Boating Tips to Stay Safe on Lake Lanier

We all enjoy the lake, especially the water activities that it offers, and while summer officially arrives on June 20, the lake is alive and active. Keep safe this summer by following these tips for boating safely with your friends and loved ones.

“We are encouraging boat operators to stay sober and alert and know Georgia’s boating laws before heading out on the water,” said Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton.

The sheriff’s office Marine Patrol units are on Lake Lanier through Labor Day and are working with the Department of Natural Resources, the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies to keep the lake safe.

Here are some things to know:

•  It is not illegal to have alcohol in an open container on a boat, nor is it illegal for a person operating a boat to drink, provided they are no less safe. However, if a person is over the age of 21 and has a blood alcohol content of .10 or higher, they are presumed to be less safe and may be charged with boating under the influence.

• People arrested for BUI may lose their privilege to operate a boat. These privileges are not reinstated until the successful completion of an approved Driving under the Influence Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program.

• The offender will be charged with a misdemeanor, punishable with up to a $1,000 fine and/or up to 12 months in prison.

• Boat operators do not need a license to operate a boat, and people over the age of 16 are not required by law to take a test to operate a vessel. It is extremely important for boat operators to take responsibility for educating themselves on boating safety and boating laws.

• Know the 100-foot law that includes all boats, not just personal watercrafts, such as Jet Skis or Sea Doos. It requires boat operators to slow to idle speed when they are within 100 feet of docks, piers, bridges, shorelines or people in the water. The 100-foot law makes it illegal to jump the wake of another boat within 100 feet and to “buzz” other boats.

• In addition, it prohibits vessels from operating around or within 100 feet of another vessel faster than idle speed unless it is overtaking or meeting the other vessel in compliance with the rules of the road for boat operation.

• The law also makes it illegal for boat operators to follow closely behind another vessel, jump the wake of another vessel, or change or reverse their course of direction in order to ride or jump in the wake of another vessel.

Go to this Web site for more information about Georgia boating laws.