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Going
Fishing? Is
Your Captain USCG Licensed & Insured?
Here
are
some tips to help you find a professional fishing captain for your adventure!
(Information
supplied and used with permission from the U.S. Coast Guard, Corpus Christi
Auxiliary.)
Summertime means fishing time for most Coastal Bend residents and visitors.
And fishing, both surf and deep-sea, remains the top draw for area water
enthusiasts. To help keep your outing a fun and safe experience the Coast
Guard suggests you take the following tips into consideration before you get
underway.
 First, fishing and excursion Guides, who take customers for hire on the
navigable waters of the U.S., are required to be licensed by the U.S. Coast
Guard. Any body of water that flows to the ocean, has a tidal influence, or
permits transportation between two or more states is in most cases a
navigable water. All coastal waters fall into this category. The licensing
requirements include navigational and seamanship competence, on water
experience and participation in a formal drug abuse testing program. Make
sure the guide you hire has a valid Coast Guard issued license...ask him or
her to show you the license before getting underway.
The Coast Guard also offers free vessel safety examinations to verify that
all required safety items are on board and that the boat was seaworthy at
the time of the boarding. They may show evidence of completion of these
important safety checks by display of a decal issued by the Coast Guard
Auxiliary. In addition, the vessel operator may carry a special wallet sized
card that attests to the vessel having completed all requirements for un-inspected passenger vessels. Although Coast Guard safety inspections are
not required for vessel operators carrying 6 or less passengers (Six packs,
as they are called in the industry) you will be assured that the vessel's
equipment and operator's credentials have been given a thorough review by a
Coast Guard official.
 Simply verifying that the guide's license and vessel seaworthiness will go
far in insuring your excursion will be a safe and rewarding experience. But,
even experienced and well-equipped boaters can encounter unforeseen hazards
or have unusual accidents. In cases such as these, having a life preserver
on at the time of the incident is crucial. Of the nearly 600 boaters who
drowned in boating incidents last year, almost 500 of those were not wearing
any personal floatation device. Most or all of these people could have
survived long enough to be rescued if they had simply been wearing a life
jacket at the time they found themselves in the water. Nobody plans to fall
or get knocked overboard!
Finally, avoid alcohol until
you've returned to shore. The environmental demands of being at sea are
great enough without the added effects of alcohol. By the way, your guide
should certainly not be drinking. The standard of intoxication for
operators of other than recreational vessels is a blood alcohol content of
.04. Guides fall into this category. If an emergency situation arises, how
strong and alert you are may mean the
difference
between a great day of fishing and a tragedy. There are numerous credible
guides in the Coastal Bend that can help to make your fishing experience
enjoyable and safe.
ALWAYS
PRACTICE SAFETY ON THE WATER!
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