| In the first installment of this two-part series, we | | | | safety sake. It's easy to lose sight of this when |
| highlighted five dangers (aka: Five Stupid Ways to | | | | there's something funny going on in the water and |
| Injure Yourself or Others) you could experience | | | | everyone rushes to the port side to see it. |
| on a pontoon boat. In this second, and final, | | | | Pontoon boats are pretty stable, but don't tempt |
| installment we introduce six additional dangers - | | | | fate by throwing out common sense and putting |
| that you may or may not have considered. Our | | | | physics and pontoon boat engineering to the test. |
| intent is to bring these dangers to the forefront | | | | Keep your pontoon boat load evenly distributed. |
| of your mind right now, so that when you are | | | | Danger #9: Too much weight - don't overload |
| out enjoying the waterways - you will have been | | | | your watercraft. Don't take twelve people out on |
| exposed to concepts that emphasize good | | | | a boat that's designed for six. It's not just a load |
| precautions to take - so that your focus will be | | | | balancing danger, but you're putting dangerous |
| on enjoyment of safe and thoughtful boating. | | | | strain on the structure of your watercraft and it's |
| Let's start with Danger #6 and work our way up | | | | engine. |
| to Danger #11: | | | | Danger #10: Leaving inland waterways - Pontoon |
| Danger #6: Passengers riding in dangerous areas - | | | | boats were designed for inland waterways. |
| don't let passengers sit in seats or on parts of | | | | Rivers, small and mid-sized lakes, and ponds don't |
| the deck from which they can easily fall into the | | | | put boaters in jeopardy like larger bodies of water |
| water when a your boat makes sudden changes | | | | such as the Great Lakes, or the Gulf of Mexico. |
| in movement. Sitting on the bow, rail, transom, | | | | Even trying to boat long stretches of the |
| sun deck, swivel fishing seats, and like areas | | | | Mississippi River can be dangerous. Avoid open |
| should not be allowed. Neither should standing | | | | seas and oceanic voyages on pontoon boats. |
| during transit. If someone falls from the front of | | | | Waves and winds on the open sea or oceans can |
| your pontoon boat while you're in transit, there's | | | | be stronger than you (the skipper) and your |
| very little you can do (if anything) to prevent the | | | | pontoon boat can handle. |
| propellers from hitting them as your boat passes | | | | Danger #11: Carbon monoxide poisoning kills - |
| over the top of them. | | | | especially if your boat has an enclosed canopy |
| Danger #7: Boat running while swimmers and | | | | and you've got a backwind blowing your boat |
| skiers enter the water - Shut off the engine | | | | motor exhaust fumes into that canopy. Keep in |
| before swimmers and skiers are allowed to enter | | | | mind that carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas |
| the water. If you must turn the engine on before | | | | and can still kill you even if you're on the open |
| everyone's back in the boat, make sure that no | | | | water. |
| one is under the boat, or near the engine. Don't | | | | Boating can be a safe and fun recreational activity |
| let your passengers rush to get into the water. | | | | if we're mindful of our actions and take |
| Making people wait until you kill the motors isn't | | | | responsible steps for avoiding many of the |
| being a grinch, it's being smart. | | | | situations in which people get hurt or killed. By |
| Danger #8: Unbalanced loads - don't distribute all | | | | keeping these six dangers in mind, and making it |
| the weight to one portion of the boat. Let all the | | | | second-nature to avoid them, you'll be far safer |
| passengers know that they all should stand on an | | | | on the water and find your time on the water |
| particular part of the boat at the same time for | | | | more enjoyable. |