sobering read

Hey guys,
I recently posted a message "toobs vs. toons Pros and Cons" in which I made a note to research accidents and fatalities involving toobs or toons. So tonight I went online and found this,… I think we should all take a look at this…

Now I have yet to get a response from the USCG regarding where float tubes and cataraft fishing pontoons fall in their yearly assessment. But I think it is very sobering and enlightening reading their report.

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check it out….

bodfish

Thanks for posting this report. Some info I cherry-picked from a quick look:

Most deaths in small watercraft (kayaks, canoes, inflatables, etc) were caused by drowning. Many drowning victims were not wearing life preservers.

If you have a mishap while using a small watercraft, the mishap usually involves capsizing or a collision with another craft.

The states with high percentages of boating accidents are near large bodies of water. That's not a surprise, but what struck me was info about Wisconsin - where I live. We share Great Lakes shorelines with Minnesota and Michigan and therefore are near large bodies of water - in addition to having many thousands of lakes within our borders. One would think our risk factor for a boating mishap would be about the same as our neighboring states, but statistically we are more at risk. I'm guessing it's because we really like our beer and our brandy. Alcohol is a contributing factor in many of our accidents - more so than neighboring states.

Take-aways from this report:
Wear a life preserver - always. Get one that is comfortable so that you actually wear it.
Make yourself as visible as possible to other watercraft.
If you enjoy alcoholic beverages, do most of your drinking at home and imbibe very, very moderately while on the water.

That pretty much matches how I operate already, but one change I can make is to increase my visibility to others. I can wear brighter colors and paint my oar blades with bright orange so that they flash while I row my inflatable pontoon.

This was actually a suggestion made to me by a water cop last summer. I thought he was pulling my leg a bit - trying to find something that I could improve upon during his inspection. Nice guy. He liked my ride - 7 ft Classic Accessories pontoon craft with FF, anchors, etc  - and chatted about places where I might find more fish and what places to avoid (crazy boaters). This report brings that conversation back to mind and I'll think I'll spray paint my black blades with neon orange when the lake ice thaws in March or April.

I like the painted oars idea. Definitely gonna incorporate in my new toon!

bodfish

79 pages, yikes! Got a RD condensed version?

Hey Fisheromen,
It's not as bad as it seems. It is mostly pretty easy to read charts and graphs. Government agency,…lot's of paper!

bodfish