With the weather getting warmer and the fishing improving, look for boaters — especially recreational boaters — to begin taking to area waterways.
Boating continues to be one of the top recreational activities in the area. Just wait for the next Sunday when it’s 80 degrees, there’s plenty of sunshine and blue skies and the waterways are calm, and there will be plenty of ski boats, sailboats and speedboats dotting the Pamlico River, Pamlico Sound, Pungo River and Chocowinity Bay.
As boating traffic increases in the coming months, we urge boaters — veteran skippers and first-boat owners alike — to brush up on boating safety. With as much boat traffic this area sees during the warm months, boating safety should be foremost in boaters’ minds. Many of the rules of the road apply to boating. Don’t get a citation for boating while impaired. Be sure to wear a life vest, and be sure to have a life vest for everyone on the boat.
Take a boating safety course. It never hurts to take such a course every few years. Familiarize yourself with boating regulations and navigational rules.
Each year, about 700 Americans die in recreational boating accidents. Don’t become a boating-related fatality. Stay afloat. Stay alert. Stay informed. Stay alert.
Do those things to stay alive.
Enjoy the upcoming boating season, but be safe while doing so.