This blog is written during the COVID-19 pandemic. As vessel owners, we can adapt to pretty much anything. However, this pandemic has upended and disrupted the world, leaving plenty of uncertainty in its wake. Our USCG vessel registry online site is still open for business. As always, you can go to our site and find all of the forms that you need. You can still call our staff for any help that you might need. Below, we’ve laid out some boating social distancing tips to keep in mind.
Social Distancing on the Boat
Everyone wants to do their part to stop the spread of the virus. Social distancing, the term for staying six feet apart from other people so as to not catch the virus should they have it (whether they’re asymptomatic or not) can be practiced on the water as well. That means having fewer than ten people on your vessel and maintaining that distance of six feet. For the most part, you probably want to keep your vessel rides to just people you live with. That can potentially lower the risk of infection even more.
Be Aware of Things Other People Have Touched
It’s very difficult to not touch your face (even though, to keep yourself safe, you should do all you can to avoid touching your face). The reason is that you may have touched something that had the virus on it, and then, by touching your face, you’ve put the virus into your own eyes, nose, and mouth. This can be a problem for vessel owners. When you sit down and think about it, there are so many items you may use in the course of a boat ride that could be potentially infected: the post you tie up to, the handle at the gas station, the lock on the marina gate, and so forth. Having hand sanitizer with you at all times, as well as washing your hands with warm water and soap after touching such surfaces, can keep you and yours safe.
Being Careful on the Water
As of this writing, winter has given way to spring. That means in plenty of places throughout North America, warmer temperatures are here. That makes it the perfect time to go out on the water and party, just having a good time by beaching your boat right up next to someone else. Unfortunately, that’s the last thing you should do. This violates social distancing and could get you (or them) infected.
A USCG Vessel Registry Site that’s Here to Help
Someday this will pass. Someday, we’ll all be able to go back to more or less how it was when we could take our boats out with whoever we wanted and do what we wanted on them. Hopefully, that day comes by soon. Until then, we can hasten that day and keep ourselves as well as those we care about safe by social distancing, washing our hands, and good common sense. For more information, call us at (866) 981-8783.