Some Sobering Facts about Alcohol

Over 1,000 people die in boating accidents every year. Nine out of ten of them drown. About half of those deaths involve alochol. Its a tragic fact and not a joke, but 50% of drunk men who drown have their fly unzipped. Enough said?

Four hours of exposure to powerboat noise, vibration, sun, glare, wind, and motion produces a kind of “boater’s hypnosis”. This slows reactions almost as much as being legally drunk. Adding alcohol to this sun exposure intensifies the effects. As the chart shows, sometiimes just a couple of beers are too many.

When you’re “tipsy”, you’re much more likely to fall overboard. Alcohol alos reduces your body’s ability to protect against cold water. So within minutes you may not be able to call for help, or swim to safety. Actually, a drunk person whose head is immersed can be confused and swim down to death instead of up to safety.