21st Century Complete Guide to Boating Safety - Coast Guard Publications, Regulations, Propeller Dangers, Personal Flotation Devices (PFD), Alcohol and BUI, Vessel Safety Checks, Circulars (CD-ROM)

This up-to-date and comprehensive electronic book on CD-ROM disc presents a vital collection of important government documents and reports about boating safety, with a vast compendium of material from the U.S. Coast Guard including publications, regulations, safety circulars, and much more. The U.S. Coast Guard, in its role as the designated National Recreational Boating Safety Coordinator, is a leader in improving the boating experience of the maritime public. It works in partnership with all stakeholders within the waterways activity spectrum and across all modes of transportation to reach consensus solutions. The mission is to minimize the loss of life, personal injury, property damage, and environmental impact associated with the use of recreational boats, through preventive means, in order to maximize safe use and enjoyment of U.S. Waterways by the public. The Strategic Plan of the National Recreational Boating Safety Program encompasses the U.S. Coast Guard's goals and strategies to ensure the public has a safe, secure, and enjoyable recreational boating experience by implementing programs that minimize the loss of life, personal injury, and property damage while cooperating with environmental and national security efforts. Contents of this extensive collection and topics covered include: * Regulations, Laws, Operating Procedures enforced by the USCG, Navigation Rules, Recalls and Safety Defects, Safety Course links * Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) * Aids to Navigation, buoys, beacons, markers * Boatbuilders Handbook for recreational vessels * Boating Safety Circulars * Sponsons on Canoes and Kayaks * Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning, helpful checklists and maintenance tips, reports, testimonials, educational tools * Accident Statistics * Safety Initiative You re In Command * Safety Grants * Boating Under the Influence (BUI) alcohol effects, estimating impairment, enforcement and penalties, tips for avoiding BUI * Propeller Dangers and Strike * Personal Flotation Devices (PFD), life jackets The federal statutes authorize the U.S. Coast Guard to regulate the manufacture and safety standards of recreational boats and boating-related equipment. These include regulations for: Manufacturer certification, Identification of boats, Display of capacity information, Safe loading, Safe powering, Flotation, Electrica, systems, Fuel systems, Ventilation, Start-in-gear protection, navigation lights, Backfire flame control, Negligent operation, Operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol or a dangerous drug, Numbering undocumented vessels, Reporting undocumented vessels, accidents and casualties, State numbering and casualty reporting systems, Carriage and use of persona, flotation devices (PFDs), Carriage and use of visual distress signals (VDS), Carriage of fire extinguishing equipment, Correction of especially hazardous conditions. The U.S. Coast Guard s most recent boating-related accident statistics show: 697 fatalities 3,451 injuries nearly $39 million in property damage; 87 percent of drowning victims were not wearing life jackets; Alcohol was either a direct or indirect contributing factor in approximately one-quarter of all boating fatalities; About 70 percent of all boating fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction; The most reported type of accident was a collision with another vessel. However, capsizing and falls overboard are the most reported types of fatal accidents and accounted for the vast majority (59 percent) of all boating fatalities; Overall, carelessness/reckless operation, operator inattention, excessive speed and operator inexperience are the leading contributing factors of all reported accidents.