rating

Ø a dry suit - to be used in conjunction with a floatation device and a thermal

liner

Ø a wet suit - traps and heats water against your body

Ø an immersion suit - to be used in extreme conditions upon abandoning

vessel (usually for off-shore use)

Acknowledgements:

Special thanks to Gordon Giesbrecht, Ph.D. Professor of Thermophysiology, University

of Manitoba, for his assistance with this article.