S14Ep6: Safety on the Water

Lake living offers tranquil beauty and endless recreation, but boating safety demands vigilance even from experienced enthusiasts. Danny Smith and Keith Carpenter, both lakeside residents and avid boaters, share essential wisdom acquired through years on the water, including a sobering reality check on recent statistics.

Host: Danny Smith

Guest: Keith Carpenter

Transcript

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Danny Smith Host

00:06

Welcome back to SafeTalk with SafeStart, I'm Danny Smith. As many of you know, I live on the lake and here in central Alabama and for my wife and I, boating is a really big part of our lives. I've already notice as the weather is starting to warm up well, the traffic is starting to increase already on the lake and certainly with holidays coming up throughout the summer and just the summer in general, Probably a good time to take a moment and just pause and talk a little bit about safety and boating. And to help me on this podcast I've invited one of our fellow boat enthusiasts and also SafeStart consultant, Keith Carpenter. So first of all, Keith, welcome back to the podcast. 

Keith Carpenter Guest

00:44

Hey, Danny, thanks for the invitation. I always enjoy catching up with you and I'm really excited to talk about something that we're both really passionate about. 

Danny Smith Host

00:51

Yeah, good to have you back again and, like you said, you know we are both really passionate about this. Enjoy the water and, like like me, you live at the water as well, live at the lake as well. And you know, as we were kind of preparing for this, you told me about something that was really interesting and thinking about some of the things that we've both seen at the lake and we'll talk some about that as we go through this. But you were telling me something really interesting about a presentation that your daughter did at college recently about complacency and personal hobbies and just how that the complacency affects us with some of the things that we do, not as a part of work but for fun. So you mind sharing a little bit about that. 

Keith Carpenter Guest

01:36

Yeah, absolutely. This really caught me by surprise, to be honest with you. But my daughter called me a couple of months ago, but last semester she was doing a speech communications class and she called me. She needed some help with the presentation she was doing and of course I thought she needed help with content.

01:51

But no, lo and behold, she had the speech all written out and the only challenge she had is she couldn't title it. She didn't know what the title of it was. So as I was going through and reading it, she was talking about ATV accidents, car accidents and boating accidents all which she has some personal experience with. And after I was reading the speech, I said what do you need help with? She goes, I need the title for it. I said well, it's pretty simple. I think the title of it should just be complacency in our personal hobbies, and she paused for a second. She goes, that's it. It was so obvious, right, but it was just, I was so proud that, without any prompting or suggesting that a topic, she came up with all by herself, is something I talk about daily basis. So I was really proud of her to be honest with you.

Danny Smith Host

02:48

That's great! You know we have both seen some good things and unfortunately some bad too so quickly 

02:51

If it's okay, let's just get some of the data stuff out of the way. 

02:54

We always like to refer to this as we start out, so, for purposes of the podcast today, all the stats we're going to chat about come from the US Coast Guard for the most part, and in 2020, I'll get that right in a second there the latest year we have data for there were almost 12 million watercraft registered in the United States and in that year, there were a little over 5,200 accidents that involved almost 800 deaths, almost 3,200 injuries, and this number caught my eye $62.5 million of damage to property as a result of recreational boating accidents. 

03:35

You know, and like we were talking about a lot of boat activity, I found I don't know how it was with where you are, Keith, but for us, I saw that there was just an increase on activity in general at the lake over the past couple of years during the pandemic, and maybe it's one of those things where, hey, we can be on the boat with our family and be safe there. I heard a lot of things about increased boat sales, more insurance policies taken out and well, unfortunately, like we said, you know know more insurance claims and calls for towing assistance and things like that. So, yeah, I think there's been a lot of folks out on the water, uh, and, and rightfully so. 

Keith CarpenterGuest

04:15

 Well, sadly, the fatality rate and keep in mind, these statistics are off of registered recreational vehicles and if you live off of years. lake, like I do, not, every uh vehicle is registered or registered, but the fatality rate with the registered vehicles was 6.5 deaths per 100 000 registered recreational vehicles and this rate represents a 25 increase from 2019, as you said, you know, from the year, the year prior and the rate, the previous rate was 5.2 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vehicles, you know. And where the cause of death was known, 75 percent of fatal boating accident victims drowned. I mean, that's pretty surprising, you know. And of those drowning victims reported 86%, 86% were not wearing life jackets. 

Danny Smith Host

05:07

Wow, a life jacket and using a life jacket is kind of a funny thing because to me, a part of that comes back to an individual's perception of risk, and we talk a lot about the perception of risk with SafeStart. Many of our listeners have probably heard my story about when I fell in the water and hit my side on the edge of our floating dock here at home back a couple of years ago when I was docking our pontoon boat and a storm came up unexpectedly. I didn't have the life jacket on at the time. Very fortunate that I didn't hit my head when I went in, because it could have been a really, really bad situation. I didn't think that I needed that flotation device there, that life jacket, because I was already at the dock, you know. But yet I can tell you I always wear one when I'm out fishing, you know. In fact, I've gone out and bought one now specifically for that.

06:07

Another issue that relates as well for drownings unfortunately comes back to alcohol use. In fact, it's the leading known contributing factor in a lot of boating accidents as well, where the primary cause was known. It's listed as being a leading factor in 18% of deaths. 

Keith Carpenter Guest

06:25

Wow, well, where instruction was known, 77% of deaths occurred on boats where the operator did not receive boating safety instruction. You know it's surprising that we can't even legally drive a 50cc moped legally on the road without a driver's license and proper instruction. But yet anybody can, for the most part, drive a boat, and only 12% of deaths occurred on vessels where the operator was known to have received basically a national approved boating safety education certificate. 

Danny Smith Host

07:00

Sure, and you know operator inattention may play a part in this as well. You know, sometimes that comes back to play a part in this as well. You know, sometimes that comes back to some of the human factors we talk about with SafeStart. You know it may be operator inexperience as well. Perhaps, you know, not having a lookout particularly if you're towing someone, excessive speed could be an issue. Certainly there can be some things with mechanical failure as well, but those are some of the top things that are contributing factors in accidents.

07:28

You know boating is so relaxing and so much fun. I know I literally just last week cleaned up our pontoon boat and I'm getting ready to put it in the water this weekend. So I I'm, I'm really looking forward to it because it's just one of those things. It's just, you know, sometimes, even if I'm working from home during the day, I may, you know, grab a sandwich and run out and just float on the lake for a few minutes just during the lunch hour and come back in quickly, try not to take more than an hour, but, you know, come back in and sometimes it just kind of resets you a little bit. But boating can certainly be dangerous, especially when you consider those human factors and how that affects us during those times. 

Keith Carpenter Guest

08:06

You know, absolutely, and we talk about extreme joy, you know, in one of the flex units and what's more enjoyable than being out on the water and enjoying yourself? But you know, one of the biggest parts, danny, that stands out to me is probably the most preventable. You know, remember, in 86% of cases where people drowned they weren't wearing life jackets. And I'm sure you've been told, and I've been told many times, well, I'm a good swimmer, I don't need a life jacket. I don't want to look like that guy. But you know, sometimes you've got to point out you may hit a summered log or hit a bank, you may come to a sudden stop. What if you slip, fall out of the boat? We uh saw, unfortunately, a fishing boat going around in circles right out front of Lighthouse marina last year. Nobody was in the boat. A guy hit a wake, the fisherman hit his head and unfortunately it doesn't matter if he could swim as good as Michael Phelps. You know it's hard to swim when you're unconscious.

Danny Smith Host

09:00

Absolutely, you know, and I remember um, some of our listeners may have heard stories from me before I used to go on a canoe trip with a bunch of guys from our church and you know it was one of those relaxed kind of float trip kind of things. And you know, very easy for folks to get complacent with that and think, ok, well, I don't need the life jacket there. You know it's just a low speed canoe thing. But again, if you fall out, hit your head on something, well, you may not be such a good swimmer when you're unconscious, right, you know. 

09:31

And if we think about boating in general, you know every state requires life jackets for everybody on board and most states require them on all kids. I know, here in Alabama, where I live, I think it's six and under is required to have a life jacket on at all times on the boat. Don't quote me on that, but check it out. I think it's six and under. But you know thinking about even as adults. I just want to underscore the point that you made. I mean it's an important one. Life jackets don't do you any good unless you're actually wearing them. You know, in fact, the National Safe Boating Council has a program that they promote, called the wear it program, which you know kind of speaks for itself, you know promotes people actually wearing the life jacket anytime that they're in a boat. 

Keith Carpenter Guest

10:12

Well wearing it is one thing, of course, right, but when it comes down to choosing the right jacket, don't pull one out of the bin based off of its color. Sure, yeah, a couple of things to keep in mind, you know, as you, as, as your kids grow and outlive their life jackets, keep those for future guests and neighbors that may be on your boat in the future. Yeah, you know. But first, you know, make double check and make sure that the life jackets are US Coast Guard approved. If it's not labeled US Coast Guard approved, it's not US Coast Guard approved, you know. Also, make sure it properly fits your size and weight. 

10:43

You know, be honest with yourself. You are going to be floating in the water. You want to make sure it's the right choice and a good way of testing it. You know, may seem a little odd, but it's a good, safe precaution. But put the life jacket on, you know, and buckle it. Hold your arms straight up over your head, you know. And ask a friend, you know, grab the, grab the tops of the arms and, you know, pull up a little bit on them and make sure there's no excessive moving around the openings and also that the uh doesn't come over your face or your chin, cause that's obviously going to be your, your submerge point. 

11:16

But uh, you know, also make sure that they're properly fastened. Just if they have zippers and buckles, make sure you zipper them and buckle them, not one or the other, it's not an either or. And for the younger ones, they have the crotch strap that we also need to make sure is not just on there but secure too, because that'll also prevent it from going over their head. And you know, if you're going fishing, you know there's so many cool latch tickets, as you know, that have pockets and all sorts of utility devices to carry tackle and supplies. And I know you and I have got some pretty neat ones, but they're not that. They're not that expensive. No, there's very many types that are on the market. Yeah, I mean, especially when you consider your, your life could depend on them. But make sure that you buy one that's appropriate for you and you know the activity that you're doing on the water. 

Danny Smith Host

12:01

Sure, you know I um, after I had that fall at the dock, I've become, you know, pretty religious about wearing one at all times when I'm, particularly when I'm out on on a fishing boat, you know, and it's a little bit different than the pontoon, I know, same thing, you can fall out of either one or fall off of either one, but particularly when I'm out fishing uh, you mentioned that activity a minute ago uh, I bought one of the inflatable life jackets. It's got the compressed air cylinder on it, really small, really lightweight, and you know I just put it on all the time when I go out fishing. In fact, it's one of those things I almost forget that I have it on, kind of thing. I've came back in the house numerous times after having fished and come back in and realize I still have it on, right, so, so it being too hot really isn't the challenge that no it's not, it's just uh, you know it's literally. 

12:49

It's just almost like, uh, you know, a couple of straps, if you will uh, around the shoulders and and you know, back around the waist type thing, uh, but it does have enough capacity there to even get me out of the water right, but also, uh, has the other feature, that is, that if it gets wet, it automatically inflates. So even if I fall out of the boat, if I'm out fishing by myself and I already hit my head or something, uh, it's going to automatically inflate when it hits the water right, very nice. The big thing there, though, is, uh, you know, it's important to to not get complacent with that too. I mean, you got to do the regular checks on it, make sure it's maintained, make sure the cylinders still charged, all of those kind of things, uh. So, anyway, I found that one to be real helpful for me. 

13:33

Uh, some other things let's chat about that too that you want to check, uh, with the boat and with the you know, obviously, the, the life jackets and everything else, and before we go you mentioned something a minute ago, you know, talking about the ones for the kids. I think that's a really great point to think about that, particularly in terms of, you know, the size and the weight of the child. You know, I know my grandkids are bride with us quite often and that was one of the things we talked about just a couple of weeks ago. You know, hey, do their life jackets from last year still fit them or do we need to get new ones? Uh, and I think we're okay for this year, but we've got my oldest grandson. He's probably about the time probably getting close to having to graduate up to another one. So certainly something for everybody to think about, right. So a few things here. 

14:20

Uh, you know, you know not just the life jackets, but also just check and make sure all your equipment's in good working order. You know it's one of those you don't always think about. You know, getting somebody else to inspect your vehicle, your boat in this case but probably a good idea, right, and most of your US Coast Guard auxiliaries will do that. I like doing kind of a pre-departure checklist. You know, just kind of going through everything, just looking around the boat, making sure everything's where it's at and everything. What about fire extinguishers? It's one of those things you don't think about checking all the time, but fire extinguishers on marine vessels are generally good for 12 years. Is that what I read? Does that sound right to you About? 

Keith Carpenter Guest

15:03

12 years yeah. 

Danny Smith Host

15:12

 Sure, over exactly first thing they look for, right? Yeah, exactly and uh. You know, most marine fire extinguishers have the year that they were manufactured stamped on the bottom, uh, so you can look at that pretty quick and just do the calculations. I actually looked at mine just the other day and it was stamped with 11. So I've got one more year. It's still fully charged and everything. But I'll have to replace that next year, since they're good for 12 years, right? 

15:36

Also always a good idea, particularly if you're going out by yourself, to file a float plan with somebody that you know. I know. If I go out fishing by myself, I always let my wife know where I'm going and if I deviate from that plan, I'll usually send her a text or give her a quick call and just let her know what I'm doing and where I'm going. Right, make sure you dress properly for bringing extra set of clothes just in case you get wet. Storms do happen on the water, right? Don't forget the sunscreen. Watch for things with heat related illnesses. We have a podcast that we did just a few weeks back about heat stroke, so you may want to check that out. And Keith, I don't know how it is where you are, but I know here probably a good idea to invest in some bug spray to keep on the boat as well. Some of the mosquitoes around here have numbers on their side. 

Keith Carpenter Guest

16:26

There's a big, so yeah it's like state bird down South, isn't it? It is indeed, you know, those are. Those are really really good points, and it's also important to realize that each state and province may have different regulations. You know, if you're traveling or if you're like me and you live in a lake that has bodies, two different states, Texas and Oklahoma and if you're, you know if you live, even if your river goes through multiple states. Be aware of that, and obviously it's up to you to know what's required in your region. Some require a boating safety certificate and regardless, even if they don't, it's always a good idea to take one, it really is. And regardless, even if they don't, it's always a good idea to take one. 

Danny SmithHost

17:06

It really is. You know, when we moved to the lake back I guess it's been three, almost four years ago now I had operated boats before, but I guess it was one of those where I had done that before the requirement for the boating safety certificate and to have that designation on your driver's license which we have to have in Alabama. I've been the law now for a number of years, uh, but you know, I I went through and took one of the online courses and I found it really helpful. You know, it's kind of getting some of those things that maybe, maybe a few things you didn't know, but some of the things that you did know, but maybe you just kind of forgot as you got a little older, for for sure, you know. So it helped me a lot just thinking about what to do and what not to do, uh, here on the lake. So you know, and, like I said, even if you're experienced, you're not, taking the courses is probably a good idea. 

17:55

A lot of different rules in places, uh, all over the place. Uh, in Canada, for example, if you operate a pleasure craft there, you've got to have proof of competency on board if it has a motor, including a trolling motor. So really important to do that. They have there what they call the PCOC, the pleasure craft operator card, which one has to have to keep from getting fined for that. So again the idea here whether you're looking for a class in Canada, the US, it's, it's a great idea to do that. I'll put some links in the show notes here to help everybody find some things in their area too.

Keith Carpenter Guest

18:35

Well you know Danny, case in point, I'm a pretty experienced lake boater but when we went and visited with Michael Blandford down in Tampa a few years ago, getting out on the ocean is completely different world. So, uh, to your point, you make sure that you're trained in the area that you're going in, because I would never attempt to go in the ocean without the proper, at least, research and training to do so. But we touched a little bit earlier on alcohol and let's go back to that for a little bit of a moment, because obviously it affects balance, reaction and judgment, and this was one of my daughter's passionate points in her college speech last year. And voting under the influence or BWI, is illegal. You know drugs and alcohol affect balance, you know, and balance is obviously crucial when it comes to voting. 

19:21

Sure, simply falling overboard and drowning accounts for at least 25 % or one in four boating fatalities. It also impairs judgment and you know, we all, we all know this. Alcohol reduces our inhibitions, causing normal you know cautious people to try something that might be a little bit, you know, more risky. You know it diminishes our ability to react to several different signals at once. You know it takes longer to receive information from your eyes. So it definitely slows reactions as well, and remember the importance of reflexes from our training. You know, especially at night, as you know, a night's a different world and you pepper a little bit of alcohol and combination of that, it's just increasing your chances of misery . 

Danny Smith Host

20:08

 Sure and you know there's a lot of other stressors  there as well that go along with boating as well uh, that people may not think about. Just you know, exposure to noise, vibration, being out in the sun, the glare of the wind, the motion of the all of that affects not only the operator of the boat but also the passengers. So drinking while boating really, as you said, it just becomes even more dangerous, right? So research shows that hours of exposure to those boating stressors produce really a different kind of fatigue. Some people call it boater's hypnosis, where it slows the reaction time almost as much as if you were legally drunk. So certainly, adding alcohol or drugs to boating stress factors, it really intensifies the effects and really each drink then multiplies your accident risk. 

Keith Carpenter Guest

21:03

Yeah, for sure, you know. And then the fun thing about doing a fun thing about getting out of the boat is actually the activities. Right, you know you're able to ski to. You know wakeboarding they do a lot of surfing or scurfing on our lake with us. These, these newer boats, and you know they're all could be dangerous, you know, especially with traveling at high speeds. And you know, obviously try to go faster and faster each time. But, you know, remember to take the following steps to minimize the risk. 

21:32

You know, first off, always make sure that there's two people in the boat and in some states even a jet ski. There's a spotter required, you know, one must be the driver. The other person should serve as a spotter, you know, looking out for the skier or the wakeboarder. The driver should be focused on actually what they're doing, you know, without having to glance back and look for the person that he or she is pulling. And also, you know, just, you know, like rigging, check the tow line before, make sure that it's, you know, in proper condition, it's not going to snap, but also make sure that it's not going to get caught in the propeller. 

22:05

I'm sure that I'm not the only person who has ruined a weekend, or at least a good part of the day, from things getting caught in impellers or propellers. Also, make sure that the line's not wrapped around the skier. You know that's really important. The drivers definitely don't accelerate until the line's clear of the wakeboard or anybody else. And make sure proper hand signals are learned and communicated. You know thumbs up doesn't always mean I'm good, does it? 

Danny Smith Host

22:32

Exactly. 

Keith Carpenter Guest

22:34

So, and also as a skier or wakeboarder, make sure that a couple of things when you do fall or maybe you don't fall, maybe you're like me you decide to quit. Right Now you're bragging, right, yeah. So when I do fall, you know, you know, immediately make sure that you're away from the tow rope. When you do fall, let go of it. First thing, don't try to, you know, don't try to pull out of it. 

Danny Smith Host

22:57

You know, don't ingest half the lake right? 

Keith Carpenter Guest

23:03

Your nose is meant to go one way Your nose is made to go one way and also, um, I also, when I have fallen, I'd like to make sure that if I am in the water, I get my ski up above the water just as an additional, you know reference point to other boaters. Don't see me as I'm in the water. Things are hard to see when you're at high speeds and then you get back in the boat, right where there's always a rule. That has been a rule doesn't mean that's everybody's rule. But nobody's to be on the swim platform or around the back in the boat, right, there's always a rule. That has been a rule Doesn't mean that's everybody's rule, but nobody has to be on the swim platform or around the back of the boat while it's running, so it's turned off before anybody is getting back in the boat, or even exiting the boat, for that matter. Good. 

23:39

Also, you know, only ski and wakeboard during the daytime. Not only is that a law, but that's obviously uh, from a visibility standpoint, it's harder to see things at night and uh, it's sunsets. People are driving, they're probably looking at the sunset, not looking at the water. So just make sure that, uh, you know you are, are visible, and it can be difficult to see hazards when it starts to get dark out. Like I said, it's a different world on the lake at night it is it really is which makes it fun but also brings additional risk. 

24:14

Also, weather conditions. It's not just down south where they change at the blink of an eye, it's everywhere. Always pay attention to the conditions Hearing, thunder, lightning, stop. You know the activities and you know head back immediately. But the restricted areas sometimes aren't always very visible. So make sure that you know where the restricted, where you can and can't ski. It looks like you can ski right behind the back of our house, but it's about three feet of water and you won't know that until you find it out too late. So make sure that you know the area that you're going going to be skiing at and you know we'll place a couple of signals. Like I said, those hand signals are really important. So there are universal hand signals we'll put in the show notes so that if you aren't aware of them, you can learn them as well. Yeah, very good. 

Danny Smith Host

25:04

Yeah, you mentioned the weather a minute ago and we kind of joked about it a little bit earlier as well. I just want to pick up on that. Warm, sunny days are really ideal for boating. But I think one of the things that struck me that I guess I knew but I just didn't think about when we moved to the lake, was just how quickly storms seem to roll in here. Moved to the lake, was just how, how quickly storms seem to roll in here. Uh, you know, the wind picks up suddenly and you start to see the choppy water just a little bit and you know something's about to happen. Uh, and even if it's just a warm spring day, I mean the water can easily, you know, change, change in just a few moments, right, so a couple of things there. 

25:44

I know, uh, back last year we had gone up to kind of the north end of our lake, probably a good 15-20 minute ride away from home, and uh, I say the north end, the north end of the main body, where we're at, the lake goes over, I don't know, under the 30 miles north, I think. 

26:01

But uh, we're on the north end of our part of the lake, I guess you'd say anyway, out of the clear blue sky, as you, if you will, a storm came in. It was supposed to be nice and sunny that day, but we had a storm that blew in and I I remember, uh it, it got us. It was me, my wife, my, my daughter and son-in-law and two of my grandkids, and I don't think any of us had a dry stitch of clothing on us when we got back to the dock. Fortunately, it was just rain, really heavy rain, uh, but no lightning or thunderstorms, anything like that. It was just a really really heavy rainstorm, uh. But I remember. After that we decided, hey, there's a few other things we need to add to the pontoon boat, including a few emergency ponchos just to try to stay somewhat dry for sure.

Keith Carpenter Guest

26:48

Yeah, thank goodness you didn't have an emergency during that time too. You know, because you know equipment. Let's talk about equipment as a matter of fact. That's a good segue into this, because your cell phones are great. They are, but you don't always have cell service out on the lake, so the best thing to have on board is a VHF Marine radio. It's the single most important piece of equipment that you could buy if you're a boater and they're not that big these days they actually they make handheld ones and they have some that you could actually mount into your boat. And either or we had a boat that had both of those many years ago but do not rely on cell  serviceon the water, because it is going to get spotty and even if you do have your cell or your cell phone on, you got to make sure that you have a way of charging it. Those days get long out there, don't they, Danny? 

Danny Smith Host

27:40

For sure. Yeah, especially if you're using that power, a bluetooth speaker or something like that with some music or whatever. Uh, really easy to run that battery down and not even realize it, right, absolutely absolutely. 

Keith Carpenter Guest

27:52

And what happens if your battery does run out, if you're on that trip? Uh, those emergency little battery packs that uh are very, very powerful and small, are good to invest in, and even as well having an onboard battery charger. Even when our boat's out of the water it's plugged up to a trickle charger and I'm sure yours at the boat dock is probably the same and they're very light and smaller than ever nowadays. But the other thing is similar to auto GPS devices. There's chart plotters. These chart plotters basically look like fish finders and can also be dual purpose as a fish finder and can be a very good map of your location and your destination. 

28:35

They're easy to install, but even if you don't want to install them, there are also apps that are available on your phone that do not rely on cell service, and I have have a few. I'm not going to mention the names, but go to your apple or your google store and they'll probably be at the top of the list. But there's a couple of them that you don't necessarily have to rely on cell service for, but chart plotters are especially important for boaters on new bodies of water and even especially, at night.

Danny Smith Host

29:04

Uh, we've had uh over the past few years. It seems like there's been a lot of construction around the lake and, uh, one of the things I watch for at night I've got certain lights. I know this sounds kind of goofy, but I've got certain lights at certain houses that I watch for if we've gone upstream or off past our normal spots. But I watch for those particular lights. You know, and I've noticed over the past few years how those have changed with some of the new construction. So it's one of those. I have to kind of adjust that in my mind. But certainly a chart plotter Well, it's tough to say in it, a chart plotter have to be careful of that one too. It's something that certainly could help with that as well. Yeah, you know another thing that we probably should talk about here and this one may seem kind of like a no-brainer, but, uh, making sure you got a good anchor uh in place and that your anchor is in good shape, uh, that the, the chain or the rope that you have is in good condition as well. Uh, it's the right uh shape of of anchor as well and the right size for your boat and for the the floor conditions of your body of water. Uh, all of those are important things. Uh, you know, one of the things that I found really interesting and I guess this is one of those again just hadn't really stopped and thought about it was uh, how long does your anchor chain or rope need to be? And uh, you know, I've read some places that suggest that it, you know, probably seven times the depth of the water that you're anchoring in. So that's actually quite, quite a lot of anchor rope or anchor chain there and we don't seem to think about that right. 

30:38

Um, another thing that I would suggest for everybody is check and see what insurance you have for your vessel as well. I know I actually got the invoice for uh, for mine, uh, for one of our boats, just a a few minutes ago. I came in the mail yesterday and just was looking at it a few minutes ago. Uh, and so great idea to look at that and make sure you've got the right insurance. Uh, in addition to the liability collision comprehensive coverage you got, you might want to check into what some carriers call an umbrella policy or a general liability policy, that you can get a personal liability policy, different names, different carriers, but you may want to check on that. It just kind of covers additional liability beyond your basic policies, if you will.

31:22

You may also want to look at things like on-water towing labor and medical coverage in the event of an accident, things like that. I guess we should give the disclaimer here, shouldn't we? We're not insurance agents. It's been a while since I even stayed at Holiday Inn Express. I don't know about you, but check your insurance carrier. Just make sure you've got adequate coverage and that you're. You know you don't have any gaps in your coverages or policies there. 

Keith Carpenter Guest

31:46

Well, I may not have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I did renew my towing insurance last week, so I'm there with you. But hey, let's shift gears a little bit here and talk about the never. You never stop learning about docking, do you? And I've? I've lived on this lake for 24 years and, uh, you never stop learning about docking. So, uh, depending on the wind, you got the current to take into consideration the type of boat.

32:13

You know, single drive, dual drive, docking can be a very, very big challenge. Um, it's an exciting challenge, but it's a challenge nevertheless. And you know, as you approach the dock or the shore now, as you're approaching the shore, obviously can be concerned of your trim. But I'm going to talk specifically about docking at a dock. You know, make sure that your bumpers are out prior to even getting in there. This just causes any, you know, rushing while you're approaching the dock and also having them out beforehand prevents damage to your vessel, obviously Reducing the speed. Remember, no brakes, reverse is the only brake that you have on a boat and if you're like me, you feel like a pride shot if you have to throw it into reverse, especially at the dock where everybody is watching and judging you. But you know, reduce your speed. Make sure the dock lines are secured. You know. 

33:06

If the wind's blowing towards the shore, you know, bring the boat about you know, two feet from the dock and the wind will gently, you know, push you in or pull you in, depending on where you're at. You can also secure it with lines. You know, if the wind's blowing away from the shore, approach the dock at a little bit of an angle 20, 30 degrees, depending on how much you need to compensate for the wind and secure the bow line. The first thing you do is usually secure the bow line, depending on the direction, and then the stern's next. 

Danny Smith Host

33:37

That's kind of the way I like to do it as well. For our pontoon boat, we actually bought one of the little extension poles that you can use to kind of the way I like to do as well. And we, for our pontoon boat, we actually bought one of the little extension poles that you can use to kind of pull that in, and that tends to really be helpful, particularly when it's windy. 

33:49

Uh, you can even kind of grab it to stabilize it a bit too, just to get in right. Sure, you know, we're really fortunate here. We've got a couple of fairly nice restaurants here on the water that we like to go to, uh, particularly during summertime, right over on the on the boat for dinner and things like that, and, like you said, you know, get to see the sunset and all of that on the way back, that kind of thing. Uh, one of those restaurants is really really busy and uh, particularly, you know, during those peak times, it's it's almost like you're jousting for position just to get into the dock and uh, they also, by the way, sell a lot of fuel there. Because our lake borders two counties. Uh, the taxes are cheaper on that side of the lake, or so I've heard, but boat fuel is so expensive right now I don't know that maybe cheaper is just a relative term. Right. 

34:36

Anyway, really easy to get frustrated when the docks are really busy there and you know everybody's moving in and out. You're kind of waiting your turn, and you know I talk a lot about how frustration gets me a lot while I'm driving and certainly I have to kind of self-trigger on that when I'm trying to dock the boat there. It's really easy to get frustrated when you're waiting on your turn just to get to the dock or to get up to the pump right. Um, you know, I think that's when I really get to. I think what gets me there is the indecision. You know, people that just can't decide which parking spot they want there, which docking spot, the spot, I guess I should say, um, you know, in my mind I'm kind of like come on, make up your, do something, pick a spot, kind of deal, you know. But, like I said, I just got to learn that a self-trigger on that. Relax, it's OK, you are going to get fried catfish and shrimp. You know you're not going to get there any sooner. 

Keith Carpenter Guest

35:32

Yeah, yeah, and it's funny Sometimes. We got to remember we're all out there for the same reason Exactly. 

Danny Smith Host

35:38

Exactly, and you know the other restaurant. Uh, it actually is back up in a Cove that has a lot of traffic on it. Uh, it actually feeds back into a larger area that opens up beyond the restaurant. So as you're docking there, uh, you know, obviously a lot of traffic on the water means a lot of waves, right, and so you're getting out there and it's a floating dock. So really have to keep your mind on task there and not get too complacent. You know it'd be really easy to lose your balance and get flipped right into the water there if you're not thinking about it as well. 

Keith Carpenter Guest

36:14

I know we used to talk about pre-states, and when we go out on the boat it is always an expectation that I know I'm going to get a little bit rushed and frustrated putting in and more than likely even coming out. So, uh, just knowing that helps us self-trigger on those a little bit quicker and easier that's it exactly. 

Danny Smith Host

36:32

Yeah and uh, you know it's. It's meant to be a relaxing, enjoyable time out on the water. So just thinking about some of the things that we talked about is is really key to kind of, you know, making sure that it does continue to be something enjoyable and not something where there's an incident or, you know, maybe even a tragic accident. Right, so right, folks, that's our time for today. I really appreciate you, Keith, being here with us. Great to talk with you again, and don't forget folks to check out the show notes as well. And, on behalf of Keith and the entire SafeTalk with SafeStart team, thanks for listening. Remember to share this podcast. I'm Danny Smith, reminding you that your SafeStart skills really travel with you, especially on the water, right? So have a safe and great summer and we'll talk soon.