THE HARBOR COLUMN:

Ahoy,

Who knows what week this is? This week is the National Safe Boating Week, part of the North American Safe Boating Campaign organized by the National Safe Boating Council. Local boaters should know about this week, but I have not seen any advertising, marketing or events in Newport Harbor. This is puzzling to me, as Newport Harbor is known as the largest small craft harbor in the nation, with more than 9,000 vessels calling Newport their home port.

The Council is trying to spread the message of safe and responsible boating, and the big push is for boaters to wear their life jackets with the slogan WEAR IT! Do you know that the actual name for a life jacket is a personal flotation device, commonly referred to as a PFD?

The campaign wants you to educate boaters that accidents can happen at an alarming speed anyplace or any time, and very few boaters choose to wear a life jacket.

Remember, there might not be enough time to grab a life jacket and put it on properly before you are in the water or unable to help the other guests on your boat.

Wearing your life jacket and having your guests wear one will one day become as common as putting on your seat belt or bicycle helmet. You will see me strategically place the life jackets to be readily accessible on any boat that I operate especially if I am going around Point Conception.

The National Safe Boating Council represents more than 350 U.S. and Canadian organizations committed to reducing boating accidents and enhancing the boating experience. Visit www.SafeBoatingCampaign.com for campaign materials and additional safe boating resources.

Tip of the week is for boat owners to physically inspect each and every PFD aboard your vessel. Hold the life jacket to look for any damage, rotting or moldy areas, tug on the ties for sturdiness, and feel the pouches to make sure they have not compressed to bricks.

Also, write your vessel’s name on each life jacket, which will add rescuers should your boat become a fish reef. Search and rescue teams who find a marked floating life jacket can then back track to the location of the sunken vessel, and hopefully finding you floating nearby.

Remember to tune in every Saturday at 11 a.m. to “Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show� broadcasting from our studios inside Angel Stadium on KLAA-AM (830).

MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating columnist. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to [email protected] or go to www.boathousetv.com.