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Boaters Fess Up in a Survey
Did You Know?
According to a Survey of Boaters by The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies... I Can't Believe I Did That! Boaters 'Fess Up to Mistakes: Launching That Sinking Feeling More than a quarter of all boaters surveyed (26 percent) admit that, when launching their boat, they've forgotten to put in the bottom plug and their boat started to sink. Slippery When Wet Twelve percent of boaters say they've slid into the water because they didn't realize how slippery the launch ramp was. Missed it by That Much! Ten percent of boaters say when backing their trailer onto the ramp, they've backed up too far and caused their tire trailers to fall off the end of the ramp. People with fishing boats were more likely to make this mistake than people with pleasure boats (12 percent versus 9 percent, respectively). Cast Off Comedy Ten percent of all boaters surveyed admit they've forgotten to disconnect their boat from its trailer, but people with fishing boats were more likely than pleasure boaters to make this mistake (13 percent versus 8 percent). Mistakes: Putting Boat Back on Trailer Let's Get Things Straight About a third of boaters (31 percent) say when taking their boat out of the water, they've put their boat on its trailer lopsided or missed the trailer completely. Like Fingernails on a Blackboard Fourteen percent of boaters admit that, when pulling their boat out of the water, they've left the engine in the down position and dragged it across the ramp. With Friends Like This, Who Needs Enemies? It doesn't happen often, but when it does, ouch! One percent of boaters admit they weren't paying attention when driving their trailer out of the water and they ran over someone's foot. Mistakes: Trailering Back Off! Seventeen percent of boaters say they've trailered their boat without first making sure the trailer's lights were working properly. Connection Disconnect Pleasure boaters were more likely than people with fishing boats to say they've failed to secure their boat to its trailer before taking off (5 percent versus 3 percent). You Didn't Need Those Cushions/Towels/Bumpers/Lines/Folding Chairs/Umbrellas/(Insert Your Stuff Here) Anyway, Did You? Thirteen percent of boaters admit they've forgotten to secure their boat's contents before driving away. Mistakes: Docking Docking Is My Strong Suit When shown a list of eight possible mistakes boaters make while docking, almost three quarters of boaters (72 percent) said they hadn't made any of the mistakes. Of those who made mistakes, 9 percent approached the dock too fast causing them to hit it and damage their boat; 7 percent jumped off their boat intending to land on the dock but fell in the water instead; and 7 percent injured their hands attempting to fend the boat away from the dock. Ahoy, Matey! Pleasure boaters were 43 percent more likely than people with fishing boats to say they've approached the dock too fast, hit it and damaged their boat (10 percent versus 7 percent). Mistakes: At the Helm Captain, My Captain The most common mistakes boaters make while at the helm of their boat are running aground and getting a line caught in the propeller (both 15 percent). Twelve percent of captains admit not being able to restart their motor because they accidentally left the kill switch on. Thank You ... From the Bottom of My Boat With 15 percent of boaters running aground, it's no wonder the biggest percentage of boaters surveyed (35 percent) say a depth finder is the most useful item they've ever purchased for their boat. The second biggest vote-getter for most useful item is a Global Positioning System (16 percent). Better Hold On! Ten percent of boaters say they've hit the throttle too fast without first telling passengers, but pleasure boaters were more than twice as likely to do this as people with fishing boats (13 percent versus 6 percent). Stormy Weather Twenty-two percent of boaters say they've underestimated the severity of an approaching storm. Ten percent say they've left the dock without first checking the weather forecast. Misadventures at Sea Getting Burned Almost half of boaters surveyed (40 percent) say they've suffered a bad sunburn while on their boat. Marooned Mariners About a third (31 percent) of boaters say they've gotten stranded due to a mechanical breakdown. This is more likely to happen to pleasure boaters than it is to people with fishing boats (36 percent versus 25 percent). More Pain for the Pleasure Nine percent of pleasure boaters confess to receiving a violation or warning, versus 5 percent of people with fishing boats. Gas Pains Fifteen percent of boaters say they've overflowed the gas tank while fueling, and 11 percent say they've run out of fuel while on the water. Anchors Aweigh! Seven percent of boaters admit they've dropped their anchor without first securing the anchor to the boat. Two percent of boaters say they've dropped an anchor on their foot. Item Overboard! The most common items boaters say they've lost overboard are hats (52 percent); sunglasses (46 percent); fishing gear (39 percent); and towels (23 percent). When asked to provide write-in answers of items lost overboard, one boater said a hearing aid, while another said teeth! Mars, Venus and Relationships The Ties That Bind Male boaters were twice as likely as female boaters to forget to tie a line to the bow of the boat, causing the boat to drift away (12 percent versus 6 percent). Keep Your Head Above Water Men are twice as likely as women to say they did not have enough personal flotation devices for everyone on board (8 percent versus 4 percent). Singles Like to Soak Up the Sun Single people are three times more likely than married people to say sunbathing is their favorite thing to do on their boat (7 percent versus 2 percent). With This Ring... Two percent of boaters say they've lost their wedding ring overboard. Older and Wiser Precision Comes With Age Younger boaters (ages 18-34) are more than twice as likely as older boaters (ages 65 and older) to say they've overflowed the gas tank while refueling their boat (20 percent versus 8 percent). Younger boaters are also more likely than older boaters to say they've hit another boat while docking (4 percent versus 1 percent). Insurance At Sea Fearless Fishermen A third of people with fishing boats (32 percent) say they do not have boat insurance, versus 17 percent of pleasure boaters. The Wrong Policy Can Cost You Big Of boaters who had to replace their boat due to damage or theft, more than a third (37 percent) say their insurance did not adequately cover the cost of a replacement boat. Strange Times at Sea Those Wild and Crazy Guys (Not!) When asked to write in the strangest thing they'd ever done on their boat, one boater said he and a bunch of guys went out on the boat to go fishing and they all fell asleep. So, the fishing trip turned into an off-shore nap time. Birthday Suits Abound Several people said the strangest thing they'd ever done on their boat was to take off all their clothes. One person said he drove his boat naked since he was in the middle of a big lake and there were no other boaters around. |
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