Boating safety

Every boater should take the course to prepare you for the realities and precautions that are encountered on the water. Dress in safety gear and have a battery powered radio and distress equipment available to monitor storm's. Boaters wishing to have an emergency rescue beacon aboard their vessel must have a digital 406 MHz model. On February 1, 2009, only the 406 MHz beacons will be detected by the International Cospas-Sarsat Satellite System which provides distress alert and location data for search and rescue operations around the world. The cost can run anywhere from $200 to $2000 but isn't your life worth it? You must register your personal information with USCG in order for them to determine if this is a real emergency. It contains who you are and emergency contact information. They will use this to verify it is you and there is an actual distress call.

Man overboard devices which are designed to work directly with a base alerting unit only and not with the satellite system. Since man overboard alarms are meant to alert others onboard, a single handed sailor is not going to get much benefit from many of these devices.

In addition,USCG boating safety has valuable information about CO2s; I notice some yachters still run with wind breakers zipped around the bridge where CO2 can accumulate and around the engines.