Many boaters see Labor Day weekend as a wrap on the summer season: a chance to squeeze in that final voyage before the weather starts to cool and days grow shorter.

Whether you are taking out your own boat or are a guest on someone else’s, there are important safety tips to know before ever leaving shore. Besides the obvious – always wearing U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets, making sure your boat is properly equipped and in good working order, and checking and monitoring weather and water conditions – the DNR shared other safety recommendations:

• Always ride with an operator who has completed an approved boater safety course. In Michigan, boater safety certificates are needed by anyone born after June 30, 1996, operating a motorized boat, or anyone born after Dec. 31, 1978, operating a personal watercraft – like a Jet Ski. Most states require a boater safety certificate for boat or personal watercraft rentals.
• File a float plan with someone you trust. Include details about the trip, boat, others on board, towing or trailer vehicle, communication equipment and emergency contacts.
• Boat sober. Where the primary cause of boating-related deaths was known, alcohol was listed as a leading factor.
• Beware of carbon monoxide poisoning. Gasoline-powered engines on boats, including onboard generators, produce carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas that can poison or kill someone who breathes too much of it. Install and maintain a working CO detector, never block exhaust outlets, and always dock, beach or anchor at least 20 feet away from any boat running a generator or engine.
• Keep in touch. Communication devices, such as marine radios, can be your most important piece of emergency equipment.

Get more information, including more safety resources, at Michigan.gov/Boating.

Questions? Email Cpl. Jill Miller at MillerJ86@Michigan.gov.