Loading your Pleasure Craft:

When loading your pleasure craft, keep in mind that the recommended gross load capacity, or, the equivalent number of adult persons stated on your boats capacity plate, are maximums established for fair weather conditions.  Never exceed these limits.  Overloading, improper distribution of weight, (persons & gear), and failure to secure the gear can impede the operation of a vessel and increase the risk of injury or loss of life to persons onboard.

Be sure to position the gear and persons onboard in such a way so that the weight is distributed evenly.  Keep the gear as low as possible.  If it can't be stowed in lockers, lash it down to prevent its uncontrolled movement, (the water may be calm at the moment, but a passing cabin cruiser can throw a very steep wake.  Anything not secured is bound to shift, possibly upsetting your boat, definitely upsetting you!  Inform person's onboard small boats, not to suddenly change positions while underway.  Small boats must always slow down or stop before repositioning persons or gear.

Falls, the most common
Cause of injury:

Advise persons boarding your craft, or when moving around onboard, to keep low, on the centreline, and to hold onto a rigid part of the boat.  Never stand up when pull-starting an outboard motor - it may start (in gear), throwing you overboard as the boat takes off!

Motion Sickness, Heat Exhaustion,
Heat Stroke:

Long exposure to sunlight, the constant movement of the boat, alcohol, waves, wind, and noise can produce nasty effects.  Balance, co-ordination, reflexes, judgement, response time, vision and hearing may all be affected.  This can not only reduce his or her ability to operate the pleasure craft, but make [him] more likely to fall overboard - particularly frequent on small boats that don't have a Marine Sanitation Device (toilet).

Motion sickness, whether it occurs during a ride in a car, boat or aeroplane, it has the same cause;

• the brain receives two mixed messages.  (1) The eyes do not perceive movement,  (2) the inner ear does.
  
• during a bumpy ride, be sure to look outside, ahead at the horizon if possible.  That way the brain will expect the movement that the inner ear senses.