Jerry Hale

Jerry writes about leisure activities at the lake in his monthly column.

Recent columns

• Getting your waterfront ready for the season
• Little league for adults
• It's not too early to start planning cleanup
• The Roanoke boat show: Why bother?

With May underway, most of us have geared up for boating season in a big way. And of course we all envision the season as a safe one -- accident and incident free.

Like an Olympic athlete visualizing a record-setting performance, creating a mental picture of how an incident-free boating season will unfold is the first step toward achieving it.

There are a few simple and prudent safety precautions you can take now to improve the chances of a safe and enjoyable summer of boating. And fortunately, the boating safety community here at SML has made them really easy.

Free boating safety training

A good place to start is with Virginia's now-mandatory boating safety education legislation, a direct outgrowth of the recommendations of SML's Task Force on Boating Safety formed in the wake of the tragic accident that killed two lake residents and their dog in August of 2005. Dedicated lobbying in Richmond by Bruce Dungan of the Smith Mountain Lake Association and Pete Lewis of the SML Water Safety Council helped get the legislation enacted.

The legislation allows for a 10-year phase-in that works itself up the age ladder, so many of us could delay getting the Boat Virginia certificate for several years. But why wait? Get with the program early and put the knowledge that experts all agree can contribute to accident-free boating to work now. Another benefit: You may be eligible for a discount on your boat insurance, freeing up some cash for your boat-gas kitty.

Many lake-area residents are doing just that. Records maintained by Paul M. Howell, regional boating education coordinator for Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), show that as of May 6, 529 lake residents and users already had completed the seven-hour course taught by U.S. Sail & Power Squadron and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers.

More sessions are being offered throughout the summer, with the dates and sign-up details available at smithmountainlaker.com. Even if you've taken the course, a refresher is a good idea. Make it doubly valuable by bringing along a young friend or relative and then serving as his or her boating-safety mentor.

Free safety equipment inspections

While safety-conscious and educated operators are critical variables in the boating-safety equation, so are vessels that are equipped with a full complement of functioning safety equipment.

You can make sure yours is up to snuff by taking advantage of the free vessel-safety inspections on Memorial Day weekend at Bridgewater Marina on the Roanoke and at Crazy Horse Marina on the Blackwater from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days.

The brainchild of U.S. Sail & Power Squadron member and certified vessel inspector Art Cournoyer, the inspections are not only free of charge, but also free of anxiety.

"It's just a boating-safety conversation between volunteer inspector and boat owner," Cournoyer said. "Properly equipped boats are given a windshield decal to display; there's no report or citation for boats that are deficient. In fact, any boats that don't pass will be certified just as soon as the problem is corrected."

Skippers can improve the odds of passing the inspection by checking some common problem areas ahead of time. Make sure your registration is up-to-date, your "VA" numbers are readable and your registration card is aboard.

"Burnt-out running lights, exposed battery terminals [batteries must be enclosed in a proper battery box to preclude sparking that might start a fire] and life jackets still packaged in protective plastic [they must be available, in good condition and ready for use to count as viable PFDs] are what typically preclude a first-pass certification," said Tom Merriman, volunteer inspector for USCG Auxiliary.

Getting your boat's spring vessel-safety check makes for a nice holiday weekend outing destination -- and you can make an appointment for a time slot by calling Bridgewater at 721-1630 or Crazy Horse at 721-1587. Don't hesitate to bring along family members: The inspector's comments and suggestions will contribute to the boating safety awareness of everyone on board.

And as an added incentive, the Water Safety Council has arranged for a dinghy-load of coupons and gift certificates for a drawing among those who bring boats in for inspection. Among the participating merchants are: Bridgewater Marina, Captain's Quarters, Conrad Marine, Bedford Automotive, Dairy Queen -- plus a free emergency dock sign from SML Rotary. Winners will be contacted and can pick up their prizes following the holiday weekend.

Avoiding boating citations

A summer of boating is much more enjoyable -- and safer -- if your boating behavior doesn't merit special attention from the Marine Police. Their job is to keep boaters safe, and they're attentive and good at what they do: Enforcement authorities issued more than 500 tickets on SML from May to September of 2007 and, in addition, gave more than 500 warnings, according to Sgt. Bryan Young, Conservation Police supervisor with VDGIF.

To help avoid unscheduled conversations with the Marine Police, Young shared the following statistics on a typical year's violations:

• 41 percent of the violations are related to equipment deficiency or navigation lights.

• 21 percent are registration violations.

• 25 percent are moving or reckless operation violations -- failure to stay right in channels, failure to keep a proper lookout, failure to slow down in no-wake zones or to stay 50 feet from docks.

• 3 percent involve operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The free vessel safety-inspection decal available on Memorial Day weekend will indicate your boat has been found in compliance with the equipment and registration provisions of the law -- the problem in 62 percent of the citations noted above.

"An inspection decal won't preclude us stopping you," Young said, "but it does tell us you're a boater who cares about safety -- something we strongly encourage."

The chance to enjoy our beautiful lake by boat is a wonderful blessing. How about if everyone does his or her part to keep it safe and sane out there? I look forward to giving you a wave as we pass -- both boats staying to the right, of course.