SERVICE FOR SAFETY

Boating safety volunteers affix a light to a Lake Martin hazard buoy

STORY BY JOHN THOMPSON

Lake Martin is big, beautiful, clean and potentially dangerous to careless boaters. There are extensive rock formations, huge sandbars and other hazards that could be hidden from the view of a boater who is not familiar with the area. Water levels in Lake Martin fluctuate throughout the year, which makes it more difficult for boaters to determine the exact location and type of the hazard. Running up on a sandbar or striking a rock formation at any speed can be dangerous to boaters and damaging to watercraft.

Lake Martin Resource Association, working together with the Marine Police has identified 330 hazardous area locations over the most popular boating areas of Lake Martin. Of these, 90 are installed with blinking solar lights. The lighted buoys usually are installed in heavy traffic areas.

With changing water levels and wave action that moves buoys around, it is impossible to place buoys directly over hazards. Additionally, both sand bars and rock formations vary in size, with some being very large.

Buoy information material available from LMRA warns boaters to stay at least 100 feet away from hazardous area buoys and to never travel between a buoy and a nearby shoreline or between two buoys near each other.

The other type of buoy that is installed and maintained by LMRA volunteers is a No Wake buoy, which means just that: There should be nothing but smooth water trailing behind the boat. There are 125 of these installed over Lake Martin at bridges, marinas, Wind Creek Park and other locations, as determined necessary by the Marine

LPolice. More than 450 buoys are managed by a small group of volunteers utilizing one pontoon boat that has been modified for this purpose. It is hard work, and it is very costly to manage. LMRA members fund the program with membership dues and donations. The financial side and the volunteer contributions are both necessary, but the most important part of the program is the safety of Lake Martin boaters. Without the hazardous area buoys marking the danger beneath the surface, Lake Martin would become extremely dangerous. Most boaters are aware of the buoys and respect them by following the 100-foot guideline. Unfortunately, some do not, and herein is the problem. Careless boaters are now destroying buoys at the fastest rate LMRA has ever experienced. When a buoy is hit, it immediately loses its effectiveness. It no longer stands as a sentinel to warn unaware boaters; but instead, it becomes a potential hazard. The LMRA buoy team relies on the boating public to notify them when a buoy is missing. They also check sites when making install runs. There is always a time lapse between collision time and replacement time. Boaters beware: LMRA is committed to making Lake Martin as safe as possible with its buoy program, which has been copied by other lake associations in Alabama, but help is needed from the boating public. Please slow down. Follow the buoy guidelines, and report missing or damaged buoys to lmra@lmra.info.

Safe Boating Quiz

With the summertime increase of boaters on Lake Martin, test your boating safety knowledge. Answers to the following questions were provided by Sgt. Steve McWaters of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Marine Patrol Division and Lake Martin Resource Association’s boating safety committee chair Randy Kirkland. Give yourself one point for each correct answer and post your score on Lake magazine’s Facebook page by July 11, 2022, to be eligible for a giveaway prize. 1. Should boaters take a water safety course? 2. Are you required to pass a marine vessel licensing test to boat on Lake Martin? 3. If you witness an accident on Lake Martin, whom should you call? 4. If you witness reckless or careless operation of a vessel, whom should you call? 5. Is there a requirement to conduct a pre-departure safety equipment checklist? 6. If the life jackets/personal flotation devices (PFD) on board your boat are all adult large, does this meet the requirements? 7. How do you know if a PFD is Coast Guard approved? 8. Does my plastic blow-up swim ring meet the “through cushion” or ring requirement? 9. If you’re being towed (skiers, wake boarders, surfers, etc.), are you required to wear a PFD? If so, what type? 10. Must you wear a PFD to paddle board? 11. On a boat, who is required to wear a Coast Guard approved PFD at all times? 12. Are you required to wear a PFD if operating a personal watercraft (Jet Ski, SeaDoo, Wave Runner, etc.) a short distance? 13. Is it legal to pull three people on a tube with my three-person rated Jet Ski? 14. Must I have a sound-producing device on my boat and PWC? 15. Is an open container of alcohol permitted on my boat? 16. What happens if I'm drinking/driving and get stopped by Marine Patrol? 17. What is the major cause of accidents on Lake Martin? 18. A pontoon boat has docking lights. Should you use them if foggy and dark out? 19. Is it ok to operate a boat at night with swim lights on? 20. If you’re not familiar with Lake Martin, is it OK to navigate at night? 21. There are three types of buoys on Lake Martin. What do the symbols mean? 22. Does LMRA authorize, install and manage Slow No Wake buoys? 23. Is LMRA responsible for managing and maintaining the orange swim balls/moorings? 24. Is there a certain distance that I should stay away from a hazard buoy? 25. If a boater accidentally damages a buoy, whom should they contact? 26. Do boater license fees pay for the buoys and placements? 27. If you see someone damaging a buoy, what should you do? 28. Why is it so important to stay hydrated and protected from the sun? 29. Is it OK to go boating alone? 30. Are there hand signals when tubing, skiing, wakeboarding and surfing? 31. Is checking the weather forecast before and during an outing recommended? 32. Are spotters required when pulling skiers, wake boarders, surfers with a boat? 33. How about when towing with a PWC? 34. Is it a law to navigate on the right side of the lake heading north and opposite side heading south? 35. Does it matter how many people ride on my boat? 36. What is an engine cutoff (kill switch) and do I need to connect it to my body while operating my boat? 37. Is an engine cut-off switch required on a PWC? For more information about Alabama Boating Rules and Regulations, visit alea.gov/dps/marine-patrol/boating-rules-andregulations. For more information about Lake Martin Resource Association, visit lmra@lmra.info.

Safe Boating Quiz Answers

1. SM - Yes, a boater safety course will give a boater more knowledge on the laws and instructions on how to boat safely. 2. SM: If you are a resident of the state of Alabama, you are required to obtain a vessel endorsement to operate a personal watercraft (PWC) or vessel, beginning at the age of 12. 3. SM: 9-1-1. Advise of location and dispatch will notify the needed agency. 4. SM: ALEA dispatch at 334-676-7200 to advise location and try to obtain vessel number. 5. SM: There is no requirement, but it is a good practice to conduct such a checklist. It is taught in the boaters education class. 6. SM: If you have only adults on board, then yes. If you have children on the boat – No, it is does not. In addition, all PFDs for everyone on board must be U.S. Coast Guard approved. 7. SM: It is located on the inside of the PFD. 8. SM: No, the type IV throwable also must be Coast Guard approved. 9. SM: Yes. Type I, II or III Coast Guard approved. 10. SM: You do not have to wear it, but it must be on board the paddleboard. 11. SM: Children under 8 years of age. 12. SM: Yes, the PFD must be worn on a PWC, even if you are operating only for a short distance. This includes launching the PWC. 13. SM: No, you can only allow the number for which the PWC is rated. The vessel operator counts as one, so you can only have two on the towable. 14. SM: It is determined by length of the vessel. Vessels less than 16 feet long are not required to have sound-producing devices, but it is strongly recommended that these vessels carry horns or whistles on board. Vessels that are 16 feet to 40 feet long are required to carry on board whistles or horns or some other means to make an efficient sound signal. 15. SM: Yes, open containers are permitted. 16. SM: You will be checked for your sobriety, and the results could indicate BUI. 17. SM: Operator inattention and careless operation. 18. SM: No, docking lights are just what they state they are. They are for docking. If you use your docking lights to navigate, it drowns out your navigational lights, and you can’t see other boaters approaching. 19. SM: I would only recommend you operate your navigational lights for safety reasons. 20. SM: Yes, but always have a pre-trip plan and let others know your plans. Also, keep a charged cellphone on board for any emergencies that may arise. 21. RK: Diamond – Hazard; Diamond with cross – Restricted/Boaters Keep Out; Circle – Slow No Wake. 22. RK: Authorization process is by the Marine Police. If approved, LMRA will install and manage. 23. RK: No. Those are considered private. 24. RK: Yes, 100 feet. The buoy isn’t typically installed on top of the hazard. 25. RK: Please contact Lake Martin Resource Association at lmra.info or call 256-212-1422 and provide the buoy number and location, so it can be replaced quickly. 26. RK: No. All costs for buoys, lights, anchors, etc., are covered by LMRA through membership dues/ renewals and donations. LMRA volunteers manage the buoy program. 27. RK: Call Marine Patrol dispatch at 256-234-2601 and/or LMRA at lmra.info or call 256-212-1422. Pictures would be helpful. 28. SM: One is for health reasons; the other is boater’s fatigue. The sun literally drains you, and you will not be aware of it until it’s too late. 29. SM: Sure, there are many boaters that boat alone, but again, have a pre-trip plan and let someone know about your plans.

Safe Boating Quiz Answers continued

30. SM: Yes, they are taught in a boater’s safety and education class. 31. SM: Always. Weather in the state of Alabama can change in a heartbeat. 32. SM: You must have someone 12 years of age or older to spot for people being towed, or your vessel has to be equipped with a tow mirror of at least 78 square inches. 33. SM: No spotter is required, but the PWC must have tow mirrors attached to each side of the PWC. 34. SM: It is not a law that requires you to do so; however, in narrow channels and tributaries, you must stay to the right, just like riding on a highway. 35. SM: Yes, there is a capacity plate on the vessel that tells you how many people can occupy the vessel. The limit can be found on the capacity plate. 36. SM: Engine cut-off switches, also know as ECOS or kill switches, are required by Alabama law for vessels that are less than 24 feet in length, have an open cockpit and are powered by more than 50 horsepower. The lanyard of the switch must be attached to the person, clothing or PFD of the vessel operator. 37. SM: Yes. It must be attached to the operator.

For more information about Alabama boating rules and regulations, visit alea.gov/dps/marine-patrol/boating-rulesand-regulations. For more information about Lake Martin Resource Association, visit lmra.info.