John Gatti, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet,
says simple steps can help boaters avoid many of the problems that require Coast Guard intervention.
The station in Riviera Beach will hold an open house May 17 as part of National Safe Boating Week.
Willie Howard/The Coastal Star
Dave Deckard shows off the 16-inch hogfish he caught
with a live crab for bait from the Lady K drift boat off of Boynton Inlet.
Photo by Bruce Cyr/Lady K
By Willie Howard
Seasoned boaters often notice dangerous situations when they see passing boats in Palm Beach County.
Boats overloaded with partiers lumber along, their captains distracted by the festivities on board.
Some boat operators don’t carry enough life jackets of the correct size for everyone on board — a mistake that will end a day of fun when law-enforcement officers force them to tie up at the nearest public dock.
Parents let children dangle their legs over the bows of boats, not realizing their loved ones could be severely injured or killed by propellers if they slipped under the railing while the boat is moving forward.
Some captains run their boats way too close to red-and-white dive flags — either because they’re not paying attention or because they’re not aware that the state’s dive-flag law requires them to stay 300 feet away from dive flags in open water.
The consequences of sloppy boating can be serious. Three people died in Palm Beach County boating accidents last year. An additional 20 were injured. The 56 reported boating accidents in the county last year caused $927,650 in property damage, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
With the coming of warmer weather in May, the Coast Guard and other on-the-water law enforcement agencies will remind boaters about good boating habits during National Safe Boating Week, which is May 17-23.
The Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet in Riviera Beach, which handles boating rescues and emergencies from St. Lucie Inlet in Stuart south to James A. Rutherford Park in Boca Raton, will hold an open house May 17 at the station in Riviera Beach to kick off National Safe Boating Week and the busy summer boating season.
John Gatti, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet, said boaters can avoid common problems on the water by thinking ahead and taking simple precautions.
Good boating habits include:
• Wearing a comfortable life jacket (such as a suspender-type inflatable jacket) at all times on the water. Gatti recalled the case of a boat found running with nobody on board in the ocean off Jupiter. The lone operator, who was not wearing a life jacket, had slipped and fallen into the water.
“We responded and found the boat,” Gatti said. “Some other fishermen just happened to find the guy. He was super lucky.”
• Making sure there are enough life jackets of the correct size in an accessible location for every person on board. Citations are common when young children don’t wear life jackets. State law requires children younger than 6 to wear Coast Guard-approved life jackets at all times on boats 26 feet or smaller when the boat is moving.
“I hate to see kids not wearing life jackets,” Gatti said. “If something happens, [wearing a life jacket] is going to keep them alive.”
• Having the correct safety gear — including distress flares, a fire extinguisher, a whistle or horn, and a throwable floating cushion or life ring.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary offers free boat examinations to help boaters make sure they have the correct safety equipment. To schedule a free vessel exam, call the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 54 in Boynton Beach at 818-7905.
• Designating a boat driver when people on the boat will be drinking alcohol. The designated driver should be a competent boat operator. Worth noting: A BUI (boating under the influence) conviction in Florida can enhance penalties for a subsequent DUI.
• Getting basic boating education. Florida law requires anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, to complete an approved boating education course before operating a boat with 10 horsepower or more. Young skippers must carry a photo ID and the Florida boating safety education identification card while operating the boat.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Palm Beach Sail & Power Squadron offer short basic boating courses. Online courses include this one: www.floridaboatingcourse.com.
• Filing a written float plan that describes where you are leaving from, about where you are heading, the type of boat you’re in and, most important, when you are due back on land. Even a text message or an email to a friend or relative will work. Float plans give the Coast Guard a big head start in their search-and-rescue efforts if you don’t show up at the dock or boat ramp on time.
• Buying a satellite beacon. If you plan to spend a lot of time fishing or cruising on the Atlantic Ocean, consider investing in an EPIRB or a floating personal locator beacon. If you are adrift at sea, an activated emergency beacon will tell rescuers who you are and where to find you.
“If you’re going to spend any time offshore, I would consider the investment in an EPIRB to be minimal,” Gatti said.
To report problems on the water, including possible violations of boating and wildlife laws, call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at (888) 404-3922.
National Safe Boating Week events:
• The Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet will hold an open house May 17 at the station in Riviera Beach. The free open house is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 3300 Lake Shore Drive. (Take U.S. 1 about 600 feet north of Blue Heron Boulevard. Turn right on Riviera Drive and drive a block east to the Coast Guard station.) The open house will include boating safety displays, a rescue demonstration by the Naval Cadets and a display of the Coast Guard’s go-fast pursuit boat.
• The Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 54 will hold a boating safety day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 10 at the Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park boat ramps (east side of Federal Highway south of Gateway Boulevard in Boynton Beach). Free vessel equipment examinations and boat-handling tips will be offered.
• A basic boating safety class by the Coast Guard Auxiliary is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 24 at the building next to the boat ramps in Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park in Boynton Beach. The fee is $36. Call Bruce Parmett at 818-7905.
• The Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 54 will show boating safety equipment and conduct free vessel safety examinations from noon to 4 p.m. May 23 at West Marine, 2275 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach. Call 266-8489.
Fishing Club meeting: D.O.A. Fishing Lures founder Mark Nichols will be the featured speaker at the May 27 meeting of the Boynton Beach Fishing Club. The meeting, free and open to the public, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the building next to the boat ramps at Harvey E. Oyer Park in Boynton Beach. For details, call 707-5660.
Unusual catch: Dave Deckard caught a 16-inch hogfish — a fish that doesn’t typically fall for baited hooks — while fishing on the Lady K drift boat in 65 feet off Boynton Inlet. The key: A live crab for bait. Deckard was fishing for cobia by working the crab near the bottom with an ounce of weight, a 5/0 circle hook and 30-pound-test fluorocarbon leader when the hogfish took the bait, said Lady K Capt. Bruce Cyr.
Tip of the Month: Fish for dolphin (mahi mahi). The beautiful pelagic fish is a favorite among ocean anglers, and May is considered the best month to find dolphin in the Gulf Stream waters off Palm Beach County.
Dolphin grow fast, fight hard and taste great. Dolphin fish also have colors such as turquoise that “light up” in the blue ocean water when they’re excited.
Dolphin are often caught by trolling ballyhoo or lures near weed lines, floating debris and other structure that shelters bait fish on the surface. Pay attention to wind direction. Easterly winds are considered best for dolphin.
Try running the boat until you find a spot such as a weed patch or floating log that might hold dolphin, then pitch out live baits such as pilchards — or dead ballyhoo or sardines — to catch them. Cut chunks of dead bait can be used to attract the dolphin. Minimum size for dolphin: 20 inches to the tail fork. Daily bag limit: 10 per person. Boat limit: 60.
Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat captain. Reach him at tiowillie@bellsouth.net.
The Boca Raton-based fishing team Keri-n-On shows the 29.8-pound bull dolphin and the 41.8-pound kingfish
they caught April 19 during the Boynton Beach Firefighters Fishing Tournament based
at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park. The dolphin, caught by team member Stephen Simmons,
was the third-heaviest dolphin of the tournament. From left are Simmons,
boat captain Jason Naumann, Luke Naumann and Tommy Tyson.
Willie Howard/The Coastal Star
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