The sea can turn into an unforgiving beast in the blink of an eye!

Safety at sea is one aspect of boating that could never be or should never be overlooked.

Trinidad and Tobago has been blessed with the islands and surrounding waters in which some earn their keep and others use as a passive playground. The only way to deal with ocean and seas is to respect them totally. The sea can go from a flat mirror-like object to a raging unforgiving beast in the blink of an eye which has no thought or consideration for life or property, colour, creed or station in life. Unfortunately, safety is all too often overlooked.

All one has to do is just look seaward to see the many examples of unsafe boating on any given weekend. There are a number of unsafe practices that occur on a regular basis, such as the overcrowding of the boat or vessel, lack of adequate life jackets or life preservers on board, and the handling of the boat or vessel with ignorance of proper boating.

I speak firstly of the overcrowding of the vessels, not only the excursion boats, but also the flashy Bowen, phantoms, Formulas and quite often the Boston Whalers (about 15 feet in length and carrying as many persons). This I must say, is the nightmare of the Duty Officer at Staubles Bay. Just the mere thought of a large Bertram cruising at about 25 knots, with its massive backwash passing one of these overloaded or overcrowded boats, with an inexperienced person at the helm, is frightening.

In 1990, a 20-foot pirogue with ten persons and baggage on board, overturned while attempting to cross the Third Boca on a particularly bad day. I am sorry to say six drowned while only four survived, not including a young boy who was last seen clinging to an overturned cooler.

It is often an all too common practice for boats to go to sea with either no life jackets or not enough, or worse yet, in a cubbyhole which is inaccessible due to the coolers and other party items.

We Trinidadians always believe that nothing bad could happen to us, it always will be the other poor bloke it happens to.

I am sure that the majority of regular boaters over a period of time have seen drivers of speed boats, running at full throttle, pass dangerously close to the shore line or to bathers and anchored vessels only to gallery, or to show their testicular fortitude to all the young ladies present.

We'd be surprised to know how quickly this unnecessary stunt can go so horribly wrong.

Now please don't get me wrong. God knows I love boating and I love the thrill of high speed in a medium chop, with lots of air time just as much as the next guy and even more. I, however, believe in doing it the safest way possible without any danger to the people around not involved in my fantasy.

Boat safely, please.

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1. If you are in the Bocas do not overload your boat. Have enough life jackets on board for your passengers. Overloading your boat would make it unsafe and it may be swamped very easily.

 

2. Do not converge onto the course once you see the boats coming. Almost instinctively, we all tend to try to get as close to the action as possible and usually end up in the direct path of the boats. If a boat were to lose control and hook, you may end up in a bad situation if you were too near to the course.

 

3. If you are late getting there, stay clear of the course. The race basically hugs the coast, from Centipede Island to the mouth of the Bocas. If you are late getting to your vantage point, stay well west of the course, that is stick to Monos' side of the Bocas. The boats pass very close to the entrance of Tetron Bay, Scotland Bay and L'Anse Pawa. If you are in those areas, you could be in danger.

 

4. Have a radio on to know when the last boat has passed. Sometimes a boat may have started late, or it may have been subjected to a late start penalty. Listen out on your radio to know if the boats that you are seeing are indeed the last boats to have started the race. Proceed with caution once you decide to return home. Follow the commands of the race officials and the Coast Guard. They may know something you don't and you may be in harms way.

If you are on a vantage point (Maracas Lookout or Rocky point):

1. Ensure that you have a sure footing. Let your good sense prevail, don't lean out to get a better view, find a firm footing.

 

2. Use a viewing aid of some sort. A pair of binoculars, telescope or other viewing device would do.

 

3. If you are on Maracas beach don't go swimming beyond the breakers, boats will be approaching the beach very fast. The best spot to view the race in Maracas is the point between Maracas and Tyrico Bay.

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