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CLEVELAND — Jeanette Lloyd teaches boating safety through her business called Mindful Mariners.
She showed Spectrum News some of the items needed to meet the Coast Guard’s boating safety requirements, including flares, a horn and personal flotation devices.
What You Need To Know
- July 4th weekend is one of the busiest boating weekends of the year
- Many more people have picked up boating over the last few years
- Boating experts urge new boaters to follow coast guard safety requirements
“A lot of times the Coast Guard will be out there they will board to make sure you’re compliant. You will be ticketed if you do not have the compliant gear on board, ” Lloyd said.
She added there are some items that aren’t required but they’re recommended, such as a VHF (very high frequency) radio.
“In the event associated with an emergency, you’d make a call on Channel 16 and you’d be able to hail the coast safeguard and any nearby vessels, ” Lloyd said.
Lloyd pointed out there’s been a boating boom over the last two years, because many people looked for an activity during the pandemic. That’s why she said learning proper care plus safety is more important than ever.
Lloyd said you should always check the fluids before launching, treating the particular boat like a second car.
Outside of the boat, she stated you should get fenders (similar in order to bumpers on a car), which can prevent a scratch.
“Depending on the length of your boat, I’d say one for every (foot) of boat length. For this one, not 3 to 4 would be solid, ” Lloyd mentioned.
While Lloyd added these are just the basics, any good boat owner should become well-versed in how it works before heading out onto Lake Erie, or any of Ohio’s waterways.
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