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