As Memorial Day Weekend approaches, state officials are encouraging boaters to keep up with safety precautions before heading out on the water.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is hosting free boat inspections starting tomorrow. Boating safety and enforcement officers will perform quick and thorough inspections for required safety equipment and proper boat and motor registrations.
If your boat is not up to par, you don’t need to worry this weekend. Any boaters who fail to follow the safety precautions will not be ticketed through Memorial Day. Instead, they will have an opportunity to fix any issues before getting out on the water.
To pass the inspection, boats must have Coast Guard-approved life jackets readily available, a fire extinguisher in working condition, a Type 4 Throwable Device, a horn, and working navigation lights.
A full list of inspection dates and times is available here.
Once on the water, Captain Charlotte McKee with SCDNR says you should avoid bowriding, which is riding on the front of a boat or dangling any limbs in the front.
“People don’t realize how unsafe that is, so if somebody is going to go overboard that boat is not gonna stop in time, so make sure that you’re doing everything safe,” she said.
And much like driving, make sure you have a designated sober operator if you’re drinking on the water.
To report any boating violations, you can call the SCDNR toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-922-5431.
If you have any questions about boat safety or regulations, you can contact the SCDNR boating safety office at 1-800-277-4301 or visit http://www.dnr.sc.gov/education/boated.html.
