Page 22 - SEPT2023

Page 22
Sports
By mJc
As the summer boating sea- son is rapidly coming to a close, this advise may be too little, too late, but it’s worth mention- ing that boating safety is para- mount when operating a craft of any size or means of pro- pulsion. A friend mentioned to me the other day that she and her family were kayaking on a local body of water over the weekend and were in constant fear due to irresponsible actions by powered vessels. They were nearly swamped several times, not to mention close calls with powered craft that were dan- gerously close to a point were they weren’t sure if the powered boater had seen them at all. They had to wave their paddles frantically as the other speeding craft approached them on a col- lision course, veering off at the last possible second causing a near miss and turning a casual activity into a seemingly life and death struggle. Irresponsible op- eration and lack of situational
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
Off the Hook
September 2023
awareness is a recipe for disas- ter. As anyone whom has been in the drivers seat of any type of watercraft knows that boats do not come with brakes as standard equipment and it can take a much longer time and distance to slow down and/or stop. Competent operators ex- ercise great caution and aware- ness when other vessels are near them and plan ahead to ensure that they don’t have to take last second action to avoid an acci- dent. Remember that you are responsible for your wake and any damage caused by it. I see it quite a bit when I am out on the water, a complete and total lack of consideration when nearing other vessels, there are mini- mum distances and speeds that must be adhered to by law be- tween vessels, non boaters and the shoreline. If you have been watching the local news lately, there have been several boat- ing accidents resulting in deaths and property damage that in hindsight were completely pre- ventable. An accident by defini-
tion is an unplanned event, it’s in the definition, “planned” of lack thereof. Hope, once again,
is not a strategy!
something to think about be- fore your next outing. Enjoying
a day on the lake should not in- clude or end with an avoidable tragedy, and how do you apolo- gize for ending a life due to ir- responsible idiotic behavior??? Again, don’t be that guy!!
Just a little
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