Boaters reminded of safety requirements
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on June 25, 2008 1:46 PM
RALEIGH -- With summer officially here and the Fourth of July holiday around the corner, more Tar Heel residents and visitors will be enjoying recreational boating, including after sunset.
Officers with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will patrol waterways across the state throughout the summer, with an emphasis on holiday traffic. They list the following areas of concern:
*Boating While Impaired: A blood-alcohol level of .08 is legally intoxicated for vessel operators. The law also allows an operator to be charged if appreciably impaired, regardless of blood-alcohol level. Exposure to wind and waves, combined with heat and vibrations can create a condition known as boater fatigue, in which the effects of alcohol can be magnified.
*Night-Time Boating: Boating at night requires extra caution and observation. Visibility is reduced and special inland lighting rules are in effect for navigation. Water skiing is prohibited between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise. Jet skis and wave runners are prohibited on state waters between sunset and sunrise.
*Children Must Wear Life Vests: North Carolina law requires children younger than 13 to wear an appropriate life vest whenever they are on a recreational vessel that is underway.
For more information, visit www.ncwildlife.org or call (919) 707-0031.