Coast Guard Safe Boating Week
The cruises started a day before the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Safe Boating Week begins.
Coast Guard Station Marquette has several simple tips to keep you safe any time you hit the water.
They advise taking a marine radio on board with you.
Cell phones have range and battery life limitations, so they may not be enough in an emergency.
The Coast Guard also suggests dressing for the water temperature, not the air temperature, since they can be different by 20 degrees or more.
Life jackets are a must, and they’re asking anyone with a canoe, kayak or rowboat to get a free ID sticker from them.
BMCS Brandon Liesen says they’ve had a large number of calls the last few years about canoes or kayaks that have drifted away from beaches or docks, and if they don’t know who the canoe or kayak belongs to it makes the recovery effort much more difficult.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary also does free vessel safety inspections.
BM3 Jordan Clark says they check for water–tight seals, safe electrical wiring and many other things like whether or not boaters have the proper safety equipment.
You can get a free safety check tomorrow at the public boat launch in Munising, or at Marquette’s Cinder Pond Marina.
They’ll also do them again at Cinder Pond next Friday.
If you’d like one of the checks but can’t make it to either of those boat launches on those days, you can also call Coast Guard Station Marquette to arrange an appointment.
Posted by: Mike Hoey