ABA Boating safety program
Boating safety — it could mean your life.
3,844
Boating Accidents
564
Deaths
2,126
Injuries
In the calendar year 2020, the US Coast Guard reports that there were 5,265 recreational boating accidents that involved 767 deaths and 3,191 were injured.
Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; it was listed as the leading factor in 18% of the deaths.
Additional contributing factors for deaths were operator inexperience, operator inattention, excessive speed, improper lookout, navigation rules violation, drug use, sharp turn, failure to vent and restricted vision.
B.E. S.A.F.E.
ABA encourages every boater to be serious about boating safety, starting with the proper kind and amount of boater training. Remember, a boating mishap or fatality often involves innocent people who share in none of the blame, but all of the consequence. As a responsible boater, the life you save may very well be someone else’s. Remember, B E S A F E* – KNOW YOUR…
Boat
Equipment
Safety devices and PFDs
Alcohol limits
First aid and emergency procedures
Environment (area and weather)
…BEFORE YOU GO!
* Source: National Safe Boating Council
BOATING SAFETY Articles
The following helpful boating pointers are useful to boaters of all types.
ABA assumes no responsibility or liability for events that occur due to actions you or others on your behalf take based on the information given. You are proceeding at your own risk.
- Boat Anchoring 101
- Anchoring in Changing Wind and Current
- When the Anchor Drags
- Tips on Docking Your Boat
- Getting Your Boat Off a Dock
- Springing On and Off a Dock
- Taking Care of Rope
- Line Handling
- Standing Rigging
- Tips on Navigating a Channel
- River Navigation
- Dead Reckoning Navigation
- Steering By Compass
- Ranges and Transits
- Reading Buoys and Marks
- What is Left and Right?
- Spring Commissioning
- Towing
- Trailering Your Boat
- What if You Call 911 and No One Ever Answers?
- Which Tack to Take for Sailors
Attn: ABA Members – for more boating tips and pointers, click here.
- U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Courses
- Boating Fatality Facts
- Give Yourself Or Your Nautical Loved One A Nautical Education
- Homeland Security and the Maritime Nation
- I Hear the Siren, and See a Light – What Is It? Oh My, I’ve Just Been Pulled Over – What Do I Do?
- It Would Have Made a Great Video!
- Kids and Boating: An Opportunity to Instill Recreational Boating Safety Values That Will Last a Lifetime
- Ode to the Fisherman
- Suddenly In Command
- WANTED: Responsible Boaters-Responsibility on the Water is More Than Just About Lifejackets
- Why Sailor’s Need More Education Than Powerboaters – Or Do They?
- Boat Trailers How to Choose the One Thats Right for You
- Boaters Use a Checklist Before Getting Underway
- “Bright Twist” on Boat Lettering and Night Safety
- Can’t Hear You! – Keep Shouting
- Device Ends ‘Search’ in Search and Rescue
- Does Your Boat Have a Sound-Producing Device…? And Can Anyone Hear It?
- Downtime is a Good Time to Check Safety Gear
- GPS – Basic Navigator Functions
- How to Choose a Handheld GPS Receiver
- Using a GPS for Boat Navigation
- Laser Technology, Available, Now, May Replace Pyrotechnic Signals
- Lessons Learned: Better to “Know Before You Go” When it Comes to Boating Safety Equipment and Dealing With Emergencies
- Line Handling and Care
- Look Up At The Sky… Is It A Plane, Is It A Helicopter Or Is It A…Visual Distress Signal?
- Marine Navigational Aids to Have Aboard Your Boat
- Magnetic Compass
- Minimum Legal Requirements
- Nautical Lighting – A Glimmer On How To Use Them
- Old Flares Breed a Dilemma
- Radar – Operator Controls
- Semi-annual Safety Checklist
- Think Boating Safety
- Top 5 Essential Boat Parts
- Water Safety is in Your Hands With the Safety Turtle System
- What Do I Do With My Old Fire Extinguishers?
- The Big Squeeze – Heimlich Maneuver in Water
- Boaters Must Consider the Effects of Prescription Medication Before Leaving Dock
- Boating Under the Influence (of medications)
- What Every Boater Needs to Know About Electric Shock Drowning
- Physical Well-Being – Fatigue
- Physical Well-Being – Seasickness
- Some Sea Creatures To Think Twice About
- Physical Well-Being – Sun and Heat-Related Factors
- Beware of E15 Fuels in Boats
- Boating Safety Tips
- Boat Nomenclature and Terminology
- Deadheads Can Get You if You Don’t Watch Out
- Estimating Wave Height
- False Distress Signals Are Costly
- Fueling Your Boat
- Knot Tying – Terminology
- Man Overboard
- Marlinspike – Knot Tying
- Propeller Strikes May Prove Deadly
- PWCs – A Little Safety Will Go a Long Way
- Storing Your Boat
- Anatomy of an Anchoring System
- Anchor Hang-Ups
- Anchoring Techniques
- Do You Really Need an Anchor on Your Boat?
- How to Choose the Right Anchor
- Safe Anchoring
- Selecting an Anchorage
- Which Anchor is Best for My Boat
- Basic Chart Information
- Basic Plotting Equipment
- Boat Safely – Make Sure Your Charts are Up-to-Date
- Cartography – Raster vs. Vector
- Chart Plotting Technology
- Chart Symbols
- GPS – Entering Waypoints
- Safe Boat Operations – Nautical Chart
- “Unfolding” Electronic Charts
- Bad Weather and Rough Water
- Big Boats vs. Small Boats; Not a Fair Comparison
- Bigger On The Water, Not Only Means Bigger, But Danger As Well! The Law Of Gross Tonnage
- The Capsizing of the Ethan Allen Highlights a Mistake Many Recreational Boaters Make
- Coast Guard Auxiliary Reminds Boaters: “Water Toys” Are Not Toys At All
- Consider Your Passenger’s Waistline When Loading Your Boat
- Docking Maneuvers – Mooring and Spring Lines
- Don’t Forget About These Boating Items, They’re Part of Your Vessel’s Safety Plan!
- General Characteristics of Short-Range Aids to Navigation (AtoN)
- General Definitions (International Rules and Inland Rules)
- How to Launch a Boat
- Interpreting Lights Correctly
- Local Knowledge Could Have Saved This Boater Much Pain – August 12, 2005
- Maneuvering Sound Signals
- Naval Protection Zones
- New Boat Handling and Maneuvering Skills
- Overboard: Holding the Course
- Safe Speed and Boat Handling Skills
- Speed, Kills on Land, Kills on the Water
- Steering and Sailing Rules
- US Aids to Navigation System (AtoN)
- Yes! Believe It Or Not, Our Waterways Do Have Rules of the Road!
Anchor Information
Chart Information
General Navigation and Boat Handling Information
- Score a “Touchdown” – When Choosing a Life Jacket
- Life Jackets Save Lives in Cold Water, Too
- Not Just Another PFD Story
- Your Life Jacket (PFD) is Just the Start
- Does Your PFD Have A Sunburn?
- If You Don’t Wear Anything Else, Wear Your Life Jacket!
- Life Jackets 101
- Not Just Another PFD Story
- Dog Life Vests
- 10 Reasons Your Dog Needs a Life Jacket
- Cospas-Sarsat: Saving Lives for 20 Years
- Dangers Associated with Automatic Channel Switching on Digital Selective Calling (DSC) Equipped VHF Marine Radios
- Functioning Marine Radio Crucial When Emergencies Happen
- The Importance of Communication in an Emergency
- Man Gets 18 Months for Hoax Distress Call to Coast Guard
- Marine Communications – Understanding Your Radio
- Marine Radio Information for Boaters
- Maritime Telecommunications
- New Rules for Emergency Beacons
- NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies
- U.S. VHF Channels
- Whether You’re Going Offshore or Not, an EPIRB Is Not a Bad Idea
The U.S. Coast Guard offers a great deal of useful and practical boating safety information including:
- Free Vessel Check
- Coast Guard Reminds Boating Safety for July 4 Holiday Week
- Not All Boating Accidents Happen On The Water
- USCG Auxiliary Gets Good News On The Eve of National Safe Boating Week
- Danger Ahead: 4th of July Holiday is the Busiest, and Often Deadliest Time of the Boating Season
- Don’t Be the Victim of the “Silent Killer”
- How About Lending a Hand to Fight Terrorism?
- The Discontinuation of *CG
- When It Really Counts, It’s Good To Be an USCG Auxiliary Member
- Bad Weather and Rough Water – Entering or Exiting a Port
- Bad Weather and Rough Water – Dealing with Current and High Winds
- Cold Water Survival – Preventing Heat Loss
- Cold Water Survival – Dressing for Cold Water Survival
- Cold Weather Boating Requires Caution, Preparation
- Gear for Cold Weather Boating
- Handling Hypothermia
- Heavy Weather Operations
- Hypothermia and Cold Shock – The Risks of Off Season Boating
- Hypothermia in the Summertime? You’re Kidding Me!
- Land Breeze – Understanding Marine Weather
- Marine Layer
- OceanGrafix Alerts Mariners to Possible Paper Chart Changes Due to Hurricanes
- Physical Well-being – Effects of Cold Weather
- Rip Currents
- Sea Myths and Sayings
- Summer Thunderstorms
- Understanding Marine Weather – Ocean Circulations
- Understanding Marine Weather – Sea Breeze
- Waves and Surf
- What Should I Do if a Hurricane is a Threat to My Boat?
- When a Storm Threatens It’s Time to Increase Your Hold on Your Boat!
- Wind Chill
SAFETY QUIZZES
MORE INFORMATION
File a Float Plan
It is always a good idea to use the U.S. Coast Guard Float Plan that describes the details of your planned outing. It contains the who, what, where, when and how of your outing or trip. Simply fill out the form before heading out on the water, print it, and leave it with a person who can be depended upon to notify the local police, sheriff, Coast Guard station or other rescue organization, should you not return as scheduled. (Do not file this plan with the Coast Guard.) The information provided is considered the “minimum” information needed when filling out a float plan. Consider utilizing the back side(s) of these forms to provide as much detailed information as possible to ensure complete information is on hand in the event you should have a mishap.
Boating Accident Statistics
Read the latest recreational boating accident statistics as compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard to learn from others’ mistakes. The information is available in Adobe PDF File format.
PFDs
Every member of your crew should have a U.S. Coast Guard Approved Personal Flotation Device. PFDs, they float you don’t! Of the 534 recreational boating drowning deaths in 2020, the US Coast Guard approximates that 450 victims (84%) were not wearing a life jacket. The following are guidelines for the care and use of PFDs:
- Buy your own life jacket, and wear it. One size does not fit all.
- Look at the label for size and weight limitations.
- Try it on and check the fit. With straps and buckles secured, the life jacket should not slip over your head or cover your eyes.
- Make sure the life jacket is Coast Guard approved.
- Replace your life jacket if you find air leakage, mildew or rot.
- Never alter a life jacket. It could lose its effectiveness.
- Check your life jackets yearly for flotation and fit.
- Wear a life jacket to set an example for younger children while increasing your chances of survival.
- Make the Memorial Day holiday a gift-giving event – buy your boating children and (or) grandchildren a PFD fitted to their size at the beginning of each boating season. Children need special care because of changing size and distribution of body weight.
Children & Boating Safety
Boating Safety “Sidekicks” introduces kids to the world of boating with safety in mind and with the hope of developing a lifelong love and respect for boating.
Boat Safety Tips and Fun Activities for Kids – video to learn boat safety tips and fun activities for kids.
Boating Safety & the Environment
Most boating safety information only includes direct threats caused by equipment failure, weather, alcohol, unsafe boating, or accidents. We think that boaters should also think about their family’s health and safety from the perspective of environmental threats and clean boating activities. Visit our clean boating activities area to learn more.
Contacts
For more information on boating safety and boating courses, contact your State Boating Agency, Coast Guard District or call the Boating Safety Hotline (1-800-368-5647).
The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) has a representative responsible for boating safety education in each state, Click here to find your state’s representative.