Boater’s Lagniappe Day set for May 12

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will host a Boating Education Lagniappe Day Saturday, May 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Larose Civic Center.

“We certified nearly 70 students in the Houma course last year and hope to do more this year,” said Capt. Rachel Zechenelly, LDWF’s Boating Safety Coordinator. “Statewide, we certified 264 boat operators.”

LDWF began the state’s boating education program in 2003 and has certified approximately 48,000 boaters in the years since.

Space is limited for the event and registration is on a first come first serve basis. Those wishing to attend the event must register by visiting www.wlf.louisiana.gov/lagniappeday and call the Thibodaux Office at 985-447-0821.

According to Zechenelly, there are more than 1,000,000 users of Louisiana’s recreational waterways.

“Our agents consistently encounter vessel operators ranging in age from 16 to well over 70 on a regular basis,” Zechenelly said. “Occasionally we see operators younger than 16, but not that often.”

Anybody born after Jan. 1, 1984 must complete a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators approved boating education course to operate a motorboat in excess of 10 horsepower. They must also have the certification with them when operating the boat.

“We see students of all ages, but most of our students range in age from 10 to 28, which is the age of operators affected by the mandatory boater education law,” Zechenelly said. “Children must be at least 10 years old to take the course.”

At the event, the LDWF will have instructors from the NASBLA on hand, and food and drinks, giveaways and door prizes will all be free of charge to the public.

“Boating education has been a proven method to reduce fatalities on the water over time,” Zechenelly said “Since more and more of the boating public will fall into the mandatory age for certification, we will eventually reach a point where everyone that wants to boat in this state will have their boating education certificate making the waterways more enjoyable and safer.”

According to Wildlife and Fisheries, statistics show that states with mandatory programs have fewer boating fatalities than those that do not have a boating education program. States that have had a program for more than 20 years had 3.67 fatalities per 100,000 boats versus 6.61 fatalities per 100,000 registered boats for states that did not have a boating education program.

“We haven’t broken out our 2011 numbers out yet by parish, but last year, Louisiana had 150 boating incidents and 36 fatalities,” Zechenelly said.

The course will go over choosing a boat, classification, hulls, motors, legal requirements and equipment requirements as well as navigation rules and charts, trailering, sailboats, canoeing and personal watercraft. Once participants complete the course, they will be issued a vessel operators certification card.

“There will be an emphasis on safety equipment and navigation rules,” Zechenelly said. “We encourage people to wear personal flotation devices (life jackets) due to the fact that the majority of people killed in boating incidents drown. We also emphasize navigation rules because operating on the wrong side of the channel or not knowing which vessel is the stand on or give way vessel increases the chances for collision between vessels.”

Of particular interest to those in the Tri-parish area who many enjoy both fresh and saltwater fishing are the safety differences Zechenelly noted between the two different types of fishing.

“Although weather can have a significant impact on safe boating in protected waters, offshore fishing presents even greater hazards due to the potential for larger more powerful waves impacting the hull of a vessel which could cause capsizing or sinking,” she said.

“We want to make this an annual event as we heard nothing but positive feedback from the participants in last year’s lagniappe day,” LDWF Lt. Col. Jeff Mayne, the State’s Boating Law Administrator said in a printed statement. “Boating Education Lagniappe Day is the perfect opportunity for those in need of a boating education certification and those that want to learn about boating safety. We want to make the day fun and educational at the same time and everything will be offered completely free.”

Sponsors for the Boating Education Lagniappe Day are the Louisiana Wildlife Agents Association, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Wal-Mart, Cabela’s, Holiday Inn and Coca Cola.

A family drops their fishing lines on Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will host a Boating Education Lagniappe Day Saturday, May 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Larose Civic Center.