Key safety tips can make boating season motor along

MIKE CRESSWELL

June 19, 2008 at 3:36PM AKST

Looks like the fish are starting to trickle in, and everybody who’s got a boat is either on the river already or headed that way.

Break up was smoother than expected, and it’ll be good to travel on the water and get some fish. That said, another busy summer boating season looms, offering a good time to touch on points to keep in mind while you’re out on the water.

Personal Floatation Devices: Keeping everybody safe on the water is hugely important.

One of the most important safety practices on the water involves having Personal Floatation Devices, every time, every trip. When you operate a boat on the river you need an accessible PFD for every person in the boat.  While youngsters are often tempted to take their vests off, preferring instead to sit on them, anyone under 13 needs to be wearing a PFD while on deck or in an open boat.

The river is fast flowing and frequently muddy, and a child without a PFD can disappear from view in the blink of an eye.

Registration: If you run your boat on the river and it’s under power, it needs to be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles. This is true for most powered vessels in Alaska.

Registration improves your chances of getting a boat back if it’s washed downstream during flooding or stolen. The registration fee is $24 for three years. That’s pretty cheap considering the $50 fine for failure to register.

You can register a boat at the Bethel DMV. Registration forms are available online at www.state.ak.us/dmv/forms/pdfs/848.pdf.

The first time a boat is registered in Alaska, or when there is a transfer of ownership, the paperwork must be submitted in person.  Renewals, duplicate stickers and duplicate certificates of number can be requested through the mail.

If you spend time on the river this summer, chances are you’ll once again see a friendly trooper on boating safety patrol. We’re there to help, and to insure everyone stays safe on the water.

Working together we can all make this a fun, productive and safe summer boating season.

Be safe and enjoy.

Mike Cresswell works for the Alaska Wildlife Troopers out of Bethel.