LAKE ST. CLAIR, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Fourth of July holiday is one of the busiest times of year on the water, with thousands of boaters expecting to hit Lake St. Clair. But before you head out, boating experts say knowing the water can be just as important as having the right safety gear.
Watch Carli Petrus' report below
As most people head out on the water this Fourth of July weekend, metro Detroit boaters need to be aware of hazards.
"it gets crazy out there," said experienced boater Scott Thomas.
The Fourth of July is one of the busiest boating weekends of the year, including in Lake St. Clair.
“You’ll probably have 150 to 200 boats just around this island here and then there’s probably another four or 500 boats out in Muscamoot Bay, which is just around the corner of that island over there," said Steve Dobreff, owner of the Freedom Boat Club.
Boating experts like Dobreff say that a safe holiday starts with staying alert.
“Take your time, pay attention, be on the alert, 360 degrees, just watch and have the people on your boat that are with you to also kind of look for things, look for other boaters," Dobreff said.
But safe boating isn't just about watching what's around you; it's also about knowing what's below you. That's why Dobreff told me that every boater should familiarize themselves with the lake before they ever leave the dock.
"So under here is just a massive wall of rocks?" I asked him.
“Yes, this is all just a wall of rocks. You can see the rocks popping out. There’s so rebar that’s sticking out of the wall from an old pier back in the early 1900s, late 1800s," Dobreff told me.
That's known as The Firecracker. And no, you're not going to see fireworks here on the Fourth of July; it's nicknamed after the red-and-white navigation marker that warns boaters of the danger below.
While it's marked on nautical charts and out here on the water, Dobreff says boaters who aren't familiar with the area can quickly find themselves in trouble.
In fact, he said that just last weekend, four boats and a jet ski got stuck here.
“And it was a very large boat probably 32-35 feet stuck here. They had to bring a barge with a crane out here to get it out," Dobreff said.
We asked boaters whether they knew about the major hazard before heading out for the holiday.
“I don’t but my husband probably does because he’s the one who drives the boat," said Ashley Werner.
Experienced boater Scott Thomas has never heard it called The Firecracker, but he knew exactly what hazard we were talking about.
“I was out on Friday and I saw a boat that tried to come across by Gull Island, there’s a rock reef and he was on his side," Thomas said.
And he said The Firecracker is just one of many dangers boaters should know about before they head out.
“You have to know what you’re doing. You need a good GPS or stay in the waters you’re comfortable with because as soon as you get out of it there’s nothing but hazards everywhere you look," Thomas said.
So whether you're a first-time boater. or you've been coming to Lake St. Clair for years, Dobreff said knowing the water is just as important as enjoying it.
“The biggest thing is take your time, be safe, when in doubt use caution, slow down," Dobreff said.
