ALCOAST 211/21 - JUN 2021 OPERATION DRY WATER

R 071518Z JUN 21
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 211/21
SSIC 16210
SUBJ: OPERATION DRY WATER
A. 2019 Recreational Boating Statistics, COMDTPUB P16754.33
B. U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Manual (MLEM),
COMDTINST M16247.1 (series)
1. The purpose of this ALCOAST is to provide notice of the 2021
Operation Dry Water (ODW) heightened awareness and enforcement
weekend and encourage maximum participation from Coast Guard units.
ODW will take place July 2 - 4, 2021.
2. Alcohol use continues to be the leading known contributing factor
in recreational boating-related deaths (23% in 2019 per REF (A)).
ODW directly supports the National Recreational Boating Safety
Program’s efforts to eliminate alcohol and drug-related marine
accidents and casualties.
3. COMDT (CG-BSX-2), in partnership with the National Association of
State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and many other members of
the boating safety community, will coordinate this nationwide event.
Maritime law enforcement agencies throughout the Federal government
and the 50 states, five territories, and the District of Columbia
(“States”) will intensify BUI awareness and enforcement through
increased patrols and established sobriety checkpoints. In 2020,
all 56 states participated in the ODW event. Over 7,600 maritime
law enforcement officers representing 736 agencies and their local
units nationwide, including 186 Coast Guard law enforcement units,
made contact with 305,466 boaters on 105,517 recreational vessels.
Federal, state, and local maritime law enforcement officers made 625
arrests for BUI. Additionally, there were 8,666 citations and 28,659
warnings for other boating related safety violations during the
three-day weekend. All of these numbers were all-time highs for the
operation.
4. Operations permitting:
   a. Coast Guard units are encouraged to partner with state boating
law administrators and local law enforcement agencies. Participation
must 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 will not be conducted. However,
that does not preclude Coast Guard units from assisting and
participating alongside law enforcement partners in establishing
blockades or checkpoints. Review REF (B) to ensure compliance with
current Coast Guard policy.
   b. Sector PAO’s are encouraged to coordinate ODW promotional
activities for events within their AOR.
5. Units planning to participate in this year’s event:
   a. To ensure that participation by Coast Guard units is accurately
captured, units participating must register at:
(Copy and Paste Below URL into Browser)

https://www.nasbla.org/operationdrywater/enforcement/register-report

at their earliest opportunity. To help prevent double counting and
provide accurate reporting, participating units are reminded to
report all persons aboard each vessel contacted and submit
individual unit reports vice combined Sector totals.
   b. At the conclusion of the ODW event, units must fill out the
online report form on the ODW website within 30 days of the
completion of ODW. An example report form is posted at:
(Copy and Paste Below URL into Browser)

https://www.nasbla.org/operationdrywater/enforcement/register-report

Units must not submit the paper form for official reporting.
   c. For the “Vessels contacted” measure on the reporting form,
Coast Guard units should only count boardings.
6. Units that achieve high numbers of vessel contacts, boater
contacts, BUIs detected, and/or media contacts made will be
recognized in a subsequent message once ODW results are tabulated
from information submitted to the ODW website.
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.
8. POC: Mr. Joseph Carro, COMDT (CG-BSX-2), (202) 372-1068 or
Joseph.J.Carro@uscg.mil.
9. RDML R. V. Timme, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy
(CG-5P), sends.
10. Internet release is authorized.