Crackdown Due on Drunken Boaters

The U.S. Coast Guard and other law-enforcement agencies will target people boating under the influence of alcohol from Friday through Sunday as part of Operation Dry Water, according to a news release from the Coast Guard.

That means increased patrols, breathalyzer tests and boater education, according to the release. Boaters who test above the legal blood alcohol content limit of 0.08 percent will face severe penalties, the Coast Guard said.

Last year's operation brought more than 300 arrests on charges of boating under the influence and 4,171 citations, the release said.

The Coast Guard cautioned that being on the water, with its motion, vibrations, engine noise, sun, wind and spray—can cause fatigue that accelerates a drinker's impairment in terms of coordination, judgment and reaction time.

Operation Dry Water is coordinated by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. It's scheduled each year for the last weekend in June.