Before launching, boaters are reminded to inspect their boats and boating equipment and review regulations, which can be found in the 2015 Minnesota Boating Guide.
“With lakes and streams opening up across the state, boaters are anxious to get on the water and start enjoying the boating season. The best time to make sure boats, equipment, and safety items are in legal and proper working order is before your first launch of the season,” said Debbie Munson Badini, boat and water safety education coordinator with the Department of Natural Resources. “No one wants to break down, get a ticket or have a safety emergency after waiting all winter to get back on the water.”
In addition to making sure boats are equipped with all required safety items, it’s important to take extra precautions during the cold water season when more than 30 percent of Minnesota’s boating fatalities take place. While children younger than 10 years old must wear life jackets while aboard watercraft when under way (i.e., not tied to a dock or anchored for swimming), boat and water safety officials strongly recommend that all boaters wear life jackets any time they are on cold water, no matter their age.
“Wearing a life jacket is an imperative part of staying safe on the water during the spring months when the water is extremely cold,” Munson Badini said. “In the event of an unexpected fall or capsizing, having a life jacket on can make all the difference. Adult boaters resistant to wearing a typical life jacket are encouraged to try inflatable styles, designed to make preventive use more convenient and comfortable.”
Before the first launch, boaters should verify their motorboats are equipped with U.S. Coast Guardapproved wearable life jackets for each person on board a Type IV throwable flotation device on boats 16 feet or longer; a horn or a whistle; a Type B, U.S. Coast Guard-approved fire extinguisher; navigation lights in working order; a valid boat registration, with numbers visible.
Watercraft can be registered in person at any deputy registrar of motor vehicles and are good for three calendar years. Renewals can be done in person, or online at www.mndnr.gov/licenses.
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