Oswego, NY, May 25, 2021 - Ahead of National Safe Boating Week, which runs from Saturday, May 22 to Friday, May 28, New York Sea Grant's Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White made the rounds to a number of TV stations to discuss the latest in boating safety as the unofficial start to summer begins ... 



Clay, NY, May 18, 2021 - On an 80 degree day like the middle of May in Central New York, getting out on the water in your boat may already be on your mind.

But as is the case every year, it's important to know how to keep yourself and others safe on the water. Especially this year when a new law takes effect.

On April 1, 2021, a new federal law went into effect requiring boat operators who have an Engine Cut-Off Switch (ECOS) to use the ECOS link, according to the U.S. Coast Guard boating website.

According to the website, when an operator is wearing a link while running the boat, the engine will cut off if the operator is separated from the operating area.

This can happen if the operator gets ejected from the boat or falls within the boat. The website also said that the link is usually a coiled bungee cord lanyard clipped onto the operator's person, Personal Flotation Device (PFD) or clothing and the other end attached to the cut-off switch, but there are plenty of variations on the market, including electronic wireless devices.

This law applies to all "Navigable Waters of the US," according to the website.

Also, this year if you were born on or after May 1, 1996, you will need a safety certificate, according to New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation website.

Under the new Brianna's Law all motorboat operators born on or after January 1, 1993, will need a boating safety certificate as of the beginning of 2020.

May 22  kicks off National Safe Boating Week and we are here to make sure you are prepared.

If you are 18 or older in addition to the class fee, you will be required to pay NYS Parks a $10.00 fee for your boating safety certificate.

Dave White, New York Sea Grant's Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist, said boaters must also remember other basic safety precautions, like accounting for life jackets, flares and fire extinguishers before heading out.

He also said these precautions are vital to making sure New Yorkers can keep their boating opportunities. Other states have limited boating access this summer.

CNY Central is broadcast on WSTM-TV, a dual NBC/CW-affiliated television station licensed to Syracuse, New York.



Watertown, NY, May 21, 2021 - NYSG's Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White, who spoke on WWNY-TV7's News This Morning, saying:

"Our waterways are becoming busier, which is a wonderful thing because we're welcoming more and more people to the family of boating," says White. "So, it's important to make sure that you're taking a boat safety class, making sure you're looking at the type of vessel that you have — and a vessel is anything you can ride on or in. It's also important to not only have the safety gear that's required, but also be aware of the operational aspects of your vehicle: How does it work? How do I how how can I be a good boater? How can I be part of this family out on the water?"

You can learn more at uscgboating.org.

Since April 2006, New York Sea Grant specialists have been bringing the coastal program's "message" to the morning masses at WWNYTV 7, a Watertown-based CBS-affiliate, during one of the highest rated TV blocks in the "wake-up hours," the 6:30-7 am stretch.

Sea Grant's 'five minutes of fame' - which potentially reaches around 10,000 viewers in New York's Jefferson and Northern Oswego Counties - has featured topics over the years such as boating safety, aquatic invasive species, diving in search of sunken wrecks, the dune and Salmon River stewards program, shoreline land issues, tourism, and marine safety.



Buffalo, NY, May 22, 2021 - With all the nice weather Western New York has had recently, Dave White, New York Sea Grant's Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist, says more and more people are getting out on Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and other bodies of water.

Keep in mind, as of April 1, a new federal law requires boat operators who have an engine cut-off switch to also use a lanyard or link that would stop the boat if the driver steps away.

As of 2020, New York's Brianna's Law also requires all boat operators who were born on or after January 1, 1993, to take a boating safety course.

WGRZ is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Buffalo, New York.



Syracuse, NY, May 25, 2021 - There are important laws and safety tips to keep in mind when you’re on the water this summer.

From wearing a life jacket, to keeping up to date on the latest boater safety information, White says it’s critical to always be aware of what the rules are. 

This year, a new federal boating law requires the use of an engine cut-off switch, also known as ECOS. The new law prevents runaway boat incidents and is critical for anyone who has one on their boat, he adds.

White also advises everyone to plan ahead and always be prepared for the unpredictable to happen.

NYSG's White frequently appears as a boating safety specialist on "Bridge Street," a locally-produced daily talk show of News Channel 9 WSYR-TV, the ABC affiliate covering Syracuse and Central New York.

White's NYSG "Boating and Marine Trades" content can be found at www.nyseagrant.org/marina. He also has information on Great Lakes shipwrecks at www.nyseagrant.org/shipwreck.


More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York (SUNY), is one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.

Since 1971, NYSG has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.

Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.

The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University in Long Island, Brooklyn College and Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC and Kingston in the Hudson Valley.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube links. NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published quarterly.