Boating safety Week being observed in the BVI this week

~~Adz:Right~~ Roadtown, Tortola - Boating Safety Week will be officially declared open this morning at 9:30 with a ceremony at the Sir Rupert Briercliffe Hall.

The week is being observed under the theme “Be Safety Smart, Right from the Start”. Senior Marine Officer in the Virgin Islands Shipping Registry (VISR) Mr. Dave Smith said the week is designed to emphasise the importance of safety.

“It is good when you go boating to have all your safety equipment and to ensure that the vessel itself is safe,” Mr. Smith told the Department of Information and Public Relations, as he explained that much of the focus this year is on children and making them more aware of safe boating practices.

“When they go on board the ferries, there are different things that these kids can look for and you know children are observant about different things,” he said, adding that “if their parents don’t get to Boating Safety Week, the kids would love to go home and tell their parents what they learnt in school, so we will teach them different things about the safety equipment that vessels ought to carry, both private and commercial.”

The Senior Marine Officer noted that commercial boaters are largely compliant with safety standards and he encouraged private boaters to follow established procedures. “We hope that it would get better, especially with private users, commercially these are things that they would have to do and we pretty much have 99 percent of the companies on track as far as the rules and regulations are concerned but we need to work harder as far as the pleasure boaters are concerned.”

Mr. Smith noted that the regular patrols conducted by the VISR help to ensure compliance. “Our presence pushes people in the right direction and we do get out from time to time and do patrols basically to make sure that people are operating their vessels properly and to make sure that they are complying with the relevant rules and regulations of the VISR here in the British Virgin Islands.”

He observed too that with people investing more and more into their private vessels, this serves as motivation for them to engage in safer practices.

The Senior Marine Officer shared a few safety tips for the benefit of the boating public. “If you’re going boating, one of the first things you do is make sure that the boat is safe because that is your carrier. It’s going to take you and bring you back, so you want to make sure that the boat is in good shape and you want to make sure that you have plenty of fuel to get to your destination and to return.”

According to the VISR official, it is particularly important for private boaters to let someone know where they are going and when they are due back. “If something happens and they contact us saying that you are missing, we would have some sort of start point as to where to look for you.”

Another key safety tip Mr. Smith provided is for boaters to ensure they have life jackets, fire extinguishers and flares aboard their vessels.

He also cautioned against drinking and operating a vessel. “We do a lot of partying on vessels and just like we have a designated driver on land, we should have a designated driver on the vessel as well.”

The activities planned for Boating Safety Week include a demonstration and display the Sir Rupert Briercliffe Hall on Tuesday, a trip to Virgin Gorda on Wednesday with a similar demonstration and display for children there, an open house at the Virgin Islands Shipping Registry offices on Thursday and on Friday, a boat show at the Road Town Jetty as well as a safety display at the Sir Olva Georges Plaza.

The Virgin Islands Shipping Registry is committed to ensuring that vessels operating in the Territory adhere to the highest possible safety standards.