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Since it's a recreational activity, most boating is done in calm protected waters and during good weather. Even so, conditions can change rapidly, and a small vessel can get into life-threatening difficulties. It is important to keep an inventory of safety gear onboard every boat, which is prescribed by the U.S. Coast Guard as well as state boating law administrators in the U.S. Depending on the size of the boat and how it's powered, required equipment may include:
* Personal flotation devices (PFDs or life jackets) for everyone on board
* A throwable flotation device (in the U.S., a Type IV PFD)
* Navigation lights suitable for the type of boat operation
* Visual distress signals (VSDs) which are effective both day and night
* Sound making devices including horns and bells
* Fire extinguisher(s)
* A copy of the Inland Rules of the Road
Other items might seem obvious but are not actually required by law. They include a flashlight, first aid kit, paddles, whistles, anchor and rode, engine spare parts, bilge pumps, a VHF radio or mobile phone, etc.
In addition to these safety items listed above, the Code of Federal Regulations lists some additional required items that may not fall into the common definition of "safety" items:
* Backfire arresters on gasoline powered vessels
* Ventilation systems on gasoline powered vessels
* Plaques which list the penalties associated with polution due to oil discharge, or dumping trash overboard
* A marine sanitation system (MSD) which prevents water polution from sewage
State laws may add to this list of requirements. Most of the differences fall into a few categories:* Laws requiring life jackets to be worn in specific activities or by children
* Upgraded life jackets for specific activities or by children
* Restrictions on the types of MSDs that are allowed within state borders
Drowning
In the U.S., approximately 700 people die per year as a result of recreational boating accidents. These accidents are tabulated in the B.A.R.D., or Boating Accident Reporting Database, which is published each year by the U.S. Coast Guard based on the cumulative records of the National Association of Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). Since 1970, when recreational boating deaths peaked at about 1700 per year, the annual rate of fatalities has been declining at a rate of about 2% per year. The majority of these deaths (70%) occur due to drowning, and are frequently associated with small powerboat accidents. Other causes of death include trauma (especially with small powerboats), fire, carbon monoxide poisoning, and hypothermia.
The cause of the reduction of deaths is subject to some debate, but the Federal Boat Safety Act in the 1970s required that boats under 20' be equipped with level flotation. This change in boat construction meant that boaters who found themselves in the water next to a swamped boat could climb back into the boat and both reduce their likelihood of drowning, while increasing the size of a search target and reducing hypothermia. Other frequently named causes include improved boater safety education, increased use of life jackets, and improved boating safety gear.
PFD Use
Recreational boating deaths could be dramatically reduced with increased use of PFDs or Personal Flotation Devices. Wear rates in 2003 were around 22.4%, although state and Federal laws requiring children to wear flotation were more common, and therefore children's wear rates were much higher than those for adults. Relatively few children die in boating accidents; the more likely victim is an adult male in the mid-afternoon in a boat under 20' LOA who is not wearing a PFD. Not surprisingly, that also describes a typical boater under normal conditions. While various strategies have been devised in the last few decades to increase PFD wear rates, the observed rate has been relatively constant. This has led to the possibility of legislation requiring PFD usage on boats under a specified length when underway.
Interestingly, the percentage of deaths due to drowning have declined (from 80% to 70%) in the last decade for a peculiar reason. Personal Watercraft, or PWCs, have increased in popularity for the last 15 years, and account for about 70 fatalities per year (2002). However, PWC operators commonly wear PFDs, and therefore have a relatively low incidence of drowning. Trauma, largely due to collisions with other vessels and the shoreline, accounts for 70% of PWC fatalies while drowning accounts for about 30%.
Carbon Monoxide
In the early 2000s, several high-profile deaths due to CO (carbon monoxide) poisoning led to increased scrutiny of boating habits (especially the practice of towing participants immediately behind a boat, known as "teak surfing" or "platform towing") and the implementation of various warning placards to educate boaters of the hazards arising from these activities. Other CO-related deaths were attributed to high concentrations of CO gas from houseboat generator exhaust, where swimmers were able to access an area of concentrated exhaust. This has led to improved pollution controls on modern generator sets, and changes in the designs of houseboats so that they discharge exhaust gasses in areas where they can disipate. The increased use of CO detectors, especially in boats with enclosed accommodation spaces, would help reduce the risk of CO poisoning.
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