Boaters should take precaution in winter

by Mark Sampson

From the Boardwalk last week I could see three boats fishing about a mile offshore. At the time the wind was blowing pretty hard out of the northwest and with an air temperature in the mid-30s, I couldn't help but think that the folks out on the boats deserved every fish they caught.

A little later, while crossing the Route 50 bridge I noticed a couple small boats fishing inside the inlet. Even from there I could see that the anglers were dressed to the hilt and well prepared to deal with the frigid conditions that morning. Cranking up the heat in my truck I began to wonder if any of the fishermen I had just seen were "really" prepared for cold weather fishing that day or if they just took care of the immediate need to stay comfortable during the few hours they planned to fish that day.

Late fall and winter fishing can sometimes be really good around here as long as you hit it at just the right time when whatever it is you're after happens to be in feeding mode on a day when the weather isn't so severe that your fingers crack off when you're trying to bait a hook or tie a knot -- I hate when that happens. Stripers, sea bass, tautog, bluefish, cod, certainly the list of available species isn't as long as what we enjoy in the summer, but it's good quality fishing that can help anglers bridge the gap between seasons.

But if anyone thinks that the only difference between preparing for a fishing trip in December or one in June is the thickness and amount of clothing they have on, they had better wise up fast or run the risk of winding up in a very bad way. Regardless of the time of the year or the nature of the trip, before leaving the dock every boater should run a "what-if" safety check through their mind.

On a nice day, a winter cruise can be a wonderful experience. But what if problems arise that keep boaters out longer than expected? A fun voyage can suddenly become a life-threatening situation because even on a particularly mild winter day, when the sun starts to fall, it's probably going to become quite cold and anyone not prepared to be stuck out on the water could be in trouble. Certain hazards await boaters in the winter that don't arise in the warm weather months. Awareness and precaution of these hazards is crucial to safe boating this time of the year.

» Water in fuel -- Boaters must always be on guard for the possibility of having water build-up in their fuel tank, but the chance of this increases when frigid winter temperatures heightens the chance for condensation inside the tank. While water in fuel will often prevent boaters from leaving the dock in the first place, it can also bide its time and wait until they have ventured out into open water before snaking its way into the carburetor or injectors and wreaking havoc with the engine. To minimize the risk of water in the fuel, boaters should keep fuel tanks topped off, inspect and change filters regularly, use fuel stabilizers, and buy ethanol-free gasoline.


» Bilge pumps freeze up -- When it's so cold out that boaters observe ice in their bilge they should check and make sure that their bilge pumps are not bound up with ice as well. Checking a pump requires listening for the sound of it running, not just looking on the dash to see if the light comes on, which only means that power is going to the pump, not that it's actually working. It's also a good idea to manually lift the float-switch to make sure it will activate the pump when needed.

» Slippery decks and docks -- Just like cars get frost on them at night, so do docks and boats. But while cars just require a little scraping, extreme caution must be taken on a frosty dock or deck because one bad step could send someone overboard and to an early death.

» Frozen hands don't work -- Boaters must remember that many of the routine tasks they do on their boats in the summer are impossible to accomplish in the winter. Wet, icy hands lose dexterity and often the ability to do simple repairs. Safe winter boating requires that folks take extra caution to ensure that their vessels are in top running condition before they leave the dock so they won't have to attempt repair at sea.

» No one else out to help you -- In the summer, no matter where you go there are often a lot, if not too many, other boats in the area. While that can prove to be a hassle sometimes, it's also reassuring to know that if you have a problem, assistance might be just a shout away. But in the winter, there are so few boats out on the water that if a problem arises, the only assistance available might be from a cellphone or radio call to the closest Coast Guard station.

Wintertime boating can be a great experience and is nothing to be afraid of. But stepping aboard a boat this time of year does require a lot more preparation and caution than is typically needed for a cruise on a typical summer day. The hazards of cold water is nothing to take lightly.

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