Editor’s note: This story was originally published in March 2024.
The operator of the boat clearly wasn’t happy at all, but as a warden doing his job, I didn’t really care.
He had no one to blame but himself for the situation he was in, and as he angrily snatched the summons from my hand, my patience wore thin. I was willing to leave it at that and shove off, but when he followed up with a sarcastic “So, I guess no breaks for a local, huh?”
That was it.
He then spent the next few minutes listening quietly and sheepishly as I delivered a stern counseling session on boating safety. And what exactly had I ruined this gentleman’s beautiful August afternoon over?
A life jacket.
Specifically, it was the lack of a life jacket. Officially known as personal flotation devices, or PFDs, they are required equipment on a boat in Maine.
There were four other souls on the boat: two adults and two young boys. The boys were both wearing PFDs, but none of the adults were. When asked to produce three serviceable life jackets, it was clear the man had no idea where to find them.
After several minutes of disgruntledly searching through every hatch and compartment, he was only able to produce two: both of which were in terrible condition.
I had joined up with another warden to work a boating safety detail, and what caught our eyes from afar initially before the check was a lack of the required registration numbers and current sticker on the boat’s hull.
Naturally, I inquired about this with the man, who said the boat belonged to a family member. He believed the boat was registered, and had no idea why there were no stickers on it. We were later able to verify that the boat was registered.
The excuses continued regarding his inability to readily locate PFDs in the boat, as well as the fact that there weren’t enough on board for each person. I’ll admit, he made quite a theatrical plea for leniency based on ignorance, but given the totality of the circumstance, I wasn’t budging.
The boat was in poor condition, and a potential safety hazard. The man was entirely unfamiliar with it, clearly believed laws and rules were purpose-built to inconvenience him and he didn’t seem to have much experience operating a motor boat.
It was a recipe for disaster and required corrective action beyond a friendly “Ok, just don’t do it again.”
There are numerous Maine boating safety laws, rules and regulations that can be easily found on the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website. Among them is a law requiring all watercraft to have at least one United States Coast Guard-approved PFD for each person on board.
Furthermore, children 10 years old or under must wear a PDF at all times, unless the boat is docked, anchored or moored. The law is straightforward and easy to understand, yet it is commonly disregarded and blatantly violated.
Basic, safe, legal PFDs can be found in nearly any store that dabbles in sporting goods. I’ve even seen them for sale in grocery stores during the summer for well less than $20. They come in all styles and configurations to accommodate body size, shape and special function.
Though some of the fancier ones can cost up to a few hundred dollars, even most of the cheaper versions satisfy legal requirements and save lives.
While anyone older than 10 isn’t required to wear one, I can’t advocate heavily enough to do so. Things can happen quickly on the water, and people ought not to rely solely on swimming abilities, especially during an emergency situation.
With early ice-outs this spring around the state and open water recreational opportunities just around the corner, it’s time to make sure you’re properly prepared.
Check to make sure you have plenty of PFDs ready to go, and that they are in good serviceable condition. Make sure they are appropriately sized, especially if you plan to have children aboard.
We recently picked up a new wearable life jacket for our 2-year-old, who had outgrown his old one. PFDs are not one-size-fits-all, and it takes very little effort to check the label, which clearly indicates size and appropriate weight ranges for the wearer.
Also, take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with how they fit and secure. The straps on a PFD should be left loose, only to be correctly tightened after the wearer puts it on.
I never really enjoyed writing life jacket tickets, but I recognized the importance of doing so to encourage voluntary compliance with a crucial life-saving law.
Fast forward to a year later on the same pond and in nearly the same spot. The same warden and I motored up to a boat with about a half dozen folks aboard, including our local friend from before: a passenger this time.
Teeth clenched and eyebrows lowered, he silently glared at me during the entire check. Everything was in order, and they even had a surplus of PFDs. As we shoved off, he leaned forward in his chair, pointing his finger at me.
He growled “I remember YOU!”
I smiled and waved. “Yes, sir. I remember you too. Have fun, and enjoy your day.”
