SAFETY AND RESCUE Ventilation and Fueling everyone on your boat knows the location of the fire the tide changes direction is known as “slack water.” extinguisher and its use. Operation of a fire extinguish- “High tide” is the highest level a tide reaches during Gasoline fumes are heavier than air and will er is rather simple. Just remember PASS. ascending waters, and “low tide” is the lowest level a settle to the lowest part of the boat’s interior hull, tide reaches during descending waters. the bilge. All motorboats, except open boats, must The tidal cycle is the high tide followed approxi- have at least two ventilator ducts with cowls (intake Running Aground mately 6 hours later by low tide (two highs and two and exhaust). Exhaust blowers are part of most boat Keep a sharp lookout when traveling on waters lows per day). The tidal range is the vertical distance ventilation systems. Permanently installed fuel that have shallow areas to avoid running aground. between high and low tides. The tidal range varies tanks must be vented. Navigational charts, buoys, and depth finders can from 1 to 11 feet in Pennsylvania on the Delaware Most boat explosions occur from improper fuel- assist in this task. If you run aground and the impact River. Boaters should consult tide tables for times of ing. Portable gas tanks should be filled on the dock does not appear to cause a leak, follow these steps to high and low tides. or pier, not on board. The vent on the tank should refloat the boat: be closed and the gas pumped carefully, maintain- • Do not put the boat in reverse. Instead, stop ing contact with the nozzle and the tank’s rim. Any the engine and lift the out-drive. Dams spills should be cleaned up, the tank secured, and • Shift the weight to the area farthest from the Dams on our rivers aid navigation, produce the vent reopened. point of impact. power, and prevent flooding. Keep away from When filling inboard tanks, everyone should • Try to shove off the rock or bottom. dams! Dangerous currents above the structure be sent ashore and the boat closed up. All electri- If this fails, contact help. can draw boats into water going over or through cal systems should be shut off. After filling up and a dam. Areas below a dam are also extremely haz- before starting the engine, the blower should be run ardous to boats because of strong recirculating for at least 4 minutes. Take appropriate precautions Water Hazards currents and turbulent waters. to prevent spills. Avoid discharging oil and gas from It is important that boaters know the waters on The most dangerous hazard on a river is a low- your boat’s bilge. Toxic substances must be disposed which they are boating. Information about local haz- of properly. Noncompliance may result in fines. ards can be obtained by physically viewing their pro- head dam. There are hundreds of such dams on Boaters should routinely check for leaks in fuel posed route, consulting local boating sources, and rivers and streams throughout Pennsylvania, and lines and fittings, frayed wiring, and improperly utilizing web resources such as the PFBC website. dams are true “drowning machines.” rigged electrical systems. Water going over a dam creates a back current MOVING WATER: Safety on the water or undertow that can pull a boat into the turbu- depends on developing respect for the power of lence and capsize it. This hydraulic can trap and Carbon Monoxide water. The power of current is deceptive and should hold a person or boat. Many dams are not marked Carbon monoxide (CO) gas is a potentially deadly be taken into account by all boaters. A strainer is an and are almost impossible to see from upstream. by-product of your boat’s engine. Each year boaters obstruction in the water (such as a tree branch) that State law requires that many low-head dams are killed or injured by carbon monoxide. Stay away allows water to pass through but will hold and trap in the Commonwealth be marked with signs from exhaust areas and do not swim near exhaust boats and boaters. Rivers and rapids are rated with and, when practical, buoys upstream and down- vents. Never enter an enclosed area under a swim the International Scale of River Difficulty (Classes stream from these dangerous structures. The platform, where exhaust is vented. Only one or two I - VI), which is a guide established by the American signs detail restrictions for boating, swimming breaths of the air in this “death chamber” can be fatal. Whitewater Affiliation. Parts of rivers could have and wading, and hazards posed by the dam. Keep air moving through the boat to avoid problems. a different class rating than the overall river’s rat- Restrictions are enforced by the PFBC Waterways Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning depend ing. The rating for any river will vary as water flow Conservation Officers. Dams must be avoided on exposure. Brief exposure may produce shortness of increases or decreases because of seasonal conditions. and may be located by checking water trail guides, other maps, and the PFBC’s website. breath, mild nausea, and mild headaches. Moderate WIND AND WAVES: The levels of CO exposure may cause death if headaches, definition of wind is “moving air that LOW-HEAD DAM dizziness, and light headedness symptoms persist for is described by the strength and the an extended period of time. High levels of CO may SECONDARY direction of its source.” Wind acts HYDRAULIC BOIL HYDRAULIC be fatal, causing death within minutes. If you suspect on the surface of the water, creat- someone is experiencing CO poisoning, move the ing waves. The greater the force and individual to fresh air immediately and call 9-1-1. duration of the wind, the bigger the waves will be. Large waves in big water can place small craft in danger. STAY AWAY! When crossing waves or another boat’s wake, head into the waves or wakes at an angle (45 degrees) to reduce pounding. Large bodies of water such as oceans or Lake Swim Platform Weather Erie provide different challenges and dangers than Weather can cause boaters problems. Having a Exhaust Ports moving water. Large, relatively shallow lakes, such mishap in cold water or in a remote area can result in as Lake Erie, may develop large waves faster than hypothermia or other problems. Getting caught in a deeper, similar waters. Small inland boats should Fire Extinguisher Use - not venture out on large waters such as Lake Erie storm can have serious consequences. Never under Fire extinguishers estimate the weather. must be immediately Pull pin TIDES AND TIDAL CURRENT: Tides Factors that determine weather conditions can be available and installed and tidal currents affect where a boater can travel or observed and measured. These factors include tem- (mounted away from Aim at base of fire anchor safely. They also affect how long it takes to get perature, barometric pressure, and wind. Weather the fuel source). They to a destination, the speed needed to arrive at a given affects the condition of open water and can change Squeeze handle must be fully charged, time, and the heading that must be maintained. suddenly. Check local forecasts the night before going in usable (good) con- Sweep side to side Tides are the vertical rise and fall of ocean water boating and again in the morning. The National dition, and inspected using short bursts, 1 (and waters affected by the ocean) caused by the Weather Service typically issues a new marine fore- ⁄2 to 1 second each regularly. Make sure gravitational pull of the moon and sun. The moment cast every 6 hours on designated VHF radio channels. Pennsylvania Fishing Summary/Boating Handbook www.fishandboat.com 55 SAFETY AND RESCUE Signs that dangerous weather may be approach- PREVENTION If capsizing occurs, stay with the boat and make ing include: sure everyone has a life jacket. Stay calm. If the boat • When getting into or moving around in a • Clouds gathering, darkening, and increas- can be righted, bail out as much water as possible, small boat, always maintain three points of get in, and paddle towards shore. If capsized or over- ing in size. contact, keeping your weight low and close to board in a river, swim downstream, feet first, to avoid • A sudden temperature drop, a rapid wind the centerline. Don’t overload your boat. shift, or change in speed. • Do not allow passengers to stand in small potential head injury and entrapment. • Static on the AM band of the radio may boats, including canoes and kayaks, or sit on Keep a lookout: indicate an approaching thunderstorm. foredecks, gunwales, engine boxes, seat backs, • A drop in the barometric pressure (check • Assign a passenger to keep watch around the or transoms. Small boats, especially canoes propeller area of your boat when people are in a barometer). and kayaks, are more likely to capsize when the water. someone stands up. • Never allow passengers to board or exit your IF A STORM IS NEAR... • Watch crew members and frequently check boat from the water when the engine is on or In a small boat, put on your life jacket and head that everyone is aboard. idling (your propeller may continue to spin). for the nearest shore. Beach your boat and • Wear deck-gripping shoes (bare feet have poor Turn the engine off. find shelter on the downwind (leeward) side traction). • Be especially alert when operating in congested of the land. • Avoid rough water and weather conditions areas, and never enter swimming zones.