Friday was a quiet day on the Chain O’Lakes, but Mike Krause was starting his Memorial Day weekend before countless other boaters flocked to the lakes to celebrate the unofficial start of boating season.
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Krause, 52, has been boating since he was 16. Today he keeps his boat at Inland Harbor Marina in Antioch and takes his experience to the Chain O’Lakes.
“I think the chain is just as safe as a roadway,” Krause said. “It all depends on the boater and the people on the lake. It’s no different than in the street.”
New boating safety laws went into effect this year, one of which requires boaters to display an orange flag when towing people behind their boat such as a tuber or water skier.
“I think the safety laws are appropriate, nonintrusive, and I think it’s a good start,” Krause said.
Boaters can purchase orange flags at local marinas. Prices for the flags vary, with flags that cost as low as $3.99 and as high as $25.99 at Chain O’Lakes Marina in Fox Lake.
At Munson Marine in Fox Lake, orange flags are now included in the safety kits that customers receive when they purchase a boat, according to sales manager Ed DeStefano.
Scott Gaylor, harbormaster at Chain O’Lakes Marina, said people have come in and asked about the new laws, but not everyone is aware of the changes. The marina staff has been informing customers about the laws and there is a sign on the counter alerting customers of the changes.
Gaylor said customers have been accepting of the law that was passed mostly in response to a 2012 accident that killed Tony Borcia, a 10-year-old boy from Libertyville.
“I believe it will help, especially if people know the law,” Gaylor said. “If they see an orange flag flying, they know enough to slow down and watch for a skier. Whether there’s a person still on the tube or on the skis, if they see that there’s no person on the tube or on the skis, they know enough to start looking and slow down.”
Regardless of the changes, some think it is especially important that new boaters take time to learn about the different lakes and their passageways before heading to the water. Gaylor suggests talking to regular boaters to learn which lakes are appropriate for activities such as tubing and how to stay outside the main flows of traffic.
Nancy Goralski, owner of Sandbar Marina and Sandbar Bar & Grille in Antioch, reiterated Gaylor’s advice and suggests that newcomers get a map of the area.
“If this is your first time out, I would strongly recommend you go out during the week so you can get used to how the lakes are because it’s not that easy to find your way around here if you don’t know where you’re going,” Goralski said.
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