What should you do if visibility is low while operating a boat?

When operating a boat in low visibility conditions, it is crucial to use proper navigation lights and slow down. This practice enhances safety by allowing you to better react to obstacles and other vessels you may encounter. Navigation lights are essential for signaling your presence to others, which is particularly important when visibility is compromised, such as in fog or heavy rain.

By reducing your speed, you increase your ability to notice hazards in the water and give yourself more time to respond appropriately to any unforeseen circumstances. This careful, cautious approach aligns with safe boating practices and helps prevent accidents.

In contrast, increasing speed would make it harder to navigate safely, as it reduces the time available to assess your surroundings or react to potential dangers. Relying solely on GPS can also be misleading in low visibility, as it does not take into account other vessels or obstacles that may not be indicated on the device. Similarly, following another boat too closely can lead to collisions if either vessel is unable to see clearly. Thus, the combination of using navigation lights and slowing down is the best strategy in low visibility conditions.