Friday, August 20, 2010

Coast Guard Special Announcement

From: ChicagoYachting@aol.com
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:17:42 -0400
Subject: CYA - Notice From the Coast Guard
To: ChicagoYachting@aol.com


Here is a special announcement:

The U.S. Coast Guard anticipates establishing a safety zone on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to support the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the installation of underwater structures designed prevent the unwanted spread of electric current. This would close the canal to all traffic during certain periods of time. Details are subject to change, but we recognize the importance of providing maximum advance notice.

WHERE: Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in the vicinity of the barrier, likely from mile 296.1 (approx 450' south of the Romeo Road Bridge) to MM 296.7 (aerial pipeline located approx 0.51 miles northeast of Romeo Road bridge).

WHEN: 7:00am to 11:00am and 1:00pm to 5:00pm each day from September 7 through September 11.

We will notify you immediately should there be any changes. Please direct any questions to me (414-747-7163) or to LCDR Sean Brady (Executive Officer, Marine Safety Unit Chicago, 630-986-2155)

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Cell phones and other wheelhouse distractions

Workboat.com
ON THE WATER

Joel Milton

August 16, 2010

In an Aug. 11 press release, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that the Coast Guard establish a policy on cell phone use on its vessels. The NTSB recommendation was issued after two serious collisions involving Coast Guard and civilian vessels, one of which resulted in a fatality.

Although the NTSB is still investigating the accidents, they have nonetheless confirmed that, “cellular telephones and similar electronic devices were being used while Coast Guard crewmembers were engaged in vessel operations.” I should mention that at this point the NTSB has no information indicating that the small boat coxswains (operators) of the two Coast Guard vessels that were using their cell phones or that cell phone use (by whichever crewmembers) was a cause of either accident. Read More.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

US Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics 2009

2009 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• In 2009, the Coast Guard counted 4730 accidents that involved 736 deaths,
3358 injuries and approximately $36 million dollars of damage to property as a result
of recreational boating accidents.
• The fatality rate was 5.8 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels.
This rate represents a 3.6% increase from last year’s fatality rate of 5.6
deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels.
• Compared to 2008, the number of accidents decreased 1.23%, the number
of deaths increased 3.81% and the number of injuries increased 0.81%.
• Almost three-fourths of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those,
eighty-four (84) percent were not reported as wearing a life jacket.
• Only fourteen percent of deaths occurred on boats where the operator had received
boating safety instruction.
• Seven out of every ten boaters who drowned were using boats less than 21 feet in
length.
• Operator inattention, operator inexperience, excessive speed, improper lookout and
alcohol rank as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents.
• Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; it was listed
as the leading factor in 16% of the deaths.
• Eighteen children under age thirteen lost their lives while boating in 2009. 50% of the
children who died in 2009 died from drowning. 44% of those who drowned were
wearing a life jacket as required to do so by state law.
• The most common types of vessels involved in reported accidents were open
motorboats (46%), personal watercraft (22%), and cabin motorboats (14%).
• The 12,721,541 boats registered by the states in 2009 represent a 0.23%
increase from last year when 12,692,892 boats were registered.

READ THE ENTIRE REPORT AT http://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/workflow_staging/Publications/388.PDF