Alabama Boaters Boating Safety 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What action should you take if your motorboat engine catches fire?
- Speed up to blow out the flames
- Turn the bow into the wind
- Stop the engine and aim the stern into the wind (Correct answer)
- Jump overboard immediately
Correct answer: Stop the engine and aim the stern into the wind
Stopping the engine and positioning the stern into the wind keeps flames away from passengers and fuel tanks at the bow.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a vessel's navigation lights?
- To illuminate the water ahead
- To signal to the Coast Guard
- To indicate position, direction, and status to other boaters (Correct answer)
- To comply with fishing regulations
Correct answer: To indicate position, direction, and status to other boaters
Navigation lights communicate a vessel's position, heading, and operational status to other mariners to prevent collisions.
Question 3: How far must a vessel stay from a U.S. naval vessel or military installation?
- 50 yards
- 100 yards
- 500 yards (Correct answer)
- 200 yards
Correct answer: 500 yards
Federal law requires all vessels to maintain a 500-yard safe zone around U.S. naval vessels and military facilities.
Question 4: What does a boater's card or safety certificate prove in Alabama?
- Vessel registration is current
- The operator has completed an approved boater education course (Correct answer)
- The vessel passed a safety inspection
- Insurance coverage is active
Correct answer: The operator has completed an approved boater education course
Alabama's boater education card certifies that the holder has completed a state-approved boating safety education course.
Question 5: Which situation requires you to give a PROLONGED blast of your horn lasting 4-6 seconds?
- When passing another vessel on the left
- When leaving a dock or marina
- When approaching a blind bend or curve in a channel (Correct answer)
- When anchoring for the night
Correct answer: When approaching a blind bend or curve in a channel
A prolonged blast when approaching a bend or obstruction warns unseen vessels of your presence to prevent a head-on collision.
Question 6: What is 'capsizing' in boating terms?
- Running a boat aground on a sandbar
- A vessel turning over or overturning in the water (Correct answer)
- Losing steerage due to engine failure
- Flooding the bilge while anchored
Correct answer: A vessel turning over or overturning in the water
Capsizing refers to a boat overturning so that it is upside down or on its side in the water.
Question 7: When is it legal to operate a vessel under the influence (BUI) in Alabama?
- Never — BUI is always illegal (Correct answer)
- When traveling at slow wake speed only
- When operating on private lakes
- When accompanied by a sober passenger over 21
Correct answer: Never — BUI is always illegal
Boating Under the Influence (BUI) is illegal in Alabama under all circumstances, with a BAC limit of 0.08% same as driving.
Alabama Boaters Boating Safety 3
What action should you take if your motorboat engine catches fire?