Sea Grant Specialist talks about vessel safety exams as part of Your News Now's "Discover Better Boating" Series

Syracuse, NY, May 22, 2012 - Welcome back aboard Discover Better Boating, the first in a monthly series that will provide New York boaters with helpful information to safely enjoy their boating season on the State's waterways.

The recent warm weather has many boaters itching to get out on the water. But before you head out, you may want to have an expert check your boat to make sure everyone will be safe. In this edition of Discover Better Boating, we learn about vessel safety exams, or what many call Courtesy Marine Exams.

"With these exams, we're primarily looking for particular safety equipment that will help assure the safety of you and your family while you're afloat,"says Dale Currier from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. "They also provide a written documentation of the examination of your boat to give you some guidance for other things you might do."

"As a boater, how might a vessel safety exam help me get ready for the boating season this summer?" asks New York Sea Grant Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White.

"The boater safety check will provide an opportunity for you to meet with the examiner, take a look at other topics that might be of interest or necessity for better assuring the safety of you and your passengers," says Currier.

"Who will conduct my exam and what will they look for when they're on my boat?" asks White.

"The vessel safety examinations are conducted by specially trained members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary or the Power Squadron or some other local agencies, says Currier. "And they look for specific items such as life preservers, fire extinguishers, as well as, potentially, some recommended equipment such as de-watering capability."

To learn more about vessel safety exams and to schedule one at a marina or boat launch ramp near you, visit the Vessel Safety Check Web site.

Next month, we'll focus on a having your trailer ready for the summer boating season.

New York Sea Grant and the Boating Industries Association are partners in the Discover Better Boating series, from which segments will run on YNN stations every third Saturday through October. The YNN channel, based in Syracuse, telecasts two separate program feeds, one to Central/Northern New York; one to the Southern Tier. YNN is available to nearly 600,000 cable subscribers across a 25-county, 15,000 square mile area.