A Operating a boat while intoxicated is just as dangerous and illegal as drunken driving.  Alcohol is believed to be a factor in more than 50 percent of boating accidents that result in death.  It induces fatigue and affects coordination and balance, and when combined with the motion and engine noise of the boat and the effects of sun, wind and glare, can be a deadly combination for someone on the water.

The National Safe Boating Council Recommends using a designated driver on boats as well as in cars. At least one member of the boating party should not drink, to operate the boat.

And the council warns that any intoxicated person is in danger on the water.  A moment of dizziness in a restaurant might result in an embarrassing stumble, but the same misstep on a small, unstable boat can end in a drowning.