Right now, one of three recreational vessels in Hawaii has at least one safety violation. One of four does not have current visual distress signals such as parachute flares or smoke signals. One of five does not have enough life jackets on board and one in eight lacks a sound-producing device, such as a whistle or air horn with a range of at least a half-mile. One in 12 does not have a working fire extinguisher (required for all motorized vessels with combustible fuel on board).

How does the U.S. Coast Guard in Honolulu know this? The outstanding work of nearly 350 Coast Guard Auxiliary members in Hawaii has brought these numbers to light.

Since 2001, there have been more than 70 documented recreational boating accidents in Hawaii. These accidents involve: collisions with other vessels, groundings, falls overboard, strikes of persons in the water, flooding/swamping and capsizing.

Nationwide, more than 4,900 accidents were reported in 2007 - just 12 of them in Hawaii. The number of accidents has been decreasing steadily over the past decade or so - there were more than 8,000 accidents (22 in Hawaii) reported in 1996.

The Coast Guard's Fourteenth District and the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Hawaii have some tips to stay safe:

Reach the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Hawaii toll-free at 800-818-8724 or visit www.uscgboating.org for more information.