Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Boaters prepare for busy season

Paula DelGiudice

Wednesday, May 16, 2001 | 10:03 a.m.

Paula DelGiudice's outdoors notebook appears Wednesday. Reach her at desertdenizens@aol.com.

The long Memorial Day weekend is looming on the horizon. Typically, though the weather is ready before most boaters are, this weekend marks the beginning of the summer boating season.

There are some things to keep in mind as you prepare yourself, your boat and your gear for the weekend: First of all you must make sure your boat's registration is updated before the weekend approaches. The closer we get to the long weekend, the longer the lines will be at the boat registration windows at the Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW) offices in Las Vegas and Henderson.

If you need to pay a visit to the state agency responsible for registering boats, make plans to do so soon. Also don't forget that float tubes, rubber rafts and canoes that are powered with any type of motor are considered to be boats and must be registered, according to the Nevada Division of Wildlife.

Next, the safety of your passengers should be of the utmost importance. Already here in Southern Nevada, three fatalities occurred during April, according to NDOW. According to Doug Nielsen, NDOW game warden, two of the fatal accidents involved personal watercraft (PWC) operators who were hit by close acquaintances who were also operating PWCs. The third was a boat operator whose small aluminum vessel capsized during a windstorm.

"This number of fatalities is more than we've had statewide in either of the past two years. We are very concerned and are cautioning boaters to be very attentive when operating their vessels and to think safety when they are on the water," said Nielsen. "Just last weekend two young women went to the hospital with chest and abdominal injuries when their PWCs collided. It is typical of PWC accidents that the people who are involved know each other."

Boaters in larger vessels aren't immune from problems on the water. That's why boaters should be prepared for emergencies. All boaters must have a personal flotation device on board for every passenger. Throwable seat cushions do not meet the requirement. Boaters should make sure to drink lots of water -- never alcohol -- while boating to stay well hydrated. And wear lots of sunscreen.

Make certain your boat's engine has been readied for the water, including checks and oil changes. No matter where you're boating, make sure to heed the weather and don't take any foolish chances if a storm moves in.

Make sure someone knows your plans for boating before you go. Be extra careful when swimming at lakes Mead and Mohave also.

To assist in preparation for this boating season, NDOW is offering free publications for Nevada boaters. The publications are available by visiting the NDOW offices at 4747 W. Vegas Drive or 744 South Racetrack Road in Henderson.