Safety Equipment
What does PFD stand for?
Answer: Personal Flotation Device
When returning from open water, what color marker should generally be kept on your right-hand side?
Answer: Red
When two power-driven vessels are approaching each other head-on, what should both vessels generally do?
Answer: Both should alter course to starboard so they pass port-to-port.
What should you always do before operating a boat?
Answer: Check the weather, water conditions, fuel, equipment, and overall condition of the vessel.
In New Jersey, what must a person operating a personal watercraft (PWC) have?
Answer: The required boating safety certificate and comply with applicable age and operating requirements.
What type of PFD is designed to be thrown to a person in the water rather than worn?
Answer: Type IV throwable device
What phrase helps boaters remember the basic U.S. buoyage system?
Answer: "Red, Right, Returning"
In a crossing situation, another powerboat is approaching from your starboard side. Who generally has the right-of-way?
Answer: The vessel approaching from your starboard side.
What is the purpose of a kill switch/engine cutoff switch?
Answer: To shut off the engine if the operator is thrown from the helm, helping prevent an unattended boat from continuing to operate.
What is the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit commonly applied to boat operators in New Jersey?
Answer: 0.08%
A wearable PFD must be readily accessible and in good, serviceable condition. What does "readily accessible" mean?
Answer: It can be quickly reached and used in an emergency.
You see a buoy that is green with a number 3 on it. What does the number tell you?
Answer: It identifies the buoy's position within the channel.
What should you do if you are the stand-on vessel?
Answer: Maintain your course and speed while remaining alert and ready to take action if necessary.
Why should passengers remain seated while a boat is underway?
Answer: Standing or moving around can shift the boat's center of gravity and increase the risk of falling overboard or capsizing.
Is it legal to operate a boat while impaired by alcohol or drugs even if your BAC is below 0.08%?
Answer: Yes. A person can still be considered impaired even below the per se BAC limit.
Your boat is 18 feet long and operating at night. What safety equipment should you have for making sound signals?
Answer: An appropriate sound-producing device, such as a whistle or horn.
You are traveling upstream and see a red buoy on your right. What should you do?
Answer: Keep the red buoy on your right when returning/upstream in the conventional direction of buoyage.
You are the give-way vessel in a crossing situation. What is the best general action?
Answer: Take early and substantial action to keep well clear of the other vessel.
A passenger suddenly moves from one side of a small boat to the other. Why can this be dangerous?
Answer: The sudden shift in weight can make the boat unstable and potentially cause it to capsize.
What must you do if you are involved in a boating accident that results in injury, death, or significant property damage?
Answer: Stop, provide assistance as required, exchange information, and make the required report to the appropriate authorities.
You are operating a boat when someone accidentally falls overboard. What is the most important immediate action?
Answer: Shout "Man Overboard," keep the person in sight, and maneuver the boat safely to assist them.
You enter an unfamiliar channel and see red and green lateral markers. Why is it dangerous to simply assume the markers tell you exactly where to drive without considering the chart or local navigation system?
Answer: Buoyage systems and local conditions can vary, and markers must be interpreted according to the applicable navigation system and waterway.
Two boats are approaching each other in a situation where neither operator can clearly determine the other's intentions. What is the safest approach?
Answer: Slow down and take appropriate action to avoid a collision rather than assuming the other vessel will maneuver correctly.
Your boat begins taking on water while underway. Name two things you should do immediately.
Answer: Identify and stop the source of the water if possible, operate the bilge pump/use available dewatering equipment, alert passengers, and prepare for an emergency.
You are operating a boat in New Jersey and your friend, who has been drinking, asks to take the helm because they "only had two drinks." What should you do?
Answer: Do not allow the impaired person to operate the vessel. The operator is responsible for operating safely and complying with New Jersey's boating-under-the-influence laws.