[OSMB-News] News Release -The Water is Calling –Go Boating this Memorial Day Weekend

[Massey, Ashley]

For Immediate Release                                 Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2014

The Water is Calling –Go Boating this Memorial Day Weekend
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Salem, Ore. – The forecast calls for sunny and warm for this Memorial Day weekend, which is also the official kick-off the boating season in Oregon.
The Oregon State Marine Board invites boaters to experience some of the new boating facilities, like Keizer Rapids Park or the Independence Boat Ramp on the Willamette River.  Looking for more secluded locations?  With the click of a mouse, you can find a boat ramp and a waterbody near you, from the Marine Board’s interactive boating access map<http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/pages/access/access.aspx#Where_to_Launch_in_Oregon> (http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/pages/access/access.aspx#Where_to_Launch_in_Oregon<http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/pages/access/access.aspx%23Where_to_Launch_in_Oregon>).
“Reservoir levels in the Willamette Basin<http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Water.aspx> are fantastic for Memorial Day Weekend,” says Ashley Massey, Public Information Officer for the Marine Board.  “This is the perfect long weekend to get out there and play.  From paddling and drift boating, waterskiing and wakeboarding, fishing and crabbing –you name it, there’s a place to go and things to do.  Just remember to be courteous, dust off your knowledge about the rules-of-the-road, and start out slow.”
The U.S. Coast Guard<http://strongmail1.multiview.com:80/track?type=click&eas=1&mailingid=2096852&messageid=2096852&databaseid=Mailing.DS96852.2096852.80872&serial=17170845&emailid=ashley.massey@state.or.us&userid=31870733&targetid=&fl=&extra=MultivariateId=&&&2036&&&http://www.uscg.mil/> recently released its 2013 Recreational Boating Statistics<http://strongmail1.multiview.com:80/track?type=click&eas=1&mailingid=2096852&messageid=2096852&databaseid=Mailing.DS96852.2096852.80872&serial=17170845&emailid=ashley.massey@state.or.us&userid=31870733&targetid=&fl=&extra=MultivariateId=&&&2037&&&http://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/2013RecBoatingStats.pdf>, revealing that national boating fatalities that year totaled 560 — the lowest number of boating fatalities on record.  Boating safety advocates, including the Marine Board, attribute this decline to mandatory boater education in many states, life jacket wear and abstaining from drinking alcohol while boating.
“The take-home message is to wear a properly fitting life jacket, designed for the activity you’re doing, and to boat sober,” Massey adds.  “The waterways are going to be cold for a few more months, and the combination of cold water with hot weather and strong currents makes wearing a life jacket the best decision you can make.  This Memorial Day Weekend is going to be one of the best ones yet, and why not spend the weekend making memories by being out on the water!”
The Marine Board recommends boaters play it safe by:

  *   Leaving alcohol at home or on the shore. Instead, take along a variety of non-alcoholic beverages and plenty of water.
  *   If you are feeling fatigued, take a break on land and return to the water when you are re-energized and alert.
  *   If you dock somewhere to eat and choose to drink alcohol with your meal, wait a minimum of one hour for each drink consumed before operating or paddling your boat.
  *   Operators and passengers should wear properly fitting life jackets. To learn more about life jacket types, styles and legal requirements, visit http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/pages/safety/lifejacket.aspx.
  *   Take a boating safety course. In Oregon, all boaters must now take a boating safety course and carry a boater education card when operating a powerboat greater than 10 horsepower. The Marine Board also offers a free, online Paddling course<http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/pages/paddlecraft/paddlecraft.aspx> for boaters new to the activity.
  *   Never boat alone –especially when paddling.
For more information about safe boating in Oregon, visit www.boatoregon.com<http://www.boatoregon.com>.
“Boat safe, Boat Oregon!”
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Ashley A. Massey
Public Information Officer
Oregon State Marine Board
503-378-2623
Ashley.massey at state.or.us<mailto:Ashley.massey at state.or.us>

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