Boat safety when fishing — Fångstrapport.se

Buoyancy aid — on you, not in the boat

More than half of all drownings from leisure boats happen to people who had a buoyancy aid — in the boat. Not on.

The accident always comes suddenly. You go over the side when the engine jolts, you slip on a wet deck, you end up in the water when a wave comes over the gunwale. There is no time to find the buoyancy aid in a locker, take off your jacket and put it on while you are trying to keep your head above water.

The law requires no buoyancy aid for adults in most leisure boats — put one on anyway. A modern inflatable is so comfortable that there is no reason to have it in the boat instead of on you.

Cold water — the biggest risk

The water you fish in is cold. Even in July the Baltic is often 14–17 degrees; in spring and autumn it is 5–10. The first minute is the most dangerous — the body responds with involuntary gasping, a rapid rise in pulse, and muscles that begin to lose power. This is cold shock, and it is a common cause of drowning even among strong swimmers.

What that means in practice:

You have seconds to hold your breath, not minutes. A buoyancy aid keeps your head up; without one you risk taking in water immediately.
You lose your grip quickly. Climbing back onto a capsized boat is often impossible after a few minutes — your hands stop working.
Hypothermia sets in within 10–30 minutes depending on temperature, clothing and body size. Long before that you are already too weak to save yourself.

The conclusion: cold water is not an "if I fall in" scenario. It is a "when I fall in" scenario. Prepare accordingly.

Equipment on board — what you need

This is the minimum list for a fishing boat in Swedish waters:

A buoyancy aid for everyone on board. Sized to the person; children have their own.
A throwing line — at least 15 m of floating line with a loop, within easy reach.
A bailer or a bilge pump to get water out.
A boathook, so you can reach someone in the water without going in yourself.
An anchor with enough chain — if the engine dies in a strong wind, it saves you from being driven ashore.
A fully charged mobile phone in a waterproof bag, kept separately from your jacket.
A first-aid kit and spare clothes in a dry bag.

For larger boats, or fishing far from land, add a VHF radio with DSC (channel 16 is the distress channel), distress flares and reserve fuel. For ordinary lake and coastal trips in a leisure boat, the minimum list is enough provided you also stay near land.

Drinking and boating — stricter than many think

Swedish maritime law sets a strict limit of 0.2 per mille blood alcohol (0.02 %) for:

Vessels of at least 10 metres, OR
Boats with a maximum speed of at least 15 knots.

Break that limit and you risk a fine or up to six months in prison. At 1.0 per mille or more it counts as aggravated drunken boating, carrying up to two years — regardless of the size of the boat.

Smaller and slower boats (under 10 m and under 15 knots) have no exact limit, but you can still be convicted if alcohol affects your ability to handle the boat. The practical advice: leave the alcohol until the boat is tied up. A beer on the quay afterwards is not worth an accident, or a lifetime of guilt.

The same rules apply to anyone responsible for safety-critical duties on board — not only to whoever is steering.

Before you cast off

Three things to do every time, before the engine starts:

1. Check the weather for the whole trip — not just for now. The SMHI app gives an hour-by-hour forecast. A calm morning can become 12 m/s from the south-west by the afternoon, which is too much for most small leisure boats. 2. Tell someone ashore where you are going and when you will be back. A simple text is enough: "Out towards Långholmen, home by 18 at the latest." If they do not hear from you, they know where the search should start. 3. Fuel, battery, engine — a quick check. An hour on the water with an empty tank does not end well. Count on twice as much fuel as you think you need.

And: do not take an untried boat or engine far from land the first time. Test it in the harbour first.

If something happens

112 works from a mobile at sea as well, as long as you have coverage. SOS Alarm connects you to the maritime and air rescue centre (JRCC). Tell them:

1. Where you are. GPS coordinates if you have them, otherwise the water plus the nearest landmark. 2. What has happened. Person in the water, engine stopped, fire on board, taking on water. 3. How many of you are on board, and whether anyone is unconscious or injured. 4. How the rescuers will recognise your boat — colour, length, any flag.

If someone is in the water: throw the line before you try to manoeuvre. Backing towards a person in the water with the propeller turning can injure or kill. Always approach with the engine in neutral so the propeller is still.

Once you have them out: keep them horizontal (do not lift them upright — it can trigger afterdrop shock), dry them and wrap them in dry clothes, and call 112 even if they seem fine. Hypothermia can develop hours later.