People who take boat trips often fail to realize the potential disasters that can ensue if they are not careful and safe on-board their boat. Over 1,000 people die on boating trips per year, and many of the dangers associated with boating are easily preventable. In this article, we’ll give some tips to help you to avoid the potential pitfalls that one may wake while operating a boat.

- When it comes to fueling up your boat, be sure to turn off all electricity and do NOT smoke. Keep everybody except the person doing the fueling off of the boat until the process is completed, and be sure that all fittings are tightly secured when you are finished. Also, be sure not to fill your tank past its capacity.

- If your boat has capsized, it’s important to follow procedures to ensure the safety of all aboard. Remain calm, and ensure that everybody sticks together. Whenever possible, remain as close to the boat as you can, unless there is an inherent danger close by.

- Always be wary of alcohol consumption whilst on board. 9 out of 10 boating deaths are due to drowning and you are much more likely to fall out of the boat whilst intoxicated. Consequently, while under the influence, the body cannot efficiently warm itself as much as when you are sober. Also, intoxication can result in disorientation when under water, and you may not be able to determine which direction the surface is.

- If a fire takes place on board, the first thing that you need to do is stop moving the boat. The wind can whip the fire into a bigger problem than it already is. Turn off your electricity after radioing for help. If the fire is caused by wood, fabric, or another dry source, pour water on it. Oil and grease fires can be extinguished with an on-board fire extinguisher, and you should aim for the base of the fire while extinguishing.

- As silly as it may sound, many men drown in boating accidents due to the need to relieve themselves. They may lean off the side of the boat, hit a wave, and fall in. To alleviate this concern, it’s best to keep a jug on the boat which you can empty and wash in the water when you’re done. It can greatly decrease your risk of drowning while on-board.

Now that you know some of the basic methods for keeping yourself safe while out on the water, you can better protect yourself and your family. Be sure to follow all of the guidelines listed above, and you’ll be much more confident in your boating safety.

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If you are sick and tired of schlepping from store to store trying to find a decent gift for someone in your life then it is high time that you took a look at some boating gifts. These boating gifts can make you tops on anyone list this year so get out there and start shopping today.

You can get all of the latest and hottest boating gifts on the internet. There is no place where you will find such a large selection of boating gifts. You will find that there are hundreds of fantastic stores to shop at for boating gifts. If you have a favorite local store there is a good chance that this store even has a site that you can shop at on the internet. In many cases these stores have exclusive deals for internet shoppers so they are definitely worth checking out when it comes time to get someone boating gifts. You may even be able to get free shipping since you are a local, you should contact the store to find out. It is sure worth a shot.

You may also want to take a look at all of the different stores to make sure that you get the best possible deal on all of your boating gifts. Each of the different stores may carry different items and different brands not to mention all of the different prices. You need to spend a little time shopping around in order to get the lowest possible prices on all of the hottest boating gifts but since you get to do all of this shopping from home your time spent shopping for boating gifts is cut down considerably.

Shopping from home for boating gifts is the best way to shop. It is so hard and time consuming to go from store to store only to find out that they don’t even have what you are looking for. When you shop online you can check out the inventory right off and you never have to pay a penny for gas or go out in the rain. It is the perfect way to shop for all of the boating gifts you need to get this year. In just a few minutes you can get all of your shopping done no matter how long your list happens to be or who you are shopping for. All of the boating gifts that you need to buy will be purchased and you will even have tons of cash left over after your shopping is all done.

The best way to start shopping for boating gifts is to find out who likes what. Then you can do some specific searches for those boating gifts online. This is the fastest way to find just what you are looking for. You will not have to search through site after site this way either. The search engine will take you exactly where you want to go right off the bat when you shop for boating gifts this way.

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As a boater, you want the waterways to stay clean. To make sure that your beautiful scenery will be around for your next trip out, here are a few tips that you can use.

1. Lead by example.

Next time you are at the marina, be sure to bend over and pick up a piece of litter out of the water (or from the beach, docks, or ground). If people see you taking the time and energy to clean up, they will know that it is not acceptable for them to litter.

2. Start a movement.

If everyone on your water picked up one item of garbage each time they went out, the water would be clean in no time. Put up signs suggesting the “pick up one piece” policy along the dock or at a relative area.

You can also organize to get a lot of people together to clean your lake or river. Like the “adopt-a-highway” program, getting everyone together once a year to clean your waterway will help you get your shores looking clean in no time.

3. Use Common Sense When Fueling.

If you have a portable fuel tank, be sure to always fill it on solid ground where spills are less likely to occur. In many areas it is illegal to fill a portable fuel tank in a boat for fire regulations. If your fuel tank is on-board, be careful while you fuel. Keeping a cloth or towel with you to wipe away spills will save the environment and your paint job!

Always know the capacity of your fuel tanks. Be sure that you have an accurate gauge to tell how full your tank is. Never overfill your tank.

If you have a smaller engine, use a funnel to fill your tank. You can even take an engine ashore to fill. This will give you an opportunity to wipe down the area of your boat where the engine attaches, and can prevent you from getting rust and other problems. This particularly applies to emergency engines for sailboats.

4. Know your Vent Line.

When fuel gets warmer, it expands. This can cause it to escape from the vent line. Riding through particularly choppy or rough waters can also cause fuel to escape from the vent line. You can install an anti-surge valve to prevent fuel from leaking overboard while you are having a good time.

When you are filling your tank, you will be able to feel air flow from your vent line. This air flow will increase dramatically when you are close to filling your tank. When you feel the air flow increase, it means that it is time to stop filling your tank.

There is no excuse for littering, especially on the water. The litter that you throw into the water can contaminate fish, the water that goes to our cities, and surrounding farmlands. The smallest items, such as cigarette butts, often take the longest to decompose (cigarette butts are NOT decomposable and will stay in the water, keeping it ugly, until they wash ashore where children might play).

As a boater, I have an intense respect for nature. I like going out into nature, and I have a vested interest in keeping our environment clean. Together, we will be able to keep our waterways clean.

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