Safety information

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Passenger training

Make sure at least one other passenger is trained to operate the boat in the event of an emergency.

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Boating safety publications

Be informed about boating safety. Additional publications and information can be obtained from many boating organizations.

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Laws and regulations

Know the marine laws and regulations where you will be boating- and obey them. Several sets of rules prevail according to geographic location, but all are basically the same as the International Rules of the Road. The rules presented in the following section are condensed - and have been provided for your convenience only.

Contact the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Association of State Boating Law Administra- tors, or your local Power Squadron for a complete set of rules governing the waters in which you will be using your boat.

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Boating organizations

The following organizations provide boating safety training and information about boating safety and laws.

United States Coast Guard

Consumer Affairs Staff (G-BC)

Office of Boating, Public, and Consumer Affairs

U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters

Washington, D.C. 20593-0001 http://www.uscgboating.org/

United States Power Squadrons

1-888-FOR-USPS (1-888-367-8777) http://www.usps.org/

Boat Owners Association of The United States

1-800-336-BOAT (1-800-336-2628) http://www.boatus.com/

National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA)

1500 Leestown Road, Suite 330 Lexington, KY 40511 859-225-9497 http://www.nasbla.org/

National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)

200 East Randolph Drive Suite 5100

Chicago, IL 60601 http://www.nmma.org/

Marine Retailers Association of America

155 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60304 http://www.mraa.com/

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Basic boating rules (Rules of

the road)

Just as there are rules that apply when you are driving on streets and highways, there are waterway rules that apply when you are driving your boat. These rules are used interna- tionally. (For U.S.A.: and are also enforced by the United States Coast Guard and local agencies.) You should be aware of these rules, and follow them whenever you encounter another vessel on the water.

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Steering and sailing rules and sound signals

Whenever two vessels on the water meet one another, one vessel has the right-of-way; it is called the “stand-on” vessel. The vessel that does not have the right-of-way is called the

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