Sailing

The Great Salt Lake Yacht Club, also known as the "World's Saltiest Sailors," is celebrating opening day Saturday at the Great Salt Lake Marina with a boat parade (10 a.m.), blessing of the fleet (noon) and barbecue (1 p.m.). The club holds women's and junior sailing clinics, a full season of racing and various events like overnight trips and full moon sailing trips. Utah State Parks officials had the mouth of the marina channel at Great Salt Lake Marina State Park dredged to improve access.

The Great Salt Lake Yacht Club's annual SailFest event is being held June 11-15, with free racing events and the popular cardboard boat regatta. Visit www.gslyc.org for more information.

Motorboating

Most lakes and reservoirs in Utah are expected to fill with enough spring runoff to keep boat ramps open throughout the year. Problems with the dike at Willard Bay and work on the dam at Deer Creek may shorten the boating season at those waters.

Celebrate Utah Safe Boating Week May 16-18 with the On-The-Water Boat Show being held at Jordanelle State Park. The event is being hosted by Utah State Parks and Recreation and will include new boats on display at the marina and on the water. A $10 day-use fee is required to enter the park. Free boat safety checks will be provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Call 801-538-7220 for more information.

Kayaking

White-water paddlers are stoked with prospects for 2008 after a "meager" season last year. Favorite "local" kayaking spots include the Weber River White Water park in Ogden and the white water park on the Bear River in Evanston, Wyo. Many are pointing their boat-laden vehicles to Idaho and the Black Canyon of the Bear River near Grace where controlled flows are providing a unique opportunity. Visit Eddyflower.com and/or www.utahwhitewaterclub.org for more information on the Utah Whitewater Club.

The Utah Whitewater Club offers a series of beginning boaters clinics each winter. Gordon Stam, president of the Utah WhiteWater Club, says he expects to see an artificial white-water park in either Ogden or Salt Lake in the not-so-distant future.

The 11th Annual Utah Rivers Council Paddle Festival is being held at Little Dell Reservoir 15 minutes east of Salt Lake City on June 7 and 8. Learn to kayak, canoe, row, sail, or you can take a paddle on a new boat. Those 6 and older are invited to participate in clinics and workshops for beginners. The cost is $10 for adults and $6 for ages 6-12. Proceeds benefit the Utah River Council's river protection programs. Visit www.paddlefestival.org for more information.

Commercial white-water running

Varying water conditions in the West are a double-edged sword for Utah's commercial white water rafting companies. Too much attention on drought kills business and too much attention on high snowpack scares away possible clients afraid of raging water. Tim Gaylord, director of operations at Holiday River Expeditions, says this year will bring a normal and possibly a slightly above normal spring runoff, with a peak sometime in late May or early June. The peak depends on how soon the weather heats up and how long it lasts. Bookings among commercial outfitters are about even with 2007 and there should still be spots available.

Utah State Park boating campaigns

Utah State Parks rangers are in charge of patrolling the state's navigable waterways. They are focusing education attention on the following issues:

BUIs - Alcohol is a leading contributor in 20 percent of all boating fatalities nationwide. An average of 30 Boating Under the Influence arrests are made each year in Utah. The BUI law is the same as the state's DUI laws and the same penalties can be imposed, including a possible loss of vehicle driving privileges.

Carbon monoxide dangers - Carbon monoxide is a potentially deadly gas produced anytime a carbon-based fuel, such as gasoline, propane, charcoal or oil, burns.

Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, and tasteless and mixes evenly in the air we breath. Carbon monoxide poisoning if often mistaken for seasickness, intoxication or heat stress.

Sources of carbon monoxide on boats include gasoline engines, generators, cooking ranges, and space and water heaters. Boat exhaust leaks are the leading cause of death by carbon monoxide. These leaks can migrate throughout the boat and into enclosed areas.

Other concerns include being on or swimming near the rear decks of houseboats with the generator or engines running. It is a good idea to avoid teak surfing, dragging, or being towed within 20 feet of the rear of a slow moving boat.

Life jackets - National statistics indicate that nearly 80 percent of people who drowned in boating accidents would have survived had they been wearing life jackets.

A boating accident can happen any time you are on the water. Plan ahead. Utah law requires youths 12 and under to wear a life jacket. Utah State Parks recommends all boaters wear a life jacket.

To reward those who wear there life jackets, namely adults who are not required by law to wear one, Utah State Parks will again run its "I got caught!" campaign. Rangers will hand out "I Got Caught" T-shirts to random boaters wearing the devices.

State park officials also have installed the "Tree of Life" free loaner program at Bear Lake, Jordanelle, Utah Lake and Sand Hollow state parks and at Hall's Crossing at Lake Powell. If you are missing a life jacket or have the wrong size you can borrow a loaner.

Boating Education - An effort to get a state law passed requiring all boat operators to take an approved boater education class through a home-study program failed during the 2008 Legislative session. National statistics show that about 70 percent of fatal boating accidents occurred with the operator not having received any boating education. The state already requires youth ages 12 to 17 to take a personal watercraft education class and will continue to pursue a mandatory boating operator permit program.