Geneva, NY, July 2, 2020 - Taking precautions like social distancing and wearing a mask are important to prevent the spread of COVID-19, even if you're outdoors enjoying activities on the water.

New York Sea Grant Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White tells reporter Tommy Sladek, from NBC News affiliate station CNYCentral / Channel 3 News Syracuse, that boaters should always bring hand sanitizer with them and wear masks. This is especially important when in marinas or at boat launches with other people. On busy weekends like the Fourth, these places are more likely to be crowded.

"Think of the boat as an extension of your home. The only people that should be going out boating with you because it's a restricted area is those you're home-bound with," White says. "Be six to 10 feet apart. You don't have to be tied right up next to each other and hop boat to boat."

Boaters must also remember other basic safety precautions, like accounting for life jackets, flares and fire extinguishers before heading out. White says these precautions are vital to making sure New Yorkers can keep their boating opportunities. Other states have limited boating access this summer.


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, 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. Our program also produces an occasional e-newsletter,"NOAA Sea Grant's Social Media Review," via its blog, www.nyseagrant.org/blog.