Want to Know What's Going On With Sandy-Hit Marinas? Get The Sandy Boater's Guide App

Includes Updated Information on Over 250 Boating Facilities Back After Superstorm

TOMS RIVER, NJ, July 23, 2013 - No matter if you're a regular weekend boater or just passing through, boaters along the New Jersey coast, Long Island and Hudson River have a new, free smartphone app that gives them updated map-based information on marinas, boating facilities, waterways and inlets along this heavily trafficked boating corridor. Available for iPhone, iPod and Android phones, the free Sandy Boater's Guide app is offered by Dozier's Waterway Guide, with support from Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), TowBoatUS, the Association of Marina Industries, Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute and the Atlantic City New Jersey Boat Show. 

The app can be found at WaterwayGuide.com/superstorm-sandy, as well as iTunes and Google Play. Waterway Guide editors continually update information from boating business and facility managers via the Waterway Guide's Superstorm Sandy Resource Page, and through email: SuperstormSandy@WaterwayGuide.com .

"Everyone wants to help boaters and boating facilities get back to a successful season after so much devastation," said Waterway Guide News Editor Mike Ahart. "The rebuilding and clean up efforts have been astounding, and we hope this app helps inform the boating public that services are open for business throughout Sandy-affected areas."

About Waterway Guide: 

Waterway Guide is the time tested, best known and most respected cruising resource available. For over 65 years, boaters have trusted Waterway Guide before making their cruising and buying decisions. Waterway Guide is the boater's choice for verified and accurate information on thousands of marinas, businesses and attractions along the way. All six print editions (Bahamas, Southern, Atlantic ICW, Chesapeake Bay, Northern and Great Lakes) of Waterway Guide, totaling 3,000 pages, are updated annually by on-the-water cruising editors, each possessing an average of 35 years active boating experience and by our professional production staff in Deltaville, Virginia. www.WaterwayGuide.com adds all the latest cruising news, navigational updates, fuel reports and other resources.

About BoatUS and TowBoatUS: 

Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its over half-million members with government representation, services such as 24-hour on the water boat towing with the largest fleet in the nation, TowBoatUS/Vessel Assist, as well as 18,000 roadside assistance providers for boat trailers and tow vehicles, feature-packed boat insurance programs, money-saving benefits that include fuel and West Marine shopping discounts, and vital information that improves the boating, fishing and sailing lifestyle. Its member-funded BoatUS Foundation is a national leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating.

Docks with Bad Wiring Continue to Prove Deadly

New Electric Shock Drowning Resource Center at BoatUS.com

"Tragic Deaths Were Preventable" - What You Need to Know

 

Last year over Fourth of July weekend, Alexandra Anderson, 13, and her brother, Brayden Anderson, eight, were swimming near a homeowner's dock on the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri when they started to scream. By the time the siblings were pulled from the lake, they were unresponsive and a short while later were pronounced dead. Two hours later on Cherokee Lake in Tennessee, 10-year-old Noah Winstead, died in a similar manner, while Noah's friend, 11-year-old Nate Parker Lynam, passed away the following evening. These were not drowning victims. In all four of these cases, 120-volt AC (alternating current) leakage from nearby boats or docks electrocuted or incapacitated swimmers in freshwater. This little-known and often-unidentified killer is called Electric Shock Drowning or ESD.

"Every one of these deaths was preventable," said Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) Director of Technical Services Beth Leonard. "Any boater and every adult who swims in a freshwater lake needs to understand how ESD happens, how to stop it from happening, and what to do - and not to do - if they ever have to help a victim." To help them with this vital task, BoatUS has put together a new online Electric Shock Drowning Resource Center to educate and inform the public about ESD at BoatUS.com/seaworthy/ESD.asp, and offers helpful tips below.

"An effort to increase safety standards on marina docks has been underway for several years now, but few resources have been available for the general public," said Leonard. "ESD is a complicated subject, and what information has been available for boaters, private dock owners, and swimmers has, all too often, been inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading. Our Electric Shock Drowning Resource Center addresses this problem with a range of helpful articles and presentations, all of which have been vetted for technical accuracy. We'll continue to add to and update this material to ensure it remains a valuable source of information," she added.
So what should boat owners, private dock owners, and swimmers do to prevent ESD?

Electric Shock Drowning: What You Need to Know From BoatUS

A diagram of how Electric Shock Drowning occurs.
(Courtesy of David Rifkin. This image available at: BoatUS.com/pressroom/previewimg/hires/esd.jpg)

IN GENERAL:

• Tell others about ESD. Most people have never heard of it and are unaware of the danger.
• To retrieve a person in the water, reach, throw, and row - but don't go.
• Make sure your children understand the importance of not swimming anywhere there could be electricity. Don't let them roughhouse on docks. Tell them what to do if they feel a tingling or shock in the water (see below).
• ESD victims are good candidates for successful Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Learn to perform CPR and maintain your training.

IN MARINAS:

• NEVER swim within 100 yards of any freshwater marina or boatyard.
• Talk to marina owners or operators about the danger of ESD. Ask your marina operator to prohibit swimming at their facility and post signs.
• Ask marina operators if they are aware of and follow the guidelines in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 303 (fire protection standard for marinas and boatyards) and National Electric Code (NEC) 555.

IF YOU HAVE A BOAT:

• Have your boat tested once a year to see if it is leaking electricity, or buy a clamp meter and test it yourself. If you find any problems, have your boat inspected by a qualified electrician trained to American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) standards.
• Have a qualified ABYC electrician install an Equipment Leakage Circuit Interrupter (ELCI) on your boat (refer them to the ABYC E-11 Standard) or use a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) in the shore power cord. As an alternative, install an isolation transformer on the boat.
• Test the GFCI/ELCI at least once a month or per the manufacturer's specifications.
• Do NOT do your own 120-volt AC electrical work on a boat or hire an electrician who is not familiar with ABYC standards to do it. Many of the problems that lead to an electrical fault on the boat result from the differences between shore and boat electrical systems and standards.
• DO NOT use common household extension cords for providing shore power to your boat. Use, and encourage other boaters to use, shore power cords built to UL standards, ideally with a GFCI built in.
• NEVER dive on your boat to work on underwater fittings when it is plugged in to shore power, even in saltwater.

IF YOU HAVE A PRIVATE DOCK:

• NEVER swim within 100 yards of ANY dock using electrical power!
• If you have not electrified your dock or put an AC system on your boat, weigh the risks carefully before doing so.
• If you need electricity on your dock, hire a licensed electrician and make sure the wiring meets the requirements in NFPA 303 and NEC 555. If your dock is already wired, hire an electrician to check that it was done properly. Because docks are exposed to the elements, their electrical systems should be inspected at least once a year.
• Exercise your GFCIs/ELCIs as recommended by the manufacturer.
• If you normally run a power cord from your house or garage to charge your batteries, make sure the outlet has a GFCI and include a GFCI somewhere in the shore power cord.
• NEVER swim off your dock without shutting down all shore power to the boat and the dock.
• Even if you adhere to all of these rules, nearby docks can still present a shock hazard. Educate your neighbors and work together with them to make the waterfront safe.

IF YOU'RE IN THE WATER AND YOU FEEL TINGLING OR SHOCKS:

• DO NOT follow your instinct to swim toward the dock!
• SHOUT! When electricity is not involved, drowning victims cannot speak, let alone shout. Tell those around you exactly what you're feeling so they can help you while keeping themselves safe.
• Try to stay upright and back out of the area the way you came, warn any other swimmers in the area of the danger, and then head for shore 100 yards or more from the dock.
• Alert the dock or marina owner and tell them to shut the power off to the dock until they locate the problem and correct it.
• Go to the hospital, explain what happened, and ask to be checked over to be sure there are no adverse health effects.

IF YOU HAVE TO RESCUE AN ESD VICTIM:

• Know how to distinguish drowning from ESD (drowning victims cannot speak and look as if they are trying to climb a ladder; screaming, shouting and tingling, numbness, or pain indicate ESD).
• Fight the instinct to enter the water - many rescuers have died trying to help ESD victims.
• Call for help. Use 911 or VHF Channel 16 as appropriate.
• Turn off the shore power connection at the meter base and/or unplug shore power cords.
• Get the victim out of the water. Remember to reach, throw, row - but don't go.
• If the person is not breathing or you cannot get a pulse, perform CPR until the Fire Department, Coast Guard, or ambulance arrives.

 

Top 5 Ramp Etiquette Rules for Happy Launching

Impolite, self-centered behavior could well describe a kindergarten sandbox at recess, but it also fits the description of the mayhem that some boat launch ramps experience on a busy summer weekend. If America's famed etiquette expert, Miss Manners, were to visit a launch ramp, what lack of courtesy would she find? Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has the answer with these top five launch ramp etiquette rules that can make the task go a lot easier and faster for all. 

Be talkative: The most surefire way to cause ramp snafus is to be silent with your guests. Speak up. Let them know they should avoid parking in spaces reserved for trailers/tow vehicles. Tell them how you will load and unload (more on that in a second). Before your return to the launch ramp dock, let your crew know what they can do to help. One more friendly tip: don't yell. 

Know where to load and unload: Unloading your gear at the bottom of the boat launch ramp, which could have been done while waiting in line at the top of the boat ramp, shows a lack of courtesy Miss Manners would detest. It also is an all-too-common mistake boaters make when launching and one of the biggest causes of delays. Plan ahead. Put a checklist on your sun visor. 

Don't be the launch ramp hog: Tying up your boat at the launch dock right next to the ramp, and then going to park the tow vehicle means the next person in line can't launch until you get back. Save everyone time by immediately moving your boat to the far end of the dock so there's room for the next person to launch or retrieve. 

Delay-of-launch penalty: Not launching the boat immediately when it's off the trailer and, instead, waiting for the crew to return from the bathrooms again adds delays and simmers tempers. This is true at the gas dock, too. Tie up at the dock, refuel the boat, and leave as quickly and safely as possible. Don't keep others waiting to refuel because your crew has walked to a nearby restaurant - that earns you a serious "delay-of-launch" penalty. 

Lend a hand: We all need help from time to time. Be kind to your boating neighbor.

About the BoatUS Trailer Assist: 

BoatUS - Boat Owners Association of The United States - is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing over half a million members with a wide array of consumer services, including roadside "Trailer Assist" just for trailer boaters that provides 24/7 roadside assistance for trailer breakdowns and tow vehicles. Also included is an online launch ramp locator, two special editions of BoatUS Trailering magazine and six E-editions containing great solutions from the "Trailering Guys," valuable seasonal maintenance tips, useful trailering techniques and new product and destination reviews and more. For membership information visit www.BoatUS.com/towing/trailerabout.asp or call 800-245-6923

Annual List of Top Ten Boat Names

Boat Owners Association of The United States' 23rd Annual List of Top Ten Boat Names is:

1. Island Time 2. Seas the Day 3. It's About Time 4. Liberty 5. Serendipity

6. Second Wind 7. Dolce Vita 8. Aquaholic 9. The Good Life 10. Nauti Buoy