While much of the country trudges through snow and turns up the thermostat, you and others in Texas enjoy mild temperatures, including some recent gloriously beautiful weekends. If you and your spouse took advantage of that opportunity and went boating on Lake Travis or another of the bodies of water around Austin, you probably expected to make some lovely memories.

Instead, you found yourself watching your spouse being handcuffed and arrested for boating under the influence of alcohol. While it may seem that alcohol is the perfect complement to a warm day on the water, boating while drinking can result in more than just legal trouble.

The effects of drinking alcohol while on the water

You already know that being on your boat brings an intoxication of its own. There is a lazy, relaxed feeling that comes over you when you spend a day on the lake. This is why some say drinking on the water can be even more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. The effects of alcohol on your body are three times as potent on the water than on land due to the motion of the boat, the vibrations, and the effects of the sun and wind. Those effects include the following:

• Sleepiness
• Blurry vision
• Weakened judgement
• Diminished coordination
• Reduced reaction time
• Diminished sense of balance

As with driving a car in the state of Texas and most other states, the legal limit for a boat operator’s blood alcohol content is .08. This is not only for operating a boat, however. Even if you are on water skis, a personal watercraft or a sailboard, a BAC of .08 or higher can lead to your arrest.

The consequences of BWI

If your loved one is now facing charges of BWI, even a first conviction can result in serious penalties. For example, your loved one may face incarceration up to 180 days and a fine as high as $2,000. If this is not the first time your loved one has been convicted of this offense, the penalties will be even harsher, including fines up to $10,000 or numerous years in jail.

Penalties also include the suspension of your loved one’s driver’s license, which carries hardships of its own. It is possible that the BWI offense on your spouse’s record will complicate many areas of his or her life, including employment. You can see how that afternoon on the water can lead to frustrations that may last for years. For every advantage in this situation, the counsel and guidance of an experienced attorney can be of great benefit in attempting to avoid a conviction.