ALCOAST 216/18 - JUN 2018 OPERATION DRY WATER

R 060733 JUN 18
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-5P//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS //N16210//
ALCOAST 216/18
COMDTNOTE 16210
SUBJ:  OPERATION DRY WATER
A. 2017 Recreational Boating Statistics, COMDTPUB P16754.29
B. U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Manual (MLEM), COMDTINST M16247.1 (series)(NOTAL)
1. The purpose of this ALCOAST is to provide notice of the 2018 Operation Dry Water
(ODW) heightened awareness and enforcement weekend and encourage maximum participation
from Coast Guard units. ODW will take place June 29 – July 1, 2018.
2. Alcohol use continues to be a leading contributing factor in recreational boating-related
accidents, injuries and deaths. Alcohol use was involved in 19% of all recreational boating
deaths in REF (A); ODW directly supports the National Recreational Boating Safety Programs
efforts to eliminate alcohol and drug-related marine accident and casualties.
3. COMDT (CG-BSX-2), in partnership with the National Association of State Boating Law
Administrators (NASBLA), and many other boating safety partners, will coordinate this
nationwide event. Marine law enforcement agencies throughout the 56 states and territories
will intensify BUI awareness and enforcement through increased patrols and established
sobriety checkpoints. In 2017, all 50 states, five territories, and the District of Columbia
participated in the ODW event. Over 7,100 marine law enforcement officers representing
628 law enforcement agencies and their local units nationwide, including 136 Coast Guard
operational units, made contact with 243,853 boaters on 97,557 recreational vessels.
Federal, state, and local marine law enforcement officers made 518 arrests for BUI.
Additionally, there were 8,655 citations and 24,588 warnings for other recreational boating
related safety violations during the three-day weekend.
4. Operations permitting, Coast Guard units are encouraged to partner with state boating law
administrators and local law enforcement agencies to make this year’s ODW a success.
Participation shall be consistent with Area and District Commanders’ direction. Units are
reminded that BUI enforcement is to be conducted in conjunction with normal law enforcement
operations. Thus, Coast Guard blockades or other checkpoints designed to specifically detect
intoxicated operators shall not be conducted. However, that does not preclude Coast Guard
units from assisting and participating alongside our law enforcement partners in establishing
blockades or checkpoints. Review REF (B) to ensure compliance with current Coast Guard policy.
5. Units planning to participate in this year’s event should do the following:
   A. To ensure that participation by Coast Guard units is accurately captured, register at:
http://www.operationdrywater.org/enforcement.
   B. At the conclusion of the ODW event, units should fill out the online report form on the
ODW website. An example report form is posted at:
http://www.operationdrywater.org/enforcement for reference only on what data needs to be
collected. Please do not submit the paper form for official reporting.
6. We will recognize units that achieve high numbers of vessel contacts, boaters contacted,
ODW media contacts and other significant or interesting events in a subsequent message once
ODW results are tabulated from entries submitted to the OperationDryWater website above.
7. Units having additional questions or wishing to participate in this operation are
encouraged to contact their respective District Recreational Boating Safety Specialist for
guidance in coordinating efforts in this unique pulse operation.
8. COMDT (CG-BSX-2) POC: Joseph Carro (202)372-1068, or joseph.j.carro@uscg.mil.
9. RDML John P. Nadeau, Assistant Commandant of Prevention Policy, sends.
10. Internet release authorized.