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Show Fishing, Cruising, Water Skiing - While On The Water, Be Safe Millions of Americans will be on the is not being safe enough, although the life preserver has been accepted by most boatmen and anglers as essential gear. Unless it is properly fitted, and worn properly zipped or belted, it cannot provide the maximum safety needed. All passenger, from babies through adults, should have a properly fitted personal flotation device for more boating enjoyment. kit on Keep a small first-aiboard which responsible skippers consider as mandatory equipment, to take preserver water this year, fishing, water skiing, or just plain cruising. Here are a few tips on how to help keep your boating season more enjoyable : Keep a safety lanyard, which is probably the most essential piece of equipment on a boat, secured to the skipper. If for some reason he leaves the helm, the safety lanyard will stop the motor immediately. Most outboards, from the 6hp on up, feature a safety lanyard. Realize that just wearing a life d care of minor problems. Make certain a sun block is included, and offered to all passengers when first boarding for a sunny day of boating. Store as much gear as possible in dry storage and rod lockers inside the boat The less gear adrift in the boat means more footroom inside and less chance of tripping, or having valuable equipment, such as a fishing rod, stepped on and ruined. Tape or fasten down ail ice chest lids, minnow bucket tops, and tackle box lids. A lid dislodged by wind or rough water, can distract the dnvei When you're water skiing, make certain the skiing observer is seated in the boat, rather than standing while watching the skier to prevent accidents inside the boat as well as being aware of the skier behind the boat. Make a fire extinguisher a mandatory piece of safety equipment on your boat, whether yours is required to have one by the U.S. Coast Guard or not. Keep it in easy reach and fully charged so that it will be ready if you need it or need to help someone else. If you go fishing at night, make certain you use a stern light. Although you may be able to see an approaching boat, dont assume that the other driver can see you. Few things are more embarrassing in boating than running aground. Use a depth finder so you will always know the depth of water in which you are running. Most depth finders have audible alarms you can set to go off at depths. Then youll be able to slow your boat down as you approach shallow water. Keep An Eye On Changing Weather Scene The weather, which can bring good or bad fishing, can also mean a beautiful day of boating, or a rained-ou- t family outing. And weather can cause calm, mirrorlike water, or raging waves. So to enhance any outdoor activity, the outdoorsman must learn to keep his eyes and ears attuned to weather and its potential for rapid change. If an angler hears the forecast of a front moving into his area, he should learn exactly when that front should pass through, because that knowledge can often be the difference between a full stringer or an empty one. An angler on the water just ahead of a front may take a limit of fish, because like other creatures, fish actively feed ahead of a front. But the sportsman who is on the water immediately after a front hits is likely to be unsuccessful, since fish are less apt to feed for a day or two after one passes through. However, a sportsman can often expect good luck on the water when the weather has been stable for several days. An angler is not the only outdoorsman who should keep an eye on the weahter. The water skier and boatman should watch the sky for big thunderhead clouds. Be aware of how fast the clouds are moving, and watch for lightning and rain in the distance. In many areas, a storm can blow up on a lake suddenly and dramatically and turn a placid, mirror-lik- e body of water into mountains of waves. Boating is a fun sport, and if you watch the weather, it's a much more enjoyable and safer sport for all. COMPLETE SYSTEM BUY NOW AND INCLUDES: Ft. Deep Dish, Satellite Receiver, RECEIVE 8 ; A FREE 1 9" COLOR TELEVISION "Automatic Dish Mover" 85 Low Noise Amplifier Receive Over 150 Channels Incl. Sports - Movies Variety - Educational Spanish ! INSTALLATION OPTIONAL satellite form a company that has served the areas for 3S years, who is Buy your i I concerned about your complete satisfaction and our good name. |