Boating

A new law that requires boat renters to carry insurance could put the industry in jeopardy.

Beginning next year, boaters will need to know rules to protect marine life at risk of injury from watercraft. On average, more than 100 manatees are killed by boaters in Florida every year.

With a tropical system entering into the Gulf and uncertainty over landfall or weather effects in SWFL, boaters should be diligent about making preparations.

For a century, the glass bottom boat tours at Wakulla Springs celebrated Florida’s seemingly endless depths of clean, clear water. With the water too murky to see through the glass, the boats are no longer running regularly — a symbol of the pollution plaguing the state’s freshwater and the cascade of consequences to come.

A program through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is aimed at quickly removing privately owned boats that have been abandoned or wrecked.

A program offered by the Jackson Health Ryder Trauma Center teaches marine rescue officers about how to treat traumatic injuries that happen on or near the water to produce better health outcomes.

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said the county has begun removing the neglected boats, which had become an "eyesore" and pose a safety threat to swimmers and boaters.

A bill in the Florida Legislature would bring a 90-day anchoring limit in the Keys closer by reducing the number of new moorings near Key West from 250 to 100 before it can take effect.

The green-and-white bus-shaped aluminum vessel looks a lot like the others at Silver Springs. But on the inside, it has room for large wheelchairs and foldaway seats allowing people with disabilities to enjoy underwater views with family or friends.

Boat sales increased by 13% in 2020, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

As people get ready to head out onto the water in large numbers over the holiday weekend, the state has released its annual report on accidents.

There were 836 boating accidents in 2020, along with 79 deaths.