Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
The horrible personal watercraft accident that occurred last weekend in our back-bay waters that left one woman in critical condition is a harsh reminder of how even a slight laps in judgment while operating a boat can turn into a maritime disaster. Unlike our cars that have us strapped in like NASCAR drivers to protect us from harm in the event of an accident, riding in a boat is like barreling down the highway in the bed of a pickup truck where even a minor fender-bender can have people flying off into a world of hurt! Vehicles have a lot of design features to keep passengers safe, but most boats don't, so if there's a mishap, such as a collision with another vessel, a pier or even a hard grounding, people can be seriously injured in a split second.
Where we use our boats compounds the threat. Have an accident on most hard roads or highways and help is probably just a 911 call and minutes away, but with some of the out-of-the-way places we take our boats it could take hours for first responders to reach us if there is a serious problem. No matter if they are a 12-year-old in a kayak, someone who has just rented a pontoon boat or personal watercraft for the first time or a licensed captain carrying passengers for hire, "everyone" who operates a boat must do so "safely" 100% of the time.
Being safe on the water starts with not only knowing how to handle your boat but also its capabilities. Not all boats can handle all waters. My 40-foot fishing boat will safely run across some pretty choppy offshore water, but because of it's low sides (freeboard) and risk of being swamped, even on a calm day I wouldn't take my 17-foot flats skiff out in the ocean, it's just not designed for that kind of water. In the same respect, I know that I can safely run my little skiff up shallow creeks, across bars and other places where my bigger boat could never go because it draws too much water. Everyone needs to be very keenly aware of what their boat can and cannot do and where it can and cannot go.
Another critical step in staying safe on the water is knowing the nautical "rules of the road" which were written and are enforced for the primary purpose of preventing collisions between two vessels. The rules of the road cover such topics as how different types of boats should be lighted, safe operation, the sound signals that must be produce under different circumstances and the "conduct between vessels" which is known to many as the "right-of-way" of one boat over another.
Every boating course is going to cover rules of the road. Simple courses might teach only the basic rules while more comprehensive classes, such as those set up to help people get their captain's license, will teach all the rules. Being that anyone who operates a boat these days is required by law to have taken at least a basic safe boating course, it should be safe to say that, at sometime in their life, every boater has been schooled in the rules of the road.
However, you don't have to spend much time on the water to realize that a lot of boaters either slept through the rules part of their boating class or they forgot everything the minute they walked out the door. Anyone who doubts my words needs only to take a boat ride through the downtown waters from the Ocean City Inlet up to about 9th street during the middle of almost any summer day. You'll see so many boats and so many bone-headed moves by boaters that it might make you want to sell your boat and move to the desert!
Knowing and following the rules can literally be a lifesaver. For instance, let's say you get caught out in the fog and up ahead you suddenly see a boat showing a yellow over a white light. If you know the rules you'll know that a yellow over a white light is shown on the back of a vessel towing another vessel behind it. If you don't know the rules you might be inclined to cut behind the other boat and run into it's towline and/or be run over by what it's towing. Yep - it's good to know the rules.
Most boaters are able to remember the rule stating that if two boats are meeting head-on, both should alter course to starboard (to right) and past each other port-to-port (left side to left side). But apparently many seem to forget the rule about one boat crossing in front of the other which states that the boat to the starboard side (known as the "stand-on vessel") is required to keep going straight while the other boat passes behind it. Also, boaters must keep aware that if they are crossing a channel, they must stay clear of any boats that are running up or down the channel. If everyone would follow just these few simple rules there would be a lot fewer accidents on our waterways.
The rules also state that every vessel is required to provide adequate watch or a "lookout" for other vessels or hazards. In other words, boaters are required to keep aware of what's going on around them. If you get run over by another boat you can't use the argument that you didn't see it coming because every vessel, at all times, is required by the rules to pay attention and be ready to avoid dangerous situations. I cannot begin to guess how many times I've had guys in little boats end up coming dangerously close to the bow of my big boat because they are so focused on looking nowhere but straight ahead and were totally unaware that I'm even there. Skippers must constantly scan the waters 360-degrees around their boat to ensure that they are not surprised by approaching vessels or other hazards. Making eye contact with the operator of another vessel and then trading waves of acknowledgment that you see each other is a good way to stay out of trouble in close quarter situations.
Boaters must also learn to be patient and keep their cool. Too often a fellow in one boat gets impatient with someone in another and forces their way around at the wrong time, place or speed and bad things happen. Skippers must learn to be patient with others and not turn a little inconvenience into a really bad situation. To keep a boat out of trouble the smartest and safest approach will almost always be to "slow down" and proceed with caution until the hazard is past.
For work, for play or any other reason someone might have for being on the water, there is never a time or a reason for letting ones guard down when it comes to safe boating. Like every boating accident that's ever happened, the collision of two PWCs last weekend "could" have been, and "should" have been avoided if everyone involved played by the rules and kept safety first.
Capt. Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat, “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
