Table of Contents:

Introduction

Registration, Numbering, and Documentation

Law Enforcement

Equipment Requirements

Vessels Operating Offshore

Operating Procedures

Safety and Survival Tips

Operator's Responsibility

Overloading

Anchoring

Fueling Precautions

Float Plan

Propeller Blades Warning

Weather

Small Boats & Water Activities

Staying Afloat

Cold Water Survival

Hypothermia

Carbon Monoxide

Checklist

Pre-Departure Checklist

Be Safe on the Water

Conversion Table (Metric/US)

Federal Requirements and Safety Tips for Recreational Boats

safety tip Hypothermia

Immersion in water speeds the loss of body heat and can lead to hypothermia. Hypothermia is the abnormal lowering of internal body temperature. If your boat capsizes it will likely float on or just below the surface. Outboard powered vessels built after 1978 are designed to support you even if full of water or capsized. To reduce the effects of hypothermia get in or on the boat. Try to get as much of your body out of the water as possible. If you can't get in the boat a PFD will enable you to keep your head out of the water. This is very important because about 50% of body heat loss is from the head.

It may be possible to revive a drowning victim who has been under water for considerable time and shows no signs of life. Numerous documented cases exist where victims have been resuscitated with no apparent harmful effects after long immersions. Start CPR immediately and get the victim to a hospital as quickly as possible.

Line chart that illustrates the danger of hypothermia related to water temperature and duration of immersion in hours. The danger of hypothermia increases as the water temperature declines and as the duration of immersion increases. The chart provides the following information: A person immersed in water of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder has a high probability of death after immersion of more than one hour. A person immersed in water of 40 degrees has a high probability of death with immersion of more than two hours. A person immersed in water of 50 degrees has a high probability of death with immersion of 3.5 hours or more. A person immersed in water of 40 degrees is in the danger zone after about 45 minutes of immersion. A person immersed in water of 50 degrees is in the danger zone after about and hour and a quarter of immersion. A person immersed in water of 60 degrees is in the danger zone after about 2 hours and 15 minutes of immersion.

The Danger Zone indicates where safety precautions and appropriate behavior (adopting H.E.L.P.) can increase your chances of survival when immersed in cold water.
USCG red rod
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