Many take New Year’s Eve to toast the new year optimistically, popping champagne and celebrating with good friends and loved ones. If you own a boat, it’s a great excuse to get on the water and enjoy some nearby fireworks as you welcome midnight with friends, music and fun. However, many are tempted to add alcohol to the mix while operating their boat, leading to dangerous and potentially deadly results.
Let’s run down a few key facts before you decide to boat under the influence this New Year’s Eve:
- Drinking and boating is just as dangerous as drinking and driving, increasing boating fatalities by nearly 34%.
- Penalties for being caught drinking and boating include extensive fines, suspension or forfeiture of boating license and prison time if an alcohol-related fatality occurs.
- It is illegal to operate a boat with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.
- It is illegal for a minor to have a blood alcohol concentration of .o2 or higher while on your vessel.
- Physical or chemical tests may be used to determine your blood alcohol concentration if you are suspected of drinking and boating.
- It is also illegal to boat while impaired by other illicit drugs.
Though it may seem like a great opportunity to pop some bubbly or crack open a few cans with your best buds, it’s smart to assign a designated boat operator for the night or just enjoy a drink once safely back on shore. Beyond just a smart choice, remember that it’s also the law. Drinking and boating presents dangerous and unnecessary risks that could lead to you spending cash on tickets or time behind bars in 2016. Do we have to remind you that there’s no boating in jail? Didn’t think so.
That being said, we sincerely hope you welcome 2016 the right way: enjoying Florida’s beautiful waterways responsibly. Cheers!
“Boating is too expensive.” “Boating is too hard.” “I caught an 8-foot marlin off the coast of Panama in the early 1980’s.” Boating culture is full of tall tales. Unfortunately some of these myths enter the echochamber with ill intent, keeping people that would otherwise love their time on the water landlocked in fear and doubt based on exaggerations or lies. Check out our hand-selected list of some big myths that surround boat ownership, as well as an important reminder for those already on the water.
Boat Ownership Myths
- Pay to Play: Is buying a boat the surefire way to end up in debt that many (often non-boaters) claim it to be? We certainly hope not, but let’s break down some facts. Boats do require an investment of time and money, due to upkeep costs, insurance, gas and more. However, if you place the costs of boat ownership in comparison to other leisure activities such as a season of skiing or golfing with your family, the cost is actually smaller than you’d think. With many boat dealers offering helpful financing options, there may be less between you and the boat of your dreams than you’d think.
- Boating for Dummies: Isn’t boating extremely difficult and complicated to do without years of experience? Well, like most skills, it’s often easier the more often you do it. This is where the widely available safety and boating basics courses can make a big difference in your confidence and competence when setting off on your first boat trip.
- DUI Still Applies: Drinking and boating isn’t nearly as dangerous as drinking and driving, right? Wrong. According to Boat U.S. Foundation, nearly half of all boating accidents involve alcohol. As mentioned above, driving a boat is skill-based activity. If your skills are hindered due to inebriation, you cannot captain your boat as safely or efficiently as you could sober. Florida law doesn’t mince words: boating with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher is illegal.
The bottom line is, we love boating and would love nothing more than to share that passion with others interested in jumping into this wonderful hobby and lifestyle. Do your research, learn the hard facts and, hopefully, we’ll see you on the water soon!
