Free Vessel Safety Checks
Event Location
Bowdoinham resident and Coast Guard Auxiliarist Wes Baden will be at Mailly Waterfront Park offering free "Vessel Safety Checks" specifically for kayaks, canoes and stand up paddleboards.
Checks, for paddlers, help achieve voluntary compliance with federal and state boating laws. At minimum, all paddlers must have a life jacket on board (ideally worn at all times on the water) and a sound producing device such as a whistle.
Paddlers should bring their vessels, paddles or oars, and lifejackets with them on Saturday, for the safety check. Assuming everything is in order, they will receive a 2019 Vessel Safety Check decal for placement on their paddlecraft. The following safety materials are also available free of charge: (1) IF FOUND - CONTACT stickers, also for placement on their paddlecraft, (2) Paddle Tip Reflector Kits to increase visibility on the water, (3) brochures about paddling safely and choosing the right life jacket, and (4) even pealess whistles for anyone not already in possession of a required sound producing device.
Details of Vessel Safety Checks, including identifying information, are not reported to the Coast Guard or any government agency. The purpose of such checks is limited to raising paddlers' awareness of boating laws and safety issues and keeping them safe on the water at all times.