Free Boating Safety Class Offered This Weekend

With the warm weather suddenly upon us and lake levels rising, boaters are flocking to Hartwell Lake to enjoy the spring weather – some for the first time.

And first- time boaters will want to take advantage of a free boating class coming up this Saturday at the Hartwell Lake office in Hartwell.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources law enforcement officer Craig Fulgum will teach the class and he said it is open to all boaters, experienced and novice ages 12 and up.

“It’s available to adults and the insurance companies will sometimes offer discounts to boaters who take the safety class,” Fulgum said.

He also noted with new boating laws set to be enacted this summer, now is a good time to sign up for a safety class.

“One law is requiring mandatory boating education for children so if you want to be a proactive parent, now is a good time to avoid the long lines later and get your child signed up for a boating safety class,” Fulgum said.

This Saturday’s class will run from 9a to 2p and is open to anyone in the Northeast Georgia area.

Fulgum said knowing how to stay safe on the water is particularly important now that State lawmakers have passed several new boating laws.  Those new laws and current regulations he said will be covered.

“We go over all the safety rules and regulations that are new and the existing ones,” he said. “We also go over the laws for both Georgia and South Carolina since we live on a body of water that is in both states. The rules and regulations are different for boating in Georgia and South Carolina and there are a lot of them so we cover all of that as well.”

One of the new laws in Georgia for boaters is a lower BUI level.  Senate Bill 136 is awaiting Governor Nathan Deal’s signature and lowers the limit for being legally intoxicated on any lake in Georgia to .08 grams per 100 grams of blood from the current .10 grams.

The move came after several boating deaths on Lake Lanier last summer that were alcohol related.  If you miss this Saturday’s class, Fulgum said he plans to hold two more boating safety classes this spring.  To sign up for the class, contact Fulgum at 770-535-5499.