The Independence Day weekend is upon us, and for many Granite Staters, it is prime time to enjoy the state’s waterways on a boat.
Lieutenant Irwin Malilay with New Hampshire’s Marine Patrol Unit at the Department of Safety encourages people to have fun on the water safely this weekend. Most boating accidents are preventable through preparation and making responsible decisions, Malilay said.
“If you're going to be traveling at night, especially if you're going to go enjoy those fireworks, make sure that you know how to get back to shore,” he said. “Waterways, unlike the roadways, are not well lit. And so traveling at night can become very different and difficult.”
Some other safety basics to keep in mind while out on the water:
- Ensure your boat is properly equipped with all safety equipment, such as life vests, life preservers, appropriate lights, fire extinguishers, and sound-producing devices.
- Bring a marine radio if you expect to go out of cell phone range.
- Bring enough life vests for each person on board. All children aged 13 and under must wear a life vest at all times while on a boat.
Malilay also recommends filing a “float plan,” where someone on shore knows your start location, end location, the names and number of people on board, and your estimated time of return. This helps law enforcement look for people, especially when someone is overdue and has not returned from a trip out on the water.
Another key rule to remember: Don’t operate boats under the influence of alcohol. Much like driving a car, it's important to operate a boat while sober, so take care to ensure a designated operator during any festivities on board.
Malilay also emphasized the “safe passage law,” which requires boats traveling within 150 feet of shore docks, another boat, or other people in the water, to travel at a “no-wake speed.” This is essentially the minimum speed to “maintain steerage on a vessel,” or approximately less than six miles per hour.
