Coast Guard kicks off Safe Boating Week

Soaring gasoline prices may be keeping powerboaters at the dock but the number of kayakers and canoeists is increasing dramatically, prompting the Coast Guard to issue a safety warning.As the Coast Guard kicks off National Safe Boating Week, the rising cost of fuel throughout New England has caused some recreational boaters to reconsider the way they spend time on the water.”Kayaking and canoeing are a great way for people to experience the coastal and inland waters of the Northeast,” said Al Johnson, a Lynn resident and recreational boating specialist for the First Coast Guard District in Boston. “However, anyone venturing out in a kayak or canoe should be as prudent and responsible as any mariner regardless if their boat uses a motor, sail or paddle.”Johnson advises anyone who participates in a paddle sport to wear a life jacket, carry a signal device like a whistle, and keep onboard a compass and know how to use it.”A beautiful day on the water in a kayak or canoe can quickly turn deadly if a thick fog sets in or the boat overturns and the paddler has no idea what to do,” he said. “Being aware of what can go wrong, and being properly equipped to survive, is essential.”Besides having on board the correct safety equipment, Johnson recommends paddlers take a safe-boating course with a focus on paddling safety skills such as learning how to safely exit and re-enter an overturned kayak or canoe, and the fundamentals of coastal navigation.Canoe and kayak fatalities comprise more than 30 percent of the recreational fatalities in the First District ? more than double the national average ? based on statistics that have been compiled since 1998 when the Coast Guard began tracking specific boating death data.Last year, 58 recreational boaters died in the First District, including 15 canoeists and eight kayakers, Johnson said.Although Memorial Day signals the unofficial start of the summer boating season, regional waters, especially in Maine and New Hampshire, remain dangerously cold. Johnson cautions paddlers that even during the hottest summer days hypothermia is a serious risk if a paddler is unprepared for a sudden immersion in cold water.Wearing a lifejacket and a wetsuit or drysuit can help reduce the risk, he said.