Safety First
This past weekend was a great one for boating – warm and sunny, with a light breeze. I spent time on a couple of boats and thoroughly enjoyed being on the water. However, some situations popped up that reminded me of the thin line separating fun and serious injury.
In one instance, a young woman jumped from the dock to a departing boat, just barely making it. If she had missed, a serious head injury probably would have resulted.
In another case, I noticed the propeller from a large idling outboard spinning while in neutral gear, within arm’s length of the swim platform. With over 140hp twisting surgically-sharp stainless steel prop blades around, even the slightest brush with a limb would result in a quick trip to the hospital.
In a third situation, I noticed the open fan belts from an I/O engine whirling around at high speed, right next to a cooling hose that was being physically inspected. Serious injury could have resulted from misjudgment of the distance between the moving belts and the hand-held hose.
Boating is a great sport. It encompasses a full spectrum of experiences from adventure to total relaxation. And, there’s little that can replace it. However, things can go from good to bad in a nano-second, so it’s important to keep your wits about you, and watch over those under your care. Another day on the water is always better than another day in the hospital.
