Safety Committee Tips
A few friendly reminders from your Safety Committee…The Safety Committee shall serve to educate and promote all safety issues that pertain to Georgetown Shores. We would also like to identify a few items that have already been brought to our attention in regard to Safe Boating Concerns.
PLEASE NOTE: The channel to the cove and the cove in Phase 6 is strictly NO WAKE as defined . Also, please take special note of item #3 below.
- State law specifies that when boating you should generally follow a counter-clockwise direction (shown in green) Adherence to this rule is especially important when other boats are present on the lake.
- The entire Cove Area (Shown in yellow in the above image) is Slow – No Wake area. This requires just idle speed when boating in this area.
- Following directly in the path of a boat that is towing someone is dangerous. Keep a safe distance and try not to follow directly behind; stay off to one side or the other of the boat ahead.
- State law requires keeping a distance of at least 100’ from other boats or docks when cruising. This means when towing someone, you need to be 100′ PLUS the length of the rope from other boats or docks. Driving too close to docks and other objects is a very dangerous practice.
- Sitting on the top of the seat or the side of the boat while driving is dangerous. You could fall out and be struck by another boat or your own boat.
- When towing someone who falls, use the shortest path possible to retrieve them (avoid wide, sweeping turns). Please keep your boat near the person who is in the water.
- When towing someone, the primary job of the driver is to drive and keep the boat in a safe position on the lake. Others in the boat can keep an eye on the person being towed.
- State law specifies that when towing someone behind your boat you need to have an observer in the boat to watch the individual being towed. Please keep your attention in the direction of travel. Knowing where others are on the lake is important. The driver’s first priority is to pay attention to what’s going on ahead of the boat. Adherence to this rule is especially important when other boats are present.
- Please do not swim across the lake without a floating marker. This could be a tube of some sort or a boat. Adherence to this rule is especially important when other boats are present.
- If you see something floating in the water, (sticks, chunks of wood, bottles, cans) please pick them up and remove them from the water. Use care when boating for the first time in the spring.
- Please use common sense.
For more information about
Michigan boating/safety, check out http://boat-ed.com/mi/handbook/
One final reminder, Please do your part to keep our community fun and safe!
Thank you!
GS Safety Committee
Per the Deed Restrictions, both the channel AND the Cove are “No-Wake” areas.
Section 35(e) states: “No boat or watercraft shall be operated on or in the waters of Georgetown Cove at a speed that will create a wake (i.e. Georgetown Cove shall be a no-wake area).”