Boat · Originally published May 8, 2015 · Updated November 2026
Busy summer weekends on Table Rock Lake and Lake of the Ozarks put a lot of boats, personal watercraft, swimmers and tubers in the same water at once. Gear matters, but how you operate the boat matters more. These five habits address the situations where accidents tend to happen.
Alcohol affects balance, judgment and reaction time, and sun, wind and boat motion make those effects worse. Operating a boat while intoxicated is illegal in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma, and it can carry serious penalties. Plan the day so the person driving the boat stays sober, the same way you would pick a designated driver for the ride home.
Many collisions happen because the operator simply did not see the other boat, the swimmer or the floating log. Keep your eyes moving, especially in coves, around blind points and near marinas.
There is no single right speed. A safe speed is one that lets you stop or steer clear in time given traffic, visibility, wind and waves. Slow down near docks, launch ramps, swim areas and anywhere posted no-wake. Big wakes from larger boats on busy weekends can catch smaller boats off guard, so take them at an angle and warn passengers to hold on.
Know the basic rules of the road too: who gives way in crossing and overtaking situations, and how to pass another boat safely. A boater education course covers these, and in Missouri anyone born after January 1, 1984 must complete an approved course to operate on Missouri lakes.
Passengers cause or suffer many injuries without the boat ever hitting anything. Before you pull away from the dock:
Ozarks storms can build quickly on summer afternoons. Check the forecast before you go, watch the sky while you are out and head in early if clouds start stacking up. Let someone on shore know where you are launching, where you plan to go and when you expect to be back. If something goes wrong, that simple plan helps rescuers find you faster.
If an accident happens anyway, make sure everyone is safe, call for help if anyone is hurt, exchange information with other boaters involved and take photos. Boating accidents that involve injuries or significant damage generally need to be reported to authorities. Then contact your insurance company to start a claim. Our payments and claims page has contact information for the companies we work with.
Good habits reduce risk, but they do not remove it. A boat insurance policy with solid liability limits protects you if you injure someone or damage their property. If you tow skiers or tubers, read about boat liability when towing skiers, and if you have significant assets, an umbrella policy may be worth a look.
Want to make sure your liability limits fit how you boat? Call 417.865.4800 or request a quote on our boat insurance page.
Common factors include operator inattention, inexperience, excessive speed and alcohol use. Most are preventable with good habits and training.
Many boat policies include liability coverage and can offer medical payments coverage for passengers, but the details vary by company and policy.
Accidents involving injuries, deaths or significant property damage generally must be reported to the proper authorities. Check state rules for exact thresholds.
Or send your details and an agent will call you back with options from the companies we work with.