SEATTLE — The Coast Guard urges the public to be prepared when operating a paddle craft on the water as summer kicks off across the Pacific Northwest.

As stay-at-home restrictions are eased and air temperatures rise, in our rush to get outside and enjoy the beautiful Pacific Northwest, it is easy to forget that water temperatures remain dangerously cold.

However, there are some easy steps that you can take to ensure your own safety while recreating on the water. In the U.S., an estimated 130 people die annually while kayaking or canoeing; 90% of those deaths as a result of drowning.

Factors that contributed most to these fatal accidents were: failure to wear a life jacket, operator inattention or inexperience, alcohol and drug use, hazardous waters, weather conditions, and navigation rule violations. Don’t forget: life jackets are required by law to be on all vessels, including kayaks, canoes and paddleboards.

Below are steps you can take to ensure a fun time out on the water and make it home safely.

File a ‘Float Plan’ – Before you leave, create a plan and let someone staying behind know your itinerary. The plan should include the contact information for all individuals going out, the intended route, and what to do in case of emergency or non-arrival at the estimated return time.

Check the weather – The weather can change quickly and is often a leading cause of getting into trouble. Prior to departure, check the weather for current and forecasted conditions. This should include understanding how different weather conditions, tides, and currents will affect your waterway and craft.

Wear a Coast Guard-approved personal floatation device – Personal Flotation Devices save lives, if they fit and you wear them. In many incidents, life jackets were onboard but not worn; and once you are in the water it may be too late to put one on or adjust it, as cold-water shock is a deadly and ever-present threat in the Pacific Northwest. A highly visible PFD, with reflective tape, will assist mariners in seeing an individual and increases the chances of being found by a search team if the need arises. To further reduce the risk of hypothermia and cold-water shock, it is advisable to dress to the water temperature – not the air temperature – by wearing a dry suit, wet suit, or other synthetic materials (not cotton).

Label your paddle craft – A label allows responders to confirm if someone is actually in trouble and collect information to help search efforts. A simple label with a name, contact information, and alternate contact number written in waterproof ink or paint can drastically reduce search times; in addition to ensuring the return of any wayward watercraft to its owner.

Go with a friend – Two people allow one to help the other in case of emergency, and allows for that critical call for help to initiate a search and rescue response if the need arises.

Waterproof communication devices – This could be something as simple as a whistle, air horn, or cell phone in a waterproof case, to flares, a handheld VHF radio, or a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) with proper registration. These devices will allow you to alert mariners in the immediate vicinity or send an alert to the Coast Guard.

Avoid Alcohol and Drugs – Boating under the influence is ILLEGAL. This applies to all boats including kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, rowboats, and inflatable fishing rafts. The use of alcohol or drugs while operating any vessel is unsafe and impairs judgement, motor skills, situational awareness, and can hasten onset of hypothermia.

These simple steps can ensure you are prepared to enjoy the water safely and responsibly.
-USCG-

And sails, motors and paddles

Maine Island Trail challenges boaters to clean Maine’s wild islands

One of Maine’s most unique recreational assets is the Maine Island Trail. Consisting of over 240 islands and coastal properties, the Trail has grown over 32 years thanks in large part to the volunteer stewardship of its mostly privately-owned, uninhabited islands. It is this work that compels many island owners to be part of the Trail, allowing visitors for daytime recreation or overnight camping. What started as a simple, grassroots agreement between island owners and visitors willing to lend a hand has gradually become more organized. A program of Island Adopters came first, eventually followed by a corps of some 30 volunteer Monitor Skippers who bring groups of volunteers to the islands using the organization’s ubiquitous red skiffs. As a result, groups of volunteers working on the islands together has been the image of the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) for 20 years.

In this Coronavirus season, however, group-based activities may not be possible. Instead, MITA will rely heavily on individuals to conduct stewardship work using their own boats. The organization is asking its 6,900 members, and anyone else who is so inclined, to clean up the islands and report their activities via a simple web form. They have dubbed this effort “A Call to Oars!”

“The idea is to turn this challenging situation of Coronavirus on its head,” says Program Director Brian Marcaurelle. “In response to social distancing rules, MITA will go back to our roots and empower individuals to do rewarding volunteer work on their own boats and schedules.”

The request is a simple one. Participants will download the Maine Island Trail App, visit islands where they can do so safely, carry trash off, and send a brief web-based report back to MITA at MITA.org/report.

“This is an important undertaking,” notes MITA Executive Director, Doug Welch. “Between our large-group cleanups and small-group outings, MITA logged over 2,300 hours of group-based volunteerism last year. We cannot afford for that effort to just disappear in 2020. We have islands to keep clean and owners to keep happy in order for the Trail to continue to succeed.”

The staff is cautiously optimistic that the combination of boaters’ pent-up energy with warm weather will result in smooth sailing for the program. “MITA is composed of can-do folks who love a challenge and an excuse to go boating,” Marcaurelle notes. “And we as a population are eager for safe, refreshing outdoor experiences. So we hope that whether they sail, power, or paddle, all Maine boaters will be part of A Call to Oars!”

For more information email info@mita.org or visit www.MITA.org/Call-to-Oars

About MITA

Spanning some of the world’s greatest cruising grounds, the Maine Island Trail is a 375-mile water trail for small boaters extending from the New Hampshire border to Canada. An “only in Maine” phenomenon, the Trail is based on handshake agreements with land-owners who share a common commitment to coastal access. From an original 30 islands in 1988, the Trail has grown to include over 230 islands and mainland sites open for daytime and overnight recreational use along the entire coast of Maine.

The Maine Island Trail Association (“MITA”) is a 6,900-member organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the wild islands of Maine. Through 32 years of community-building, stewardship and education, the organization developed America’s first recreational water trail and a model of sustainable recreation. True to its grass roots, MITA combines a hands-on approach to caring for the islands with modern efforts to engage younger people. In addition to its traditional media products, and a new MITA App, it created Maine Island Trail Ale, brewed by Rising Tide Brewery in Portland. MITA members enjoy access to Trail properties for day use or overnight visits in return for observing low-impact techniques and guidelines. More information is available by contacting MITA at 207-761-8225, emailing info@mita.org or visiting www.mita.org

In the hopes of getting customers on the water sooner than later, many questions are arising about how outfitters can best operate in the COVID-19 climate. One of the most pressing questions is, “How do we increase gear cleaning measures to keep our customers safe?” Cleanliness has always been the goal, but it’s more important now than ever.

How to clean PFDs between uses is one of the most common inquiries we have received. So, we did some research, and here is our recommendation: use soap and water.

For cleaning, soap and water has proven to be both basically safe for the product and effective in killing viruses due to the amphiphiles (fats) in the soap. No need to overspend—any inexpensive non-detergent soap can stop a virus (which is why hand washing is the number one way to stop the spread). The fats in soap dissolve the protein of the virus outer layer and destroy the bond it has with the host, rendering it harmless. This is the same principle in washing clothes to remove viruses or dirt.

In addition to this information, NRS has put together a basic guide to cleaning gear to protect your customers. We wanted to share this information in hopes that it helps answer any questions you may have and get you back on the water as soon as possible.

Read Now: Gear Cleaning Guide »

Please do not hesitate to give us a call to discuss this further.

Thank you,
—NRS