BY JON B RAUCHLE Special to the Bulletin
Hydrostatics, Water Safety and Stuff If the operator would’ve known what he was doing, his first clue would’ve been the slight lift he felt from the increase in hydrostatic pressure as his brand-new, all-the-bells-and-whistles bay boat veered out of the channel. Then, he might’ve noticed the waves that had pummeled the vessel just moments before had become less of an issue the further away from the channel he travelled. Also, the channel markers would’ve no longer been visible, and the water was surely becoming clearer. By the time he noticed the little shore bird wading in the water nearby, it was too late.
My partner and I were eating lunch in our patrol boat, beached on the opposite bank of the channel. We saw it all. As the bird flew off, the boat’s motor let out a high-rev mechanical wail right before the boat slid to a stop. Four guys stepped out of the boat into ankle deep water.
We cut our lunch short, pushed off the bank and headed over to help get them out of the mud and into enough water to float, but they got that accomplished before we could get to them. We waited for them near the channel’s edge, flipped on the redand- blues and performed a water safety inspection. They had everything they were supposed to, - except for common sense, maybe - and the operator hadn’t been drinking, so I pointed out some things to the operator before letting them continue on their merry way. I didn’t go into the “hydrostatic pressure” stuff, but I did mention the markers, the waves, and the bird.
Maybe I’m being a little too harsh, because even if you are an experienced boat operator, things can unexpectedly go awry rather quickly when you’re out on the water. Heck – I ran my patrol boat aground right outside the harbor in Port Mansfield in front of God and everybody once. The tide was low, and I cut a corner too quick. It was quite embarrassing.
Anyway, springtime is here and that means a lot of water safety patrol for game wardens. To make their lives, and yours, easier, there are some things you should know if you are planning to go boating on public water in Texas.
You know, just because you may not be required to do something, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do the thing. That guy that ran his boat aground wasn’t required to take a boater education course, but it probably would’ve helped him considerably if he had. Texas Parks and Wildlife requires completion of a Boater Education Course for anyone born on or after September 1, 1993, who operates a personal watercraft or a boat with a horsepower rating of more than 15 hp or a windblown vessel over 14 feet in length. There are several options to take the course online on the TPWD website.
Conversely, just because you can do a thing, doesn’t mean you should, especially when it comes to alcohol on a boat. From the TPWD website: The “open container” law, effective 9/1/2001, prohibits the possession of an open container of an alcoholic beverage in the passenger area of a motor vehicle. It does not apply to watercraft.” However, Boating While Intoxicated (BWI) is included in the same section of the Texas Penal Code as Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), and is treated similarly. A first conviction for BWI is a Class B Misdemeanor (up to 180 days in county jail and a fine up to $2000).
As always, know before you go. Consult the TPWD website for more information on boating in Texas, and if you still have questions, consult a game warden. To find a game warden by county, click on the “Game Warden” tab on the TPWD website.
Jon Brauchle spent 29 years as a game warden.
