Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2022 - 41

LESSONS
LEARNED
photo-Chris Calhoun
by Laurel Anders
Boating Director
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
S
ummertime is boating fun time! Each summer, two best
friends made this their motto and spent every Sunday
afternoon on their personal watercraft (PWC) on the lake.
By the end of each summer, their sun-faded swimsuits were proof
positive of the many hours spent on the water perfecting their
PWC skills. This summer season, however, they discovered how
things can change in the blink of an eye.
In great physical condition, the 20-something men launched
their PWCs at the lake, a local hotspot for boating activity. With
the warm temperatures and blue skies, the lake was buzzing with
activity by early afternoon. Their patience was tested as the young
men motored away from the dock at the painfully slow, no-wake
speed required by law. Not a foot past 100 feet from the shoreline
and dock, they glanced around, hit the throttle, and immediately
accelerated to an adrenaline-rushing speed. Oh, how they had
missed the warm air rushing past them, the cool spray of water
coming off the bow, and the thrill of the ride! They traveled to
separate areas and gave their skills a quick test. Tight turns and
spins pushed the limits of their grip on the handlebars while their
fingers gave the throttle a workout.
After several minutes, they caught each other's eye and gave a
quick smile. This was their secret code. At a high rate of speed, they
came toward each other, zipped past each other, and immediately
turned into the wakes created by their boats. The wakes were
unsuccessful at bucking the operators off their PWC, so the men
steered toward each other again, ready for another challenge. This
time, however, their PWCs bounced awkwardly off the mass of
wakes they had created, tossing the boats in unintended directions,
forcing the operators to attempt quick steering maneuvers. In the
blink of an eye, the two PWCs collided. The impact knocked one of
the operators off his PWC and into the water. His life jacket quickly
carried him to the water's surface while his PWC shot forward then
slowed to a stop. Still in disbelief about what just happened, the
other operator cautiously approached the downed operator, assessed
his condition, then carefully brought him onto his PWC. Other than
being shaken up, there were no apparent
injuries. Together, they slowly motored to
the unmanned PWC and quickly noticed a
large crack in its hull where the impact had
occurred. It was beginning to take on water,
so they tied a rope to it and gently towed
the damaged PWC back to the dock. Their
heads hung in shame and disbelief that their
summertime boating fun had so quickly come to an end due to their
own disregard for safe boating. As they loaded their PWCs and gear
into their trucks, they rehashed the day's events and lessons learned:
* Always wear a life jacket when boating. It is required on
PWCs and could save your life.
* Boating safety education certificates are required for
PWC operators. Boating safety courses provide valuable
information to help ensure safe and legal operation on
the water.
* Review the Pennsylvania Fishing Summary/Boating
Handbook before each boating season as a refresher of the
most common rules and regulations.
* PWCs handle differently from other boats, and it takes
practice to become skilled at using the throttle and steering.
* Always attach the engine cut-off ( " kill " ) switch lanyard from
the PWC to the operator's life jacket, clothing, or body. It
shuts the engine off if the operator falls off.
* Operating too close to another boat is dangerous. All boats
must abide by specific regulations that require a safe speed
and distance from other boats that are underway, anchored,
or drifting.
* Maintain a proper lookout and be alert to your surroundings
including other boats that are operating around you.
* A Boating Accident Report is required to be submitted in
certain instances that include injury or damage. The data
collected from these reports is used to improve boating safety.
Learn more about PWC-specific regulations, accident reporting
requirements, and boating safety at fishandboat.com/Boat.
Submit your story of boating lessons learned at
https://pfbc.pa.gov/forms/savelives.htm.
July/August 2022
41
http://fishandboat.com/Boat https://pfbc.pa.gov/forms/savelives.htm
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2022

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