 Indeed, there are traffic rules on the water just as there are on the road. Boat traffic is counter-clockwise around a body of water, and the buoys are like traffic signals. Here is what various buoys are telling you: An orange diamond around a cross means that boats are prohibited. The buoys with orange rectangles contain information like "fish habitat", "marina", etc. A buoy with orange and white or red and white vertical stripes means that there is an obstruction and you should not pass between the buoy and shore. An orange diamond means danger, and the specific type of danger will usually be written inside the diamond. It may be a reef, a rock, or some other obstruction that can do damage if you pass over it. A buoy with an orange circle means that the area past the buoy is a control area -- it may be no wake, no skiing, no jet-skis, etc. There will be more information written inside the circle. A round buoy with a blue line around the circumference is a mooring buoy, while the red and green buoys on a river mark the channel. Kent Life Vest At just $5.89, the durable Kent Life Vest in our General Boating-Safety Products section is an affordable necessity. A good boater wouldn't dream of piloting his or her craft while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He or she always makes sure there is a life jacket on board for every passenger, and has children wear them at all times, even when the boat is not under way. Boating at night requires special consideration. Lights on boats let other boaters know at a glance you're there. The port side (left) light is red and the starboard (right) is green, while the bow, anchor and masthead lights are white. As a basic rule, when boats are approaching each other on a straight course, they pass to the port side of each other, keeping to the right of the oncoming boat’s red light. Common sense is the basis for most of the rules of the water. For example, sailboats under sail generally have the right of way, because they can't maneuver as quickly as a motor boat. A wise pilot realizes that the same is true of barges, and keeps well out of their way. The barge pilot's blind spot can extend for hundreds of feet in front of the vessel, and once the barge is lined up and committed to a lock, it is almost impossible to stop. A barge can create turbulence hundreds of yards behind itself, so your best bet is to simply give them a wide berth. Ships, tugboats, and towboats use VHF radio channels 13 and 16. If you have a real emergency, or need information from them to figure out what you should do, you can call them. To learn the rules of the water and perform like a pro, take a Coast Guard Boating Course. They are usually free; you just pay a modest fee for class materials. You will learn invaluable towing and boating safety tips, and you will usually qualify for a reduction on your boat insurance once you pass the course. Contact your local Coast Guard Auxiliary or your Game and Fish Department for information on boating safety courses in your area. You can also visit www.boatus.com for an on-line boating safety course. Thanks to Jim White, and beOutdoors.com for their permission to reprint this article. Please bear in mind That beOutdoors.com has a copyright on this material. |
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