What's Happening At The Marina!

Please continue to pray for Father Paul Tipton, Mr. Austill, Jan Ladd and Ray Miller.

ALABAMA MARINE POLICE MSD INSPECTION
The Marine Sanitation Law became effective on October 1, 2003.  This law regulates the discharge of treated and untreated sewage into State waters.  It also requires that all vessels which have marine sanitation devices be inspected annually.  This is to ensure that all Installed devices are Coast Guard approved and that any vessel with a "Y" valve will have the valve locked in the closed position (while in State waters) to prevent the discharge of untreated sewage.  Any vessel not having a type I or type II MSD and having a holding tank (that can be pumped out ashore) will not meet State requirements.

The Alabama Marine Police MSD inspection Team will be at DOG RIVER MARINA on MAY 3, 2008 at 8a.m. - 12p.m. to inspect vessels.  Vessels which pass inspection will be given a decal to be displayed on port side of the vessel.  ALL RECREATIONAL ALABAMA VESSELS MUST HAVE THIS DECAL BY OCTOBER 1, 2004!  Failure to be inspected and display decal will result in citations and fines up to $1,000 per offense.  Vessels with no toilet facilities on board or vessels with a "port-a-potty" non-installed toilets are not required to be inspected.  COMMERCIAL VESSELS are exempted from this regulation.  Call the Marine Police at 888-903-2583 for further information.

MAKE YOUR DONATION TODAY TO CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION
We Need To Find A Cure! You Can Help!
Mary Lindsey Hannahan has been battling Cystic Fibrosis all her life.  But she's dedicated to finding a cure.  Won't you help?  Her goal is to raise $70,000 this year.  Visit her website see her amazing determination and see how you can make a difference.  The  website address is  www.cff.org/Great_Strides/SonnyMiddleton.

NEW CAPTAIN'S CARD
 All U.S. Coast Guard license holders, including charter-boat captains, must now obtain a Transportation Workers Identification Card (TWIC).  This gem comes down the pipe from the Department of Homeland Security.  Captains must obtain this new card by September 25.  The cards cost $132.50 and are valid for five years.  All captains must have the new card to renew their license.  For more information, call 866-347-8942 or visit www.tsa.gov/twic.
For the complete write up, click here - twic information.pdf.

Rules of the Waterways
It may seem as if you can do anything you want while you are on the water (You might also think that it looks as if everyone else is going crazy on the water).  Boating on a crowded waterway can be scary!  The good news is that there are rules to govern the action of each vessel. The bad news is that many vessel operators do not know the rules!  Not complying with the Rules - even if you don't know them, can get you in trouble on the water.  Even if you think you are following the Rules, if there is something that you can do to avoid a collision - you must do it, even if you deviate from a different Navigation Rule.  It is your responsibility as the ship's captain to be aware of your surroundings at all times, and to operate your vessel in a safe manner.  Caution may not be fun, but having an accident sure stinks.  The Rules state that every vessel shall use all available means appropriate to the prevailing conditions to determine if a risk of collision exists. If there is any doubt, such risk shall be deemed to exist.  If you think something bad can happen, you must be prepared in case it does, and do everything you can to make sure it doesn't. Visit this link for operator responsibilities and other helpful information.
 

Practice Safe Boating... Wear Your Life Jacket!
Be aware of what is around you, know the laws and rules of the waterway, and be considerate of other boats.
IT'S TOO HOT!  I KNOW HOW TO SWIM!  IT'S JUST NO COOL!  NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO ME!  These are some of the reasons boaters give for not wearing a life jacket. 
Let us give you some reasons why YOU SHOULD!:
Do it for yourself and for your family!  Most boating fatalities are the result of capsizings or falls overboard when the victims were not wearing a life jacket.  Expect the unexpected and wear a life jacket.  Remember, it won't work if you don't wear it.
All Children under 13 years old MUST wear a life jacket while on a boat. Why not wear your life jacket as an example to your children.  The life you save may be your own or of someone you love!
It's the law - Everyone on board a vessel must have a life jacket available to them.  Make sure they fit properly and are in good condition.  Anyone being towed on skis or a tube, riding a jet ski or see doo or boating within 800 feet below a dam must wear a life jacket.  For more on safe boating, visit OUTDOOR ALABAMA'S website and "share the wonder!"

Taking CO2 Detectors Seriously
CO that drifts in and out of a cabin can be dangerous, since the effects of CO are cumulative and can build up gradually in a person's bloodstream over hours or even days before it reaches critical levels. This is true even if when the person breathes fresh air periodically; the CO remains in the bloodstream. How quickly the CO builds up is a factor of the concentration of the gas being inhaled (measured in parts per million [PPM]) and the duration of the exposure.  CO can enter a cabin from many different sources, according to the claim files: from a hot water heater; from a galley stove; from the "station wagon effect"-exhaust from the boat's exhaust; from a generator; and even from other nearby boats. There have also been several injuries from people swimming under swim platforms when an engine or generator was being operated.  Certainly it is important to recognize the symptoms of CO poisoning: headaches, drowsiness, and nausea. With most of the BoatU.S. claims, one or more of these symptoms were present, but victims did not recognize the danger they were in.
For life saving tips, visit this link.
 

Drugs and Decisions on the Water
Research shows that four hours of exposure to noise, vibration, sun, glare, wind and other motion on water produces a kind of fatigue, or "boater's hypnosis" which slows reaction time almost as much as if you were legally drunk. Adding drugs or alcohol to boating stress factors intensifies their effects- each drink multiplies your accident risk. To find out more, visit this link.
 

All article links are by permission of BOATINGLIFE.COM, OUTDOORALABAMA.COM, MOTORBOATING.COM and BOATUS.COM

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