As always, the Fourth of July Holiday weekend is likely to be one of the busiest boating weekends of the year in Tennessee, and officials from several state agencies are urging boaters to use caution on crowded waterways.

There have been 70 boating accidents in Tennessee already this year, resulting in 28 injuries and 11 fatalities. Conservation officers from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency have also issued 59 citations for Boating Under the Influence (BUI) in 2008.

It’s important to remember that alcohol and water don’t mix, especially if you’re the one driving the boat. Operating a boat with a blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher is illegal in Tennessee – and it’s easier to reach that level than you might think.

When you’re out in the sun and the heat with the boat rocking underneath you, the effects of one beer can sometimes be equivalent to drinking three beers in a normal, dry-land situation.

I once did an experiment in Columbus, Ga., to see how many beers it took to get me “legally drunk” on the water.

Under the supervision of a Georgia conservation officer and a designated driver, I drank six beers and blew a .09 on the breathalyzer. If I had actually been operating the boat, it would have been a ticket straight to the drunk tank, in handcuffs.

From what I hear, judges don’t view BUI any differently than DUI. So the misery won’t end when the handcuffs come off.

Don’t let alcohol ruin your three-day weekend. Don’t take a chance of hurting yourself or someone else. Don’t allow yourself to become one of those statistics I mentioned above.

When I write about you on the outdoors page, I’d rather you be listed under “High Fives” instead of “Facts & Figures.”