BOATS-N-BOOZE

There was an old song from the Age of Sail that asked the question, "What do you do with a drunken sailor?" Some of the answers involved shaving the offender with a rusty razor or making him drink bilge water. But that was then. So what about now?  What do we do today with a drunken sailor?

Arkansas law states, "Operating a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is prohibited.  A blood alcohol level of .08% establishes that the operator is under the influence.  Operators who register .08% or above are subject to arrest.  Any person who operates a boat on the waters of the state is consenting to a test to determine if they are intoxicated."

Fines range from $250 up to $5000 with potential incarceration and restriction from operation of a motorboat. In addition to the State Boating Under the Influence (BUI) laws, there is also a Federal law, enforced by the Coast Guard, prohibiting BUI. This law applies to all boats in U.S. waters.

ANY QUESTIONS?

Here are some of the facts regarding mixing alcohol and boats:

FACT:  According to the Coast Guard's Office of Boating Safety, alcohol is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents, accounting for for nearly twenty percent (20%) of all recorded fatalities in 2006.

FACT:  According to the Coast Guard's Office of Boating Safety, alcohol use was a direct or indirect cause of the accident in 403 cases last year. The Coast Guard believes that this figure is actually much HIGHER due to under-reporting!   

FACT:  A boat operator with a blood alcohol concentration above .10 is TEN TIMES more likely to be killed in a boating accident than a boater with zero blood alcohol concentration.

FACT:  Tests have proven that due to the factors associated with the marine environment - motion, vibration, engine noise, and elements of sun, wind and spray - only one-third of the amount of alcohol that makes a person legally impaired on the road is enough to make a person equally impaired on the water. 

FACT:  Alcohol causes an inner-ear disturbance, which affects a person's balance.  When combined with the motion of the boat on the water, the chances of falling overboard dramatically increase.  Once in the water, this disturbance can make it impossible to distinguish up from down.  This can prove fatal to anyone suddenly immersed or trapped in a capsized vessel.     

FACT:  Alcohol reduces the body's ability to insulate itself against the cold, causing the effects of hypothermia to set in quicker.

FACT:  Alcohol affects judgment, vision, balance and coordination. It slows reaction & response times.  These impairments increase the likelihood of accidents afloat.    

FACT:  For a person weighing 120 to 140 pounds, three 12 ounce beers or three 5-ounce glasses of wine consumed within two hours can raise the blood alcohol content between .05 and .1 percent.

Boats and alcohol don't mix!  Before mixing boating and alcohol, consider these alternatives suggested by the Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety.

• Take along a variety of cool drinks, such as sodas, water, iced tea, lemonade, or non-alcoholic beer.
• Bring along plenty of food and snacks.
• Wear clothes that will help keep you and your passengers cool.
• Plan to limit your trip to a reasonable time to avoid fatigue. Remember that it's common to become tired more quickly on the water.
• Enjoy your outing more by having the party ashore after you dock - in the picnic area, at a boating club, or in your backyard. Choose a location where you'll have time between the fun and getting back into your car or boat.
• If you dock somewhere for lunch or dinner and drink alcohol with your meal, wait a reasonable time (estimated at a minimum of an hour per drink) before operating your boat.
• If necessary, be sure to have a sober designated driver as the boat operator. Or better yet, in case of emergency, have two designated non-drinking operators.
• Spread the word on the dangers of BUI. Many recreational boaters forget that a boat is a vehicle - and that safe operation is a legal and personal responsibility.

Having no alcohol while aboard is the safest way to enjoy the water. Remember, intoxicated passengers are also at a risk of injury and can fall overboard, too!

THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK!

Source: This information is from the United States Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety & the Safe Boating Council.

This page was last updated on January 7, 2007
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