Four Myths About Boat Fire Extinguishers

Every spring, the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water receives questions from boaters about fire extinguishers. To help set the record straight here are four fire extinguisher myths debunked:

Myth #1: Tapping or striking the extinguisher keeps the contents “fresh”.
Reality: Leave the mallet at home. Unlike days of old, today’s modern fire extinguishers don’t use chemicals that cake, get hard, or need to be broken up. Whacking it with a mallet or hammer could compromise the extinguisher’s ability to put out a fire.

Myth #2: All extinguishers must be mounted with a bracket.

 Is this fire extinguisher ready to put out a fire.

Reality: Mounting a fire extinguisher on a bracket keeps the unit in a handy place and may protect it from being banged around the boat, but it is not a legal requirement. You do, however, need to ensure the extinguisher is readily accessible, so leaving it at the bottom of locker or compartment is a big no-no.

Myth #3: Fire extinguishers get old and go “bad” every year.
Reality: Unlike flares, fire extinguishers have no expiration date. To meet US Coast Guard carriage requirements however, the extinguisher must be Coast Guard approved and in “good and serviceable” condition. The charge indicator needs to be in the green zone, the nozzle free of obstruction and the cylinder not rusted.

Myth #4: The law says you only need to carry one extinguisher.
Reality: US Coast Guard minimum equipment requirements dictate that larger vessels require more than one fire extinguisher. While a full list of all minimum safety gear requirements for all boat sizes can be found at BoatUS.org/equipment, don’t let that stop you from adding additional extinguishers. Having back-ups may help save your boat and won’t break your budget.

New Powerboat Registrations Up

Over 8% increase in third quarter 2015

The National Marine Manufacturers Association reports in the third quarter of 2015, new registrations of traditional powerboats and personal watercraft were up 8.5% (YOY) and up 8.8% (R12M YOY).

Jet drive boats, personal watercraft, wake sport boats, and outboard boats led growth, up 22.3%, 14.3%, 10.6% and 8.2% (R12M YOY) respectively. There’s continued softness in sterndrive boats, down -7.5% (R12M YOY), while inboard cruisers were relatively flat, up 0.1% R12M YOY.

Among high-volume regions, growth was led by the Pacific region, which spans the Pacific coast from Washington to California including Hawaii (up 11.3% R12M YOY). The South Atlantic region, which spans the Atlantic Coast from Delaware south to Florida was up 10.8% R12M YOY and the East North region, which includes Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, was up 8.8% R12M YOY. Together, these regions represent 47.4% of all new boat sales.

America’s Boating Safety and Angling Conservation Reauthorized

In a victory for boaters and anglers, Friday’s passage of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act also includes reauthorization of the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund through the year 2020. After significant lobbying by Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) along with other boating and angling organizations, in 1984 Congress passed legislation establishing what was then called the Wallop/Breaux Trust Fund. Now called the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, it continues to serve as the backbone of boating safety, infrastructure, clean water and fisheries conservation funding in the United States.

The practical “user pay, everyone benefits” program uses federal boat fuel and fishing tackle taxes to protect natural aquatic resources, enhance boating safety and provide more recreational fishing and boating opportunities. Since its inception, more than $7.5 billion has been collected and allocated to the states. More recently since 2004, over 3.8 billion fish have been stocked, 11,000+ boat ramps and access sites have been created or renovated and over 1,100+ transient boating facilities built, 4.7 million students taught aquatic education, over 63,000 acres of fish habitat protected, and over half a million boaters, sailors and anglers have completed an approved state boating safety education course.

BoatUS, as a longtime champion of the Trust Fund along with other members of the Angling and Boating Alliance (ABA), has worked tirelessly to make certain it continues to be used for key boating and fishing programs. Said BoatUS President Margaret Podlich, “Some in Washington might have viewed these boater and angler tax dollars as a way to solve their own budget problems. BoatUS along with the ABA made certain this reauthorization ensures that the money boaters and anglers pay stays intact for the intended use: saving lives, keeping our fish stocks healthy and making it easier to enjoy the water.”

Podlich went on to state, “We appreciate the leadership of the multiple House and Senate Committees that included the Trust Fund in the FAST Act. Congressman Bill Shuster, Senator James Inhofe, Congressman Peter DeFazio, Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator John Thune and Senator Bill Nelson are all to be commended for their continuing support of America’s boaters and anglers.”

Four Tips for Buying a Used Boat Trailer

As the boating season ends in the northern climates, some boaters may be looking to find a trailer to store the boat for the winter. If you’re looking to buy a used boat trailer now or planning on buying a boat that comes with a used trailer, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has four buying tips:

Bring a measuring tape: With older trailers, the capacity plate or sticker may be long gone or too hard to read after being outside in the weather for years. But if you’d like to know a rough idea of a spring-axle trailer’s capacity, simply measure the diameter of the axle. An outer diameter (OD) axle tube size of 1.75” is typically rated for about one ton; 2.375” for 3,500 lbs.; and 3” for 5,200-7,000 lbs. – remember to subtract the weight of the trailer from the gross capacity.

Buying out of state: Trailers aren’t built the same because states’ trailering regulations aren’t the same. While most states require brakes for trailers rated to carry than more than 3,000 lbs., some states require brakes on trailers as light as 1,500 lbs., while a few others let you coast up to 4,500 pounds – although that’s not recommended. It can be expensive to retrofit brakes, and some states such as Florida require brakes on each axle. State-specific trailer registration information can be found at drivinglaws.aaa.com.

Why tire diameter matters: After an hour at highway speeds, a 13-inch tire will have spun 10,000 revolutions more than a 15-inch tire, which means more heat, bearing wear and increased chance of problems. Having a fully serviced spare tire ready to go – and the tools to install it – will solve many of the most common reasons for a trailer breakdown. If all else fails, having an annual BoatUS membership with Unlimited Trailer Assist roadside assistance to safely tow both your boat trailer and tow vehicle up to a 100 miles will make a bad roadside breakdown suddenly get much better.

Watch out for paperwork snafus: Not having ownership documents can sink a sale faster than you can say, “Did you put the plug in?” If the trailer is missing the vehicle identification number (VIN), it cannot be legibly read or doesn’t match ownership paperwork, you may run into an issue with the DMV and have to apply for a replacement. It’s better to have the seller handle this before the sale.

For a full look at this topic, see “Buying a Used Trailer?” at BoatUS.com/buyusedtrailer

Boater’s Guide To Winterizing

Water expands in volume by about nine percent when it freezes, creating a staggering force that can crack a boat engine block, damage fiberglass, split hoses, or destroy a boat’s refrigeration system overnight. As cold weather approaches, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) dug into its claims data and found that more than three-quarters of winter-related claims involved cracks in the engine block or the exhaust manifolds. Now, the national boating services, safety and advocacy group has available at no-cost a 15-page “Boater's Guide to Winterizing” that can ensure boaters don’t miss a step for any type of boat.

“Boaters up North know they need to winterize, so their freeze claims almost always involve poor winterizing,” said BoatUS Director of Technical Services Beth Leonard. “In the temperate South, the issue can be a case of no winterizing, or relying on a heater when the electricity goes off, usually when you need it most.”

The downloadable brochure addresses the reasons for more than 95 percent of the freeze claims handled by the BoatUS Marine Insurance Program in the past decade. Included are chapters on: Storing your boat - The options and the tradeoffs; a Winterizing Checklist to use as the starting point for creating your own boat’s winterizing list; Engines and Drives - The dos and don’ts; and Plumbing - Getting the water out, which is great for larger boats.

Additional information includes tips on choosing antifreeze, lessons learned from BoatUS Consumer Affairs about protecting yourself with a winterization contract, and green winterizing information.
The checklist is available at www.BoatUS.com/winterizingguide.

Pennsylvania Offers Kayak Fishing Instruction Classes

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) has scheduled two programs to provide an opportunity for anglers or kayak enthusiasts to learn about the basics of in kayak fishing.

PFBC Kayak Fishing Programs will be held at these locations: 

• July 18, Bald Eagle State Park – Hunter Run East launch, Centre County, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.  (For more information or to register)
• August 1, Moraine State Park – Bear Run launch, Butler County, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. (For more information or to register)

“During each program, participants will learn about basic kayak skills and safety, how to rig or outfit a kayak for fishing, and learn about black bass and panfish fishing techniques,” said Carl Richardson, PFBC Education Section Manager. “Commission staff and local kayak fishing experts will lead the instruction. Participants will then have an opportunity to make use of what they learned during an open fishing session.”

Jeff Woleslagle will be the guest instructor at the July 18 program. He is a freelance writer for the Pennsylvania Angler and Boater magazine with an expertise in kayak fishing.

Noah Heck will be the guest instructor at the August 1 program. He is an avid kayak angler who is the co-founder of the Kayak Anglers of Western PA tournament series.

Participants must be 16 years of age or older and have a valid Pennsylvania fishing license. This program is limited to 40 participants and pre-registration is required. There will be no registrations accepted the day of the event.

Pennsylvania fishing licenses may be purchased at any of the more than 900 license issuing agents and online at www.GoneFishingPa.com.

Be Safe on July 4th Weekend

Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Send This Timely Reminder

With the summer season well underway, July 4 marks a major boating holiday. Boaters will take to the water in a variety of watercraft on one of the busiest boating weekends of the year. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) reminds boaters to have fun and stay safe this Independence Day and throughout the entire boating season.

 

“According to Pennsylvania’s boating accident reports, almost 80 percent of all boating fatalities happen to boaters not wearing a life jacket,” reports Laurel Anders, PFBC Director of Boating and Outreach.  “You may think the unexpected won’t happen to you. Don’t take that chance. Most boating-related deaths are preventable. Wear your life jacket at all times and insist your passengers do, too.”

 

Many boaters don’t wear life jackets because they claim they can swim, they want to look “cool” or they simply forget to carry them onboard. But the unthinkable can happen.

 

“We urge you to watch this video of family and friends as they speak about the impact of a double-fatal boat accident,” Anders adds. “Their hope is that their story will make other boaters think twice, boat smarter and prevent another tragic boating accident from occurring.”

 

Boating Safety Video

 

For more boating safety videos, visit https://www.youtube.com/user/PAfishandboat or http://WearItPennsylvania.com.

 

For boaters heading onto waters this season, the PFBC urges the following tips:

• Always wear a life jacket, even when not required. Many models are cool and comfortable for warm weather boating.
• Never boat alone.
• Keep a proper lookout. Always be aware of your surroundings.
• Leave a float plan and know the waters you plan to boat.
• Always check the weather and real-time river forecasts for the potential of hazardous high water.
• Bring a fully-charged cell phone with you in case of emergency.
• Boat smart and take a boating safety education course before you head out.
• Never drink and boat.

“Remember, life jackets are the most important piece of safety equipment on a boat and there’s no excuse not to ‘Wear It, Pennsylvania’”, adds Anders.

 

To learn more about life jacket wear, visit the PFBC website: http://fishandboat.com/lifejackets.htm.