Kayaks, Canoes, Inflatable Rafts and Paddleboards: What You Need to Know!

Harrisburg, PA – Kayaks, canoes, inflatable rafts and paddleboards are increasing in popularity with the summer heat.  The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is reminding operators of these watercraft that it is important to know what safety equipment and regulations apply.

“Currently, unpowered boats are not required to be registered, unless they are being used at a state-owned access such as a Commission access area or lake or Pennsylvania state parks and state forests,” said Ryan Walt, PFBC boating and watercraft safety manager. “In these cases, you must either have your non-powered boat registered or have a launch permit issued by the Commission or the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.”

The cost to register a non-powered boat or to buy a launch permit is the same - $10 for one year or $18 for two - but registration provides additional benefits to the owner, Walt added. “By registering your boat, the information is recorded in our system and we can help you and the authorities locate it if it is ever lost or stolen.”

Registration also makes the renewal process easier. “Once your boat is registered, we will send you a renewal notice three months before the period is up,” said Walt. “It’s convenient and allows the owner to spend more time thinking about paddling and less time worrying about whether they renewed their registration or have a current launch permit.”

In addition to the registration requirement, important life-saving equipment is required to be carried on non-powered crafts.

Life jackets:
Every person in a kayak, canoe, inflatable raft or paddleboard must have on board a readily accessible U.S. Coast Guard-approved, wearable type I, II, III, or V life jacket of appropriate size. Children 12 years of age and younger must wear their life jackets while underway on any boat 20 feet or less in length and on all canoes and kayaks. Life jackets save lives, so Wear It!

Sound producing device:
Unpowered boat operators are required to carry a device capable of sounding a prolonged blast for 4-6 seconds that can be heard by another boat operator in time to avoid a collision. An athletic coach’s whistle is an acceptable sound producing device. Clip it to your life jacket for easy access.

Lights:
Any kayak, canoe, inflatable raft or paddleboard on the water after dusk must have a hand-held or installed white light to be displayed in time to avoid a collision with another craft.  When anchored or moored after dusk, an all-round white light must be displayed where it can best be seen 360 degrees.

Additional information about paddleboards:
Paddleboards are considered boats as defined by the U.S. Coast Guard if they are used outside the narrow limits of a swimming, surfing, or a bathing area. As such, they are subject to regulations administered by the U.S. Coast Guard and the PFBC, including life jacket, sound producing device and navigation light requirements.

Additional information about inner tubes, float tubes, and inflatable rafts:
Pennsylvania has no general law prohibiting the launching of inner tubes or tubing on Pennsylvania rivers.  Whether it is legal to launch or retrieve inner tubes at a particular access area depends on the regulations for that site. For instance, it is unlawful to launch or retrieve swimming aids, such as inner tubes and similar devices, from access areas managed for fishing and boating by the PFBC. 

However, on PFBC-controlled lakes, float tubes can be used if the user is wearing a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket, is lawfully fishing, and is not propelled by a mechanical device.  A float tube is defined as a device constructed to provide stable flotation and a level ride to a single angler in a manner that minimizes the possibility of capsizing.  If using an inflatable raft on Commission property the raft must be at least 7 feet in length, made of durable, reinforced fabric and have at least two separate buoyancy chambers exclusive of any floor or bottom.


“As the summer continues to heat up, paddlers and tubers will be hitting the water to cool down,” Walt said. “Remember, safe boating saves lives, so know the waters you’re boating, always be on the lookout for what’s happening around you, and ‘Wear It!’”.

Registrations and launch permits may be purchased through PFBC offices, most county courthouses, boat dealers or through any other PFBC issuing agent. The DCNR launch permit can be purchased from any state park office.  For more information see the Boat Registration Section of our website at: http://fishandboat.com/registration.htm.
 
The mission of the Fish and Boat Commission is to protect, conserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s aquatic resources and provide fishing and boating opportunities. For more information about fishing and boating in Pennsylvania, please visit our website at fishandboat.com.

Boaters Stand to Lose Critical GPS Navigational Aid

Voice Your Opinion: Comment Period Closes July 30

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 13, 2011 - As a result of a proposal by a private company to use radio frequency bandwidth right next to the existing GPS radio bandwidth, the future reliability of the GPS system across the United States is now in question. The nation's largest recreational boaters group, BoatUS, says boaters could have a hard time avoiding treacherous shoals or simply finding their way home if GPS signals are interfered with, and is urging boaters to speak out during a 30-day comment period.

"This is a remarkably short comment period for an issue that has such dire consequences for America's boaters and every other GPS user in the country," said BoatUS Vice President of Government Affairs Margaret Podlich.

At issue is an unusual conditional waiver granted in January by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to a broadband wireless communications provider, LightSquared, to permit the dramatic expansion of land-based use of mobile satellite spectrum. This spectrum, or frequency bandwidth, is directly adjacent to the frequencies used for Global Positioning System (GPS) communications. 

The company has proposed to build 40,000 ground stations. LightSquared's high-powered ground-based transmissions from these stations have shown to cause interference in hundreds of millions of GPS receivers across a wide range of uses, including aviation, marine, emergency response and industrial users such as delivery and trucking companies. A new report requested by the FCC says, "all phases of the LightSquared deployment plan will result in widespread harmful interference to GPS signals and service and that mitigation is not possible."

Recreational boaters lost their only other viable navigation system, LORAN, when the Department of Homeland Security shut the system down last year. At that time the US Coast Guard urged mariners to shift to GPS-based navigation systems. Boaters rely on GPS-enabled chart-plotters to steer clear of navigation hazards, keep them in the safety of deep-water channels, or even get them home when storms shut down visibility. "They are a critical piece of safety gear," said Podlich. "What will boaters do if they are unreliable, and how will the US Coast Guard's new emergency search and rescue system that stands watch over 36,985 miles of coastline, Rescue 21, remain effective, since it relies on GPS?"

Boaters and other GPS users are urged to speak up now by going to www.BoatUS.com/gov to send their comments to the FCC and their members of Congress. 

BoatUS is a member of the Coalition to Save Our GPS, which works to resolve this serious threat to the GPS system.

The US Coast Guard reminds the public to use flares responsibly

The Coast Guard would like to remind the public to be safe during the Fourth of July and that flares are to be used for emergencies, not as fireworks.

Flares are essential visual signaling devices that can be used day or night to alert emergency responders and fellow boaters to an emergency situation. Flares are also instrumental in assisting emergency responders to locate those in need of help.

Flares can be dangerous if not handled properly. The following are some safety tips the Coast Guard suggests to properly handle flares:

• Treat a flare as if it is a firearm: don’t point it toward anyone
• Do not look at the flare when launching it
• Hold the flare an arm’s length away from your face
• Keep the flare pointed downwind from your person, any equipment or structures

What the public may not realize is that improper use of flares could potentially divert valuable search assets from an actual distress case and put rescuers unnecessarily in harms way while responding to the false alarm. Not only do false alarms tie up assets that could be needed elsewhere, burn up crew hours and fuel, but they can also prevent scheduled operations from taking place.

"The Coast Guard takes the response to flares very seriously and sends assets to respond until it can be confirmed it is a non-distress situation," said Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey Roberto, a search and rescue controller at the Coast Guard District 17 command center in Juneau.

If boaters plan to use flares for training they should contact the nearest Coast Guard unit to inform them of their intentions. Boaters should be prepared to give times, locations and types of flares that will be utilize during the training exercise.

The Coast Guard recommends that boaters properly dispose of old or outdated flares by turning them over to a Coast Guard base, Coast Guard Auxiliary unit and U.S. Power Squadrons Vessel Safety Check Stations. Boaters can also check with their local fire department about the proper disposal of expired flares.