It may surprise you but those who fish and those who waterski have similar numbers of recreational boating accidents.  Even more surprising, the risk that an angler will have a fatal boating accident is more than 10 times that of someone on skis: 34 percent vs. 3 percent, according to 2007 U.S. Coast Guard recreational accident data.

Know Your Boat’s Limitations

Beyond equipment and ­procedures, safe boating is also a matter of knowing your boat’s limitations and the environment in which you operate. Here are some points to consider for fishing boat safety:

‹ Small boats favored by anglers – semi V-hull vessels, flat-bottom Jon boats and canoes – can capsize more easily than larger boats.

‹ A small boat will fill with water more quickly if washed over by a wave. Transoms and helm station areas are wide open and the boats have smaller and fewer bilge pumps, or none at all. Also, decks are not watertight, and water that enters can sometimes cause damage that leaves the angler ­stranded.

‹ Small fishing boats may have little to no freeboard – the distance between the rail or top edge of the boat and the waterline. It’s easy to overload small vessels unintentionally – making the boat more likely to capsize even in relatively calm waters.

‹ Keep your boat’s maximum load capacity in mind. Most mono-hull boats up to 20 feet in length have information on the capacity plate that is permanently affixed to the hull by the manufacturer. If a capacity plate isn’t present, one easy formula for calculating the maximum load for a monohull boat is to multiply the boat’s length times its width and divide by 15. For example, a 6-foot-wide, 16-foot-long boat can carry six people ­safely.

Skiers vs. Anglers
‹ Skiing is done in open water with three people involved: the boat operator, the lookout and the skier.
‹ In open water, additional help for a downed skier can be as close as other boaters or people on or near the shore.
‹ Skiing is more often a warm-weather pursuit — again, raising the likelihood that other boaters will be nearby to help if needed.  Most important, the skier is very likely to be wearing a life jacket or inflatable life belt.
‹ Anglers are sometimes alone in a quiet cove fishing ­during the “shoulder” seasons when vacationers and crowds of pleasureboaters are absent.
‹ Too often a life jacket is not worn.
‹ Solitude, heavy clothes and no life jacket can be a ­deadly combination if the boat capsizes or the angler falls overboard.