Labor Day Weekend Expected To Be Busy On The Water

MIAMI (CBSMiami) — The forecast for this Labor Day weekend calls for some pretty good weather in the morning with the possibility of afternoon showers.

That means lots of South Floridians will be jumping on their boats this weekend for some gun on the water.

Boaters are urged to monitor weather broadcasts throughout the weekend. The National Weather Service broadcasts marine weather forecasts regularly. The forecasts can be heard on Channels 1 through 5 on a VHF marine radio, or by checking the weather service's website at http://www.nws.noaa.gov.

All boaters are urged to have a working VHF-FM marine radio on board because cell phones often use signal and their batteries run out.

Since the Labor Day weekend is one of the most popular times for boating, high demand at marinas can easily translate into long lines, long waits and lack of parking.

In Miami-Dade, boaters are urged to contact their marina before they head out to find out the best launch times and get updates on parking.

In addition, boaters are also encouraged to sign up for the free "Miami-Dade Marina SMS Alerts." This service keeps boaters up-to-date on such issues as hazardous weather conditions and boat ramp closures and re-openings, via text alerts to their email or mobile phone.

Click Here for registration details.

Over the long holiday weekend the Coast Guard and various other law enforcement agencies will be out on the water conducting safety checks and watching for boaters who are intoxicated. Intoxicated boaters can face both state and federal charges with penalties of up to one year in prison and up to $100,000 in fines.

The Coast Guard said before hitting the water, boaters should file a float plan. When an emergency happens, there are so many things to remember. And without a float plan, boaters are counting on someone else — a friend, spouse, neighbor or friend — to remember the detailed information that rescue crews will need to find the boat.