Boat Safe, Boat Sober This July 4th

Marine patrol officers will be out in force this holiday weekend, searching out intoxicated boat operators in an effort to keep Oregon’s waterways safe.

“Alcohol is involved an about half of all boating accidents,” says Paul Donheffner, director of the Oregon State Marine Board. “Unfortunately, alcohol use by boat operators is widely accepted. We are working hard to change that attitude, and effective enforcement is one way we do that.”

Officers arrested 258 boaters for Boating Under the Influence of Intoxicants (BUII) in 2000. So far in 2001, officers have made nearly 30 arrests, but the number will rise quickly once the warm weather returns and marine officers begin a series of ‘saturation patrols’ on popular Oregon lakes and rivers. “If arrested,” says Donheffner, “an operator can face a range of penalties, including a maximum $5000 fine, three-years lost boating privileges and jail time.” Many boaters arrested for BUII will end up in diversion programs or be sentenced to perform community service.

Marine officers have 20 new, portable alcohol breath testers at their disposal this year. The new units allow access to more locations across the state. “We have officers who are trained and motivated. We have state-of-the-art alcohol breath testers, and we’re focusing efforts on problem areas. Our message is simple. ‘Boat safe, boat sober’ this boating season,” said Donheffner.

Common Sense, Courtesy Needed At Boat Ramps

As long as careless boaters have needlessly blocked boat ramps, boaters waiting in line behind them have felt their blood pressure rise along with their voices. The Oregon State Marine Board urges all boaters to follow basic boat ramp courtesies, especially during busy holiday weekends or in locations with access limited by low water.

“This isn’t just about being nice, it’s also about being safe,” says Randy Henry, of the Marine Board. “If marine officers are busy settling boat ramp disputes – and they do that a lot some days - they’re not on the water where they need to be.” Henry says boaters should follow these common courtesies.

· Prepare your boat for launching before you get to the boat ramp. Most of the work can be done at home, but removing tie-downs, mooring covers and other last-minute details can be done at the boat ramp’s ‘ready area,’ not on the boat ramp.

· Use at least two people to launch your boat – one in the tow vehicle, one in the boat. As soon as the boat is off the trailer, pull away and let someone else in.

· Never block a ramp with an unattended vehicle or boat.

· When retrieving, don’t pull your boat up to the launch lane until the tow vehicle is at the ramp. Retrievals occur in the order of the tow vehicle, not the boat waiting to be retrieved.

· Once the boat is on the trailer, pull it well away from the ramp to clean up, stow gear and tie it down.