Posted: Mon, 30 May 2011 12:00 AM - 14,275 Readers

By: Jeff Stensland

Officers have stepped up patrols on all area waterways for Memorial Day weekend, saying alcohol and boating are not a good mix.

Austin Police Officer Jeff Joseph spends most of his time in uniform at the helm of a boat during the summer. He patrols Lake Austin, which has been packed all weekend, something he attributes in part to low water levels on nearby Lake Travis.

"It's a constant level, but it's really narrow,” Joseph said of Lake Austin. “There are only so many boats you can fit on the lake."

Joseph said weekends like this are when police put an emphasis on safe boating. He stopped West Austin resident Michael Sawyer Sunday morning to see if he and his girlfriend had everything they needed on board.

"It's probably a good idea for the general public for everybody to have a safety check," Sawyer said.

Sawyer has been a boater since 1997. It took a couple minutes for him and his girlfriend to find a throw-able flotation device, one of several pieces of equipment required on all vessels. Sawyer bought the throw cushion after a safety check a few years ago.

"I had no idea I even needed it,” he said. “I got one right away, the same day."

Police are also cracking down on intoxicated boaters. Officers stepped up patrols on every lake throughout the extended holiday, making sure drivers and boaters are both being safe.

"Make good choices, make the right decisions,” Officer Teresa Bowen said. “If you can't do them for yourself, get somebody who can."

If you're suspected of being intoxicated, Austin Police can get a court order for a blood sample. A judge is on call for that specific purpose. Officer Bowen worries swimmers will also make poor choices, including jumping from tall rocks at Windy Cove into water that is only four to seven feet deep.

In addition, she says the small cove fills up with more than 200 boats at one time during summer holidays.

“Trying to navigate through here and maneuver, you not only have the boats tied together, you also are going to have swimmers in the water,” Bowen said. “You have to be super-duper careful."

Lake Austin has several restrictions that other area lakes don't have. Jet skis are banned until sunrise Tuesday. Also, loud music and yelling are prohibited. You can be ticketed for violating both restrictions.

*  Story Contributed by: Jeff Stensland