b'M ore has beenof wire rope, or a toe badly stubbedthat relate to the area you are boating. written andagainst a bollard. Minor, but painfulThese are obvious aspects of safety, spoken aboutwhen they happen - and theres no funbut its surprising how many people do safety than aboutin boating when it hurts. (or neglect to do) things on a boat that any other boatingseem innocent enough, but which carry aspect. WhichARE YOU SAFE? unnecessary risks of unpleasant injuries.is not surprisingSo, we suggest a pause here while youBow riding is one. During over 30 however, everyask yourself whether you, your familyyears writing about boats, I have known boating season the Auckland Coastand your boat are as safe as possible, notat least two cases of people falling off Guard answer hundreds of calls forjust from all those minor and unexpectedthe bow of a powerboat - with ghastly assistance, all of which relate in onehappenings that spoil the fun of boating. and fatal results. Ive seen many bruised way or another to matters of safety.It is the skippers responsibility toand broken limbs that were hanging A little care and attention wouldensure that those aboard the boat areover a gunwale when a passing wake have made the majority of thosesafe and the equipment is up to theslammed the boat against a wharf or calls unnecessary. standard required. Whether its justanother craft.It is in fact illegal to bow Less dramatically, I doubt that anyonechecking on the weather forecast for theride and if caught carries a fine of up to reading this has not suffered at leastday, or making sure there are enough$10,000 and a year in jail if it is deemed one painful accident in or around alife jackets for all those aboard the boat,to endanger life and is therefore a boat. It might have been nothing morein law it all falls back on the skipper ifcriminal offence.than a finger torn by a frayed strandsomething goes wrong. Exposure to fire and immersion in water Lets consider that you already haveare just as life-threatening. If you find lifejackets for everyone aboard theyourself in the water for an extended boat, flares, a bilge pump, fireperiod, you quickly appreciate that if extinguisher, a VHF radio/ nature had intended the human body cellphone and charts or ato float it would have fitted it with oily GPS plotter with chartsfeathers and webbed feet.An EPIRB or PLB can save your life if you are in the water by sending signals for rescue aircraft. /FISHINGINGODZONE63'