Friday 30 October 2009

Boating Safety Information

By Jason Myers

Before you even consider taking your brand new boat out for a trip on the sea it is in your own best interest to undergo a boat safety class and have a boat safety review to check for the mandatory safety tools. The US Coast Guard can provide you with a list of compulsory and suggested boat safety devices.

Life vests, or personal drifting devices as they are officially called, should be easily available for each occupant of the vessel. They should also be conformed to the built of the individual who is meant to wear them in case of an emergency. They must be in good working condition with all the straps and clips in place and usable. It is a great recommendation to have them fitted to the passengers so that if required they can be worn without much further adjusting. In some states there is a minimum age for which the wear of a life vest is obligated every time.

As a huge factor of boating safety there should also be present on board a recently checked fire extinguisher. It should be clearly labelled so that anybody can see it if needed and get to it in time. There are different kinds of fire extinguishers, created to extinguish different kinds of fires. For boating safety it is advisable to obtain a Type B or C fire extinguisher, these are designed for tackling fires started or fuelled by oil, grease and gas, or electrical fires.

As a last factor of boating safety, especially for vessels with gasoline engines and particularly if the engine is mounted in the vessel, good ventilation is important.

Not only to keep away from any development of carbon monoxide, threatening the crew with toxic conditions, but also to limit gasoline fumes from building up and becoming a serious fire hazard.

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