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By Brandon Pope
Boating season is here, and with yacht parties, day cruises, and on-the-water celebrations filling calendars all summer long, safety should be part of the plan.
From holiday weekends to casual boat days with friends, summer on the water can go left quickly without the right precautions. To help you move smarter this season, Captain Brady Ruel of Boat Safe Chicago shares five boating safety tips to keep in mind before stepping aboard.
1. Beware of Illegal Charter Boats
Before booking a yacht, Captain Ruel says you should make sure you’re dealing with a legitimate charter operator.
“People want to make money and they want to make it easy, because it takes time,” says Ruel. “But it leads to a lot of trouble.”
Illegal charters often lack proper licensing, insurance, safety equipment, and trained crews. Ruel says you should ask whether the captain is Coast Guard-licensed and verify that the vessel is authorized to carry paying passengers. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is and that can put your safety at risk.
2. Know Where the Life Jackets Are
“It makes all the difference in the world,” says Ruel. “A lot of fatalities wouldn’t be fatalities with a life jacket.”
Every boat should have enough life jackets for all passengers. Even if you don’t plan to wear one all day, know exactly where they’re stored and how to access them in an emergency. If you’re not a strong swimmer, you should be wearing one throughout the trip, especially if you’re near the edge or front of the boat.
And even if you are a strong swimmer, some type of flotation device can still be a crucial asset.
“You may be swimming off your boat and the waves and wind may take you from your boat without even knowing it,” warns Ruel.
3. Don’t Mix Boating and Operating Under the Influence
A day on the water often includes drinks, but whoever is operating the vessel should remain sober. Alcohol slows reaction time and impairs judgment, making accidents more likely.
“The boat has no brakes,” says Ruel. “There’s a certain way to slow down the boat. Being inebriated makes all that more difficult.”
Designate a responsible captain before leaving the dock. And if possible, have someone in the group serve as a lookout for others.
4. Respect the Water
Open water can change quickly, becoming rough within minutes because of shifting winds and weather conditions. That makes preparation even more important.
“The lake acts like an ocean with the waves,” says Ruel. “If you get a wind out of the northeast, that direction wind has the entire length of the lake to come down and churn up the water. That’s probably the worst wind you can have on the lake. Then you add all the other boats and their waves, and it gets pretty wild.”
Pay attention to forecasts, know the conditions before you leave shore, and be prepared to head back if the weather shifts.
5. Stay Hydrated and Avoid Risky Behavior
Hours on the water combined with summer heat and alcohol can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion, or worse. Drink plenty of water, apply sunscreen regularly, and avoid risky behavior like jumping between boats, swimming near propellers, or climbing on railings for photos.
“We talk about the two points of contact when you’re on a boat: your two feet and your hands on something, or a foot and two hands on a rail,” says Ruel. “When the boat is moving, be mindful of propellers at the back of the boat or being near the gear shift.”
Summer on the water should feel easy, but it still requires intention. A little preparation goes a long way toward making sure the day ends the way it should: with good memories, the full group accounted for, and no unnecessary scares.