Coast Guard to Crack Down on BUIs

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 USCG news release.

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

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

According to Harbor Patrol representative John Picken, Redondo Beach law-enforcement personnel won't "actively be participating in the operation."

"We will be keeping a high profile patrol and enforcing all boating laws in the harbor area," Picken said in an email. "We have a zero-tolerance [policy] for boating under the influence and will continue to promote the practice of safe and 'dry' boating."

According to the USCG, being on the water, with its motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind and spray—can accelerate a drinker's impairment, causing fatigue that make a boater's coordination, judgment and reaction time decline more quickly.

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