Let’s get the boat out! 5 tips to stay safe and sound on the water if you fancy a drink

Australia is a country of boaters, with one of the highest rates of boat ownership in the world. It’s approx million vessels registered in Australia and one in ten Australians holds a boating licence.

Although it is estimated that 18% of the Australian population goes boating every year, 29% of boaters say they do poor swimmers or cannot swim in the ocean. This makes wearing a life jacket and avoiding alcohol while boating even more significant.

Although we often hear about the dangers of bundling alcohol and swimmingthis may also be the case dangerous have a few drinks ON water.

If you’re heading out on a boat this summer or heading out on a boat for a Christmas or Recent Year’s Eve party, here’s what you need to know if you plan to drink alcohol.

There are alcohol limits, but not everywhere

Almost all Australian jurisdictions set the permissible blood alcohol concentration limit at 0.05 for a recreational boat helmsman (the same as for a fully licensed passenger car driver).

However, the Northern Territory there is no alcohol limit for recreational captains. This is worrying given that the NT, particularly the Top End, has Australia highest drowning rate in all activities and second in terms of boating-related drowning.

Nationally9% of the 323 drowning deaths in Australia last financial year were caused by boating. Men are there ten times more likely drowning in boating and watercraft-related accidents than women. Older age groups tend to be at greater risk, peaking among those aged 65–74.

When alcohol was involved in a boating accident, the risk of drowning was equally high among men and women. But men do much higher blood alcohol concentration – on average 0.134, which is almost three times the upper permissible limit.

Along our coast, surfers and jet ski riders are among those who have died by drowning on our beaches, most often after drug and/or alcohol use.

At our place rivers41% of boat and watercraft drowning deaths were related to alcohol consumption. In more than half of these deaths, the blood alcohol concentration was 0.05 or more.

“Sailor hypnosis” is risky

Our study of rivers shows that people think so it is risky to drink alcohol and drive on the road than to drink and drive a boat.

This is despite researchers suggesting there are additional challenges on the water, including direct exposure to sun, wind, glare, vibration, noise and wave movement. This may cause a kind of “sailor hypnosis”, which can reduce reaction time and boost errors in how you change course (change direction on the water).

Sailors who are drunk do this ten times more errors when changing course than those who are sober.

What about passengers?

There is no regulation stating that passengers on board must be sober. However, alcohol can lead to risky behavior and is often linked to subsequent drownings falling or jumping from party boats and houseboats.

Drinking two standard drinks – say a huge glass of wine or a can of craft beer – almost doubles the risk of most types of injury.

Alcohol can make people overconfident in their abilities even though, objectively speaking, they are mentally and physically impaired and less able to perform any activity.

Not knowing how alcohol can affect how well you swim and thinking that combining alcohol with water activity is normal and “Australian” can also fuel these behaviors.

Don’t forget your life jacket

These are also people drinking alcohol while boating wears a life jacket less often.

Where drownings in our waterways involve alcohol, alcohol poisoning is more likely other medicines. This combination increases the risk of impaired decision-making, reaction time and swimming skills, increasing the risk of drowning and injury.

Youthful people are also susceptible to risk-taking and peer pressure in and around water, especially if alcohol is involved.

Why aren’t more people aware of this?

Australia runs anti-drowning campaigns on the dangers of alcohol and water activities. But these campaigns are not specific to sailing and most were not rated.

So apart from legislation and enforcement, such as captains taking breathalyzer tests, we don’t know what works to create lasting change in people’s behavior around drinking and boating.

Tips to stay safe and sound

If you plan to drink while boating, here are our top five tips:

1. Know the border: in most states and territories, captains must have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 or less

2. Captains beware: helmsmen are responsible for the safety of everyone on board, so it is safer to completely avoid drinking alcohol while operating a boat

3. Passengers are also at risk: even drinking relatively petite amounts of alcohol (for example, a huge glass of wine or a can of craft beer) can make people overconfident, lead to risk-taking and doubles the risk most types of injuries. If you drink a lot, this risk increases

4. Watch out for your friends: Encourage your friends to avoid drinking until you return to shore and keep an eye out for anyone who is under the influence

5. Watch out for children and other vulnerable people: stay sober if you have caring responsibilities, such as caring for children or having elderly family or friends on board.