In Florida, we love our boats.
A day on the water is likely to be the best day of anyone's week or month. That is, if everything goes according to plan. Sadly, every once in a while, even the best laid plans go awry.
May 21-27 is National Safe Boating Week. In Florida, the number of registered vessels topped 1 million (1,013,211) last year, leading the nation and topping second place Minnesota by more than 200,000 registrations. And that doesn't even account for the tens of thousands of paddlecraft, such as kayaks, canoes and paddleboards.
Based on the 2021 Boating Accident Statistical Report released this month by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Floridian boaters need to tighten up and get more serious about how they operate their vessels. As the state continues to receive a wave of new residents every day, safe boating practices will be even more important as more and more vessels flood coastal waters.