Putting the "legal" issues aside for a minute . . .
Think of your "worst case scenereo" and plan for it !!! stock your boat for it !!!
Lots of water, in your water tight ammo box, have sunblock, snacks that are SEALED
such as Granola Bars, first aid items, bug spray, and emergency solar blankets. lighter & matches,
Most of this can be found at Wal-Mart in the camping area.
Try to imagine yourself breaking down, with wife and kids (or friends) in the boat - - -
hours and hours pass by - - - everyone is tired, hungry, thirsty, and CRANKY !!
THEN, night settles in, mosquitoes as big as catfish attack you, you need some light,
8 hour camping candles work in a glass if no rain or wind, extra batteries for your signal
flashlight. oh wait, you forgot to bring a flashlight ???? or, the batteries are DEAD and you
don't have extras ??? hmmmmm gonna be a LOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG night for sure !!!!
oh yea, you tried to paddle back to the dock but your $6.00 paddle BREAKS IN HALF ......
What I like to do is sit in my boat - pencil and paper in hand - and just IMAGINE all the WHAT IFs !!!!
and plan for it - - - then, hopefully, NOTHING ever happens to you like that and you have a great
boating experience !!!.
This is far beyond the "minimum USCG requirements" this is just plain old COMMON SENSE.
There is nothing more grand than
to be just simply messing around
in an old boat . . . . POGO, 1960
This comes from my very own and very real personal experience !!! This is in the ocean.
Hit something in the water, broke the prop. drifted to a sandbar. No spare prop.
no food, one small bottle of water, no mirror to signal anyone. No sunblock. No shade.
Young wife and 18 month old baby and two friends on the boat. We planned to be gone
maybe an hour at the most just to run the boat around. Night falls, no flashlight to signal anyone.
Finally, our friends knew something was wrong when none of us returned home..... Coast Guard
was called, thank GOD that someone knew about what direction we went. they gave us water and
snacks and towed us in. we were less than 5 miles from the boat landing. I got a ticket for several
violations which I deserved.
I promised my wife and myself that I would NEVER go out again without planning for the WHAT IFs !!!!
But of course, a lot of folks here are on a crowded lake or river and help is only a handwave away
and it doesn't matter what you have on your boat.
Tight lines and happy boating !!