Boating Safely On the Lakes

January 25, 2025

Boating safely on the lakes

The lakes in Oconee County offer opportunities for recreation, fishing, and relaxation, but they also come with inherent risks, such as strong currents, sudden weather changes, and high levels of boating traffic, especially during peak seasons.

Weather awareness safety tips

This region is known for pop-up thunderstorms, especially in the heat of summer. Boaters who stay alert to weather changes, and take appropriate action, go a long way toward safeguarding their property and the lives of everyone on board and in their vicinity.

Things to look for that indicate an approaching weather front:

Flat clouds getting lower and thicker
Puffy, vertically rising clouds getting higher
Dark, threatening clouds, especially to the west/southwest
A sudden drop in temperature
A halo around the sun or moon
Increasing wind or a sudden change in wind direction
Flashes on the horizon
Seas becoming heavy
Heavy AM radio static, indicating nearby thunderstorm activity

What to do in severe weather:

Reduce speed, keeping just enough power to maintain headway
Make sure everyone on board is wearing a life jacket
Turn on your running lights
If possible, head for the nearest shore that is safe to approach
Head the boat into the waves at a 45 degree angle
Keep the bilges free of water
Seat any passengers on the bottom of the boat, near the centerline
If the engine fails, trail a sea anchor from the bow of the boat to keep it headed into the waves (a bucket can work as a sea anchor in an emergency)
Anchor the boat if necessary

Golden Corner Lakes Sail & Power Squadron

This local squadron is part of the United States Power Squadrons, a non-profit boating organization dedicated to making boating safer and more enjoyable by teaching classes in basic seamanship. Golden Corner Lakes hosts on-the-water and land-based activities, social events, learning opportunities and get-togethers.

Their membership includes boaters and boating families (power, sail and paddlers), from novice to experienced, drawn from the upstate areas of South Carolina and Georgia surrounding Lakes Hartwell, Keowee and Jocassee.

America’s Boating Course

Golden Corner Lakes offers America’s Boating Course several times a year. The course is designed to advance public knowledge and skills for safer boating in Upstate South Carolina.The Course consists of three nights of instruction with an exam on the final night.

Participants learn: state and local regulations, safety equipment, how to handle emergencies, anchoring, trailering, navigation rules and aids, personal watercraft operation, knot tying, and more.

After completing the course, there is an option to have on-the-water training, if desired.

When & Where

In 2025, America’s Boating Course will be offered three times. Class will meet on consecutive Tuesdays from 6:00-8:30pm at St. Marks United Methodist Church in Seneca.

March 11, 18, 25
April 22, 29, May 6
September 9, 16, 23

Cost

There is no cost for the Course other than $35 for the manual and supplies.

Registration

To sign up, call or email Ron Osburn (864) 972-2434. Pre-registration requested 2 weeks in advance.

Don’t let bad weather take you by surprise!

Article by Sue Dragoo, Public Relation Officer with America’s Boating Club®

Lightning, torrential rain, and rough seas can turn a pleasurable outing into a life threatening ordeal in a heartbeat. Yet unwary boaters are too often taken by surprise, largely because they don’t realize just how fast a storm can come up, or the danger it presents.

According to Coast Guard accident data, nearly three percent of all recreational boating accidents are directly related to severe weather conditions that can quickly overwhelm smaller craft. Some thunderstorms, for example, create microbursts—intense downdrafts over an area a half mile to three miles wide— capable of producing wind gusts from 60 mph to more than 100 mph. Microbursts can capsize a small boat or blow a passenger overboard.

No one wants to end up a statistic. The risks of swamping, capsizing, falling overboard, or hitting a floating object all increase in stormy weather; so out on the water the most important equipment on board is always a Coast Guard-approved life jacket for all passengers and a plan to err on the side of caution. Careful attention to marine weather forecasts and staying alert to sudden changes can help keep both good times and safety at a maximum.

Most boaters already know to track the extended five-day forecast on local AM/FM radio and television or internet weather sites like the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Forecast and information webpage. Technology has given operators of even very small boats an edge. VHF-FM weather radios or VHF transceivers with built-in NOAA weather radio channels are readily available at most retail outlets, with HF single sideband transceivers as a backup for those ranging farther out on the water.

Monitoring the latest weather reports can warn boaters if conditions are right for severe weather. But knowing there’s a chance of a thunderstorm won’t tell you when one is headed your way. Weather fronts typically move in from the west/southwest, so periodically scanning the horizon in that direction is a good idea. Be on the look out for far-off lightning flashes and other signs of impending storms.

Being able to recognize storm cloud patterns is also a useful skill. A “lowering ceiling”—flat clouds getting lower and thicker—means an approaching storm front. Hot, humid days frequently result in afternoon thunderstorms as radiant heat from the land picks up moisture from the water and puffy, vertical clouds grow into thunderheads. This can result in a violent squall, accompanied by a sudden drop in temperature, sharp winds, suddenly heavier seas, and an increased risk of a micro-burst storm.

Article Reference: Joseph Carro, U.S. Coast Guard, Boating Safety Division

America’s Boating Club® is a registered trademark of the United States Power Squadrons

For more information about the Squadron, visit their website at gclsaps.com.