Columnist Barb Henderson: Boaters can navigate web

Barb Henderson

Friday, Dec. 13, 2002 | 10:16 a.m.

Barb Henderson is an outdoors enthusiast, freelance writer and producer/host of outdoors radio television programming. Her column appears Friday in the Sun.

Ahoy Mates!

Boating enthusiasts who have access to a computer can now obtain information about waters in our state with a click of the mouse.

Come on board! Click onto www.boatnevada.org.

Boaters are always welcome to navigate on this website.

Once launched onto the site, the skipper's voyage will have him/her cruising through important steps needed to help fulfill mandatory class requirements, change information for registration, view the boating education handbook, review law and safety tips and much more.

For the sportsmen/women who use boats for duck hunting, fishing and other winter boating activities, there's a section about increased risk of hypothermia.

While on the site's deck, you can explore information about a new law that requires successful completion of an approved boating safety class before operating a vessel. The law, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, requires boaters born in 1983 or later to have successfully completed a course before operating a vessel that has a 15 horsepower or larger motor on Nevada's interstate waters, including Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, Lake Tahoe and Topaz Lake.

Both the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Las Vegas Power Squadron offer boating courses.

Lake Mead and Lake Mohave have three agencies in enforcement patrol boats -- Arizona Game and Fish Department, the National Park Service and the Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW).

On any given day, hundreds of vessels navigate Nevada waters.

In 2001, approximately 61,247 boats were registered statewide, with about 60 percent (mostly larger boats) from Southern Nevada.

NDOW boating officials indicate that among the 152 boating accidents last year in Nevada, 135 were on Southern Nevada waters.

Remember the tale about a trip aboard a ship, where the mate was a sailin' man and the skipper was brave and sure? Sure you remember. There were five passengers who set sail one day on a three-hour tour. Well, this might not be a tropical island, but one thing's for sure: Gilligan's Island demonstrated how easily boating plans can change without notice.

In other words, wear your life jacket. They float, you don't.

Nevada's boating safety, education and enforcement agency is always interested in qualified volunteers. Don't miss the boat -- contact the state's Boating Educator, Edwin Lyngar, at (775) 688-1500 and don't forget to surf www.boatnevada.org.

Briefs

Wood cutting permits are available Monday-Friday at the BLM Carson City Field Office, at $10 per cord, maximum five cords per household per year. For more information, contact BLM Carson City Field Office at (775) 885-6000.