Operation Dry Water, the NRP's nationwide crackdown on alcohol- and drug-impaired boaters, has only been in effect for a week but the arrests and citations are already rolling in. Last weekend alone, officers arrested nine boaters for OUIs, issued 87 tickets for other violations, and conducted 674 vessel safety checks.   Photo courtesy the Maryland NRP “Our officers will be aggressively targeting reckless and negligent boaters and those whose judgment is impaired by alcohol or drugs,” said Col. George F. Johnson IV, NRP superintendent. Maryland has averaged 13 accidents in 2011, 2012, and 2013, and DNR spokesperson Candus Thomson told the DelaMarVa Times that this weekend, boaters can expect a greater NRP presence.  "We're not only looking for impaired boaters...but we're doing everything else we can to make sure everybody is safe while having a good time," she said. "Last weekend, we did over a thousand safety checks on vessels for life preservers, flares, and fire extinguishers, for example." So before you head out this weekend, get your game plan together. Want to avoid trouble? Plan on these six things:
  • Wear a life jacket. Make sure everyone on board is wearing a traditional life jacket that fits properly, or an inflatable PFD. Navigating at night can be just as dangerous as boating in inclement weather.
  • Designate a sober skipper to stay at the helm all evening and be responsible for returning the boat and its passengers safely to shore after the fireworks display is over.
  • Don’t overcrowd the boat with passengers. Heed the boat’s capacity plate on the transom or by the helm, or look up the passenger capacity in the boat’s manual.
  • Chart a safe course. July 4th is sometimes the first and only time people venture out on the water after dark. Visual navigation markers boaters rely on during the day may be invisible at night. Choose in advance the route to your fireworks-viewing spot and use a GPS to help you find your way.
  • Follow directions issued by NRP, the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and local police as to where you may safely anchor to view the fireworks away from sparks and ash.
  • Don’t be in a rush to get home after the fireworks display is over. Let some of the boat traffic clear out before you raise anchor.