Renting a boat like this is a great way to get your feet wet in the sport. Whether you get your boat from a livery like where we got this one or an online service, chances are you're fairly new to the sport. Some states require rental boaters to take a boating safety course—some do not. Either way, you might not be up to snuff on the latest safety rules. If you are, this video will still be a great refresher for you.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:10 Hi, I'm Randy Vance.
00:11 You know, running a boat like this
00:13 is a great way to get your feet wet in the sport, so to speak.
00:17 Whether you get your boat from a livery,
00:19 like where we got this one, or from an online service,
00:22 chances are you're fairly new to the sport.
00:25 Now, some states require rental boaters
00:28 to take a boater safety course.
00:29 Some do not.
00:31 Either way, you may not be up to snuff on the latest safety
00:34 rules.
00:35 If you are, this is still going to be
00:37 a great refresher for you.
00:39 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:45 The first thing to do when you step on board
00:47 is check out the life jackets.
00:49 Make sure they're all in good working order,
00:51 and there's one that fits everyone.
00:54 Keep in mind that every child under 13 years of age
00:57 must wear a properly fitted life jacket.
01:00 Always make sure the new skipper connects the safety cutoff
01:03 switch to him or herself at all times
01:06 when the boat is running on plane.
01:09 Never ride on the bow of a boat or the swim platform.
01:13 Always make sure no one is near the propeller
01:15 when starting the boat.
01:17 Another common mistake that can be quite a safety hazard
01:20 is failing to retrieve the anchor before taking off.
01:24 Always retrieve it and safely stow it.
01:27 The main rule of navigation on which all the others rely
01:31 is to maintain a safe lookout.
01:34 Always keep your head on the swivel,
01:36 looking around to make sure you know
01:38 what's going on around you.
01:40 If you only learn one rule and practice it,
01:43 practice maintaining a safe lookout.
01:46 In almost every accident citation,
01:49 failure to maintain a lookout is cited
01:51 as one of the chief causes.
01:52 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:56 There are three other boating navigation challenges
01:58 to learn and practice, and they work hand in hand
02:01 to keep you safe.
02:02 Boats crossing your path from your right
02:05 or at near right angles have the right to pass ahead of you.
02:08 If they don't, you have the obligation
02:10 to avoid colliding with them, which
02:12 you could do if you were maintaining a safe lookout.
02:15 Boats passing from your left are obligated to pass behind you.
02:19 If the other skipper doesn't follow protocol,
02:21 give way and let him pass safely.
02:23 Boats meeting at a head-on orientation
02:26 should each alter course to the right
02:28 to pass port to port, left side to left side for landlubbers.
02:32 The course adjustment should be timely and obvious enough
02:35 that both parties are aware of the intent of the other party.
02:38 Overtaking a boat is a maneuver that
02:40 should seldom be undertaken, especially
02:43 in a narrow channel or river.
02:44 But to pass a slower boat, you should
02:46 signal your intent with two short blasts of the horn
02:50 and await a signal return.
02:51 In reality, few boaters recall the signal,
02:56 and fewer use them, even though they should.
02:59 Overtaking a boat that is unaware of your presence
03:01 is inviting a collision, so signal.
03:04 Knowing and executing these rules
03:06 will make you a safer boater than most others on the water.
03:10 Executing them while maintaining a safe lookout
03:13 will ensure that you can avoid a collision when
03:15 other boaters don't comply.
03:18 Docking a boat is not easy for the beginner.
03:20 In many cases, they apply driving rules
03:22 to docking procedures, i.e.
03:24 accelerate into the garage, tap the brakes
03:27 to keep from hitting the front wall.
03:28 There are no brakes on a boat.
03:31 But if you approach the slip slowly enough,
03:33 using reverse gear can slow and stop the forward progress.
03:38 The best rule to avoid hitting the dock
03:40 is never approach it any faster than you're
03:42 willing to strike it.
03:44 The other big difference between driving a car
03:46 and driving a boat is that on a car,
03:49 you have lines on the highway to separate traffic.
03:52 On a boat, you have to comply with the rules to do that.
03:56 There are aids to navigation, which
03:58 you should learn in your area.
04:00 Typically, inland waterways will have white buoys
04:03 with orange marks on them.
04:05 A diamond mark indicates a hazard.
04:07 A circular mark indicates a no-wake zone
04:10 where you need to slow your speed down.
04:13 A safe return to the marina is often
04:15 marked with a red buoy.
04:17 You should keep the red buoys on your right
04:19 when you're returning to port.
04:21 There'll be green buoys on the other side.
04:23 Keep those on your left when you're returning to port.
04:26 Old skippers have a rule, red right return, green going out,
04:31 meaning keep the green ones on your right
04:33 as you're leaving port.
04:34 Boating is a great sport, lots of fun.
04:37 Renting a boat is a great way to get into it.
04:40 And these few simple rules will make you a better skipper
04:43 than most of the guys already on the water.
04:46 I'm Randy Vance.
04:48 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:52 [MUSIC ENDS]
04:55 [MUSIC ENDS]
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