National Safe Boating Week 2022

May 21-27, 2022 is National Safe Boating Week, and the UC Davis Boating Safety Team, based at Bodega Marine Laboratory, wants to help you stay safe on the water this week and every week.

Learn more about what the team has been working on, and explore some of their tips for safe boating below, and don't forget to follow them on Facebook and Instagram for year-round boating safety updates.

What's New in Boating Safety:

Fire Extinguisher Requirement Updates: 

Taking effect in April of 2022, these requirements will impact how we inspect and teach vessel safety inspections as it relates to Fire Protection, Detection and Extinguishing equipment for Suppression and Emergency preparedness onboard recreational motorized watercraft. 

The main take home for fire extinguishers is still the same as before, except on new boats and new extinguishers will now have an expiration date and some new terminology: 

• Do you have the right size and quantity onboard for the size of the vessel, are they in Good and Serviceable condition?
  1. Recreational vessel carriage requirements remain unchanged for Class A, I, II, III vessels.
• Are the extinguishers older than 12 years?
  1. If so they must be replaced.
  2. New disposable extinguishers will now have a date of manufacture stamped on the bottom of the bottle.
• What are the (UL) Underwriter Laboratories / USCG Marine Type equivalencies? 
  1. USCG B:C  Size 1 = UL 5-B
  2. USCG  B:C Size 2 = UL20-B

Inspection Standards:

• It is located in a readily accessible location, (accessible within 10 seconds) with the approved mounting bracket.
• It is charged, and indicates it is charged if the extinguisher has a pressure gauge reading or indicator. 
  • CO2 Extinguishers should be weigh tested and serviced annually with a legible inspection tag.
• It has a pin lock that is firmly in place.
• It does not show visible signs of significant corrosion or damage.
• It has a discharge nozzle that is clean and free of obstructions.
• Fixed mounted extinguishing systems are equivalent to 1 B-I and subject to the above criteria.

The UC Davis Boating Safety Team:

Life Jackets Save Lives!

The USCG estimates that life jackets could have saved the lives of over 80 percent of boating fatality victims.

Some of our Bodega Marine Laboratory staff and students participated in #wearyourlifejackettoworkday on May 20th. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to see even more photos.

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Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Sampling

David Dann and Bodega Marine Laboratory's Scientific Boating Operations conducted HAB sampling on the Bodega Marine Reserve, in front of the Lab. This research is supported by John Largier, and the Boating Safety team supported this mission on March 11th while sea trialing the new BML Research Vessel Sturgeon.

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Motorboat Operator Training Courses

The team recently hosted their first entirely in-person series of classes in over two years! They were able to provide an Instructor class, two basic Motorboat Operator Training Courses (MOTC) boating classes, and a MOTC Refresher class.

The students included boating and diving safety officers from Boston University, University of Rhode Island, US Geological Survey, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, and student groups from UC Davis, UC Merced, and CSU’s Humboldt State and San Francisco State. The boating team and all of us at the lab were overjoyed to have an opportunity to extend our hospitality to them while they were attending courses.