Tips For Smart Boating
Following these few simple safety tips could save a life-yours or
that of a passenger:
?Don't drink and boat. Designate a driver.
?Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFD.
?Check the weather and water forecasts before and after leaving shore.
Avoid adverse weather.
?Limit the number of passengers in a small boat. Check the capacity
plate.
? Have visual distress devices approved by the Coast Guard.
?Use the "one third rule" of fuel management: one-?h?rd to go, one
third to get back and one-third for reserve.
?Tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back. Better yet,
leave a float plan.
?Sign up for a safe boating course. Contact the local Coast Guard
Auxiliary or Power Squadron or call 1 -800-3 36-BO AT for the class
nearest you.
About The Cover...
A scene cast of die Holden Beach Bridge on the mainland side of die
Intracoastal Waterway was the inspiration for the Vic Gillespie painting
from which the front cover was reproduced. Vic Gillespie brings a nation
al reputation as a fine artist to Brunswick County. His work is included in
many private and corporate collections. Along widi Andy Griffidi and
composer Loonis McGlohon. Gillespie's works of art were showcased in
die "I like calling North Carolina Home" state promotional campaign. He
is also involved with many wildlife and conservation causes, and has do
nated many painting to these. Gillespie and his wife. Barbara, live on
Holden Beach, and Memorial Day weekend will open the Upper Deck
Art Gallery in the Holden Beach Marina.
/dm/ Livmq
IS PUBLISHED AS A SUPPLEMENT TO /
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Play It Safe And Enjoy
Your Day On The Water
BY SUSAN USHER
What better way could
there be to spend a sum
mer afternoon than cruis
ing in the family boat?
Boating's an increasingly popu
lar pastime across the South
Brunswick Islands. Thai's evident
as thousands of vessels of all
shapes and sizes-and thousands of
boaters with varying levels of expe
rience-lake to the water in pursuit
of fun and recreation.
For many, a day on a boat, with
the sun shining, a breeze blowing
and the boat gently rocking in the
water sounds like pure relax
ation-the ideal escape from a fast
paced weekday life.
Cletus Waldmiller's 24-foot Bay
liner, My Queen Elizabeth , looks
like the right kind of boat for that
kind of day.
On this particular afternoon,
however, the boat-new to Wald
miller- is at its moorings near Cala
bash, undergoing a courtesy exami
nation by the U.S. Coast Guard
Auxiliary's Shallotte Flotilla. Jim
and Anne Hesser and Adrienne
Toler methodically go down a
checklist before Jim Hesser pulls
out the colorful sticker that says the
boat is properly equipped for fun
and safety on the water.
Last year the Flotilla exceeded
its 250-examination quota and is
aiming to conduct at least 270 this
year.
On the opposite side of the boat
is a red sticker, proof Waldmiller
has paid a federal use tax. Last
year, said he and Hesser, the U.S.
Coast Guard didn't issue citations
to boats that had not paid the con
troversial lax. Boaters don'i like the
lax because the money collected
isn't used to help boating; it goes
into the general budget. This year,
said Hesser and Waldmiller, recre
ational boaters who haven't paid
the fee, which varies according to
boat size, will be issued citations
and could be levied a fine of up to
S5.000.
Waldmiller is a past commander
of the Shallotte River U.S. Power
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"MARTIN FELDT^HOLDENBEACH
STAFF PHOTO BY SUSAN USHER
IT PASSED! Jim Hesser (right), past commander of the Shal
lotte Flotilla, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, places a safety exam
sticker on the windshield of the My Queen Elizabeth, as owner
Clete Waldmiller, past commander of the Shallotte River Power
Squadron (left), stands by.
Squadron, while Hesscr is a long
time Squadron member as well as a
past commander of the Auxiliary's
Shallotte Flotilla. Both organiza
tions promote safe and courteous
boating.
While die number of pleasure
boats plying the waters off Bruns
wick County is increasing, Wald
miller said local boaters arc fortu
nate, because local waterways are
not nearly as crowded as those in
some areas, such as Annapolis,
Md., or farther up the East Coast.
But area waters are not without
problems of their own.
Two of the boating-related prob
lems Waldmiller and Hesser see
most often locally are drinking and
driving, and speeding.
Often the two are related.
"Drinking usually leads to speeding
and reckless driving," said Hesser.
Last year, more than 1 ,(XX) peo
ple drowned in boating accidents
nationwide.
Saturday, the most popular day
of the week for boating, also has
the most accidents, according to the
National Safe Boating Council.
"That's one of the beauties of
being retired," says Waldmiller. "I
don't go out on the weekends."
Most boating accidents happen
on calm water, when visibility is
good.
And more accidents occur be
tween 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 pm. than
any other time of the day.
How docs it happen? What can a
boater do to reduce the odds?
Stressors-such as fatigue from
sun and wind exposure, engine
noise, vibration and constant boat
motion and alcohol-combine laic in I
the afternoon to make boaters less
careful, less able to respond to dan
ger.
Natural risk factors may include
wind, weather and navigational
hazards.
But the biggest hazards to boat
ing safety can be controlled: use of
alcohol, speeding and failure to use
personal notation devices (PFDs).
For the boater interested in learn
ing safety on the water, local units
of both the U.S. Power Squadron
and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
offer safe boating courses that ad
dress these topics and others, such
as boat handling and seamanship,
anchors and anchoring, trailering,
weather, equipment, slate and fed
eral regulations, charts and aids to
navigation, marlinspike, basics of
navigation, piloting, navigation
rules and radio telephone.
The classes arc voluntary now,
and taught by volunteers. However,
with boating's increasing popularity
and overcrowding of waterways, 1
that may change as well.
"We think safety classes arc going
to be mandatory soon," said Mrs.
Hcsser.
For more information on the Pow- J
cr Squadron, contact Commander
Charles L. Lambert of Shallotlc, 754
5675, or Education Officer Carr H.
Parsons of Sunset Beach, 579-0718, ;
or any member.
For more information on the Coast
Guard Auxiliary, contact John Fletch
cr of the Holdcn Beach area regard
ing courtesy inspections, or Bill
Grancsay, public information officcr,
for general information, 754-8599, or
any member.