If the boater declines to speak or take materials, what should you do?

• A. Respect their decision, thank them, and leave materials if appropriate; log the encounter per policy.
• B. Continue to push materials on them until they accept.
• C. Take the materials back and leave.
• D. Ignore the situation and move to the next boat.

Answer: (A)

When a boater declines to speak or take materials, the proper approach is to respect their decision and handle the encounter professionally. Thank them for their time, and leave materials if appropriate according to policy. Then log the encounter to document that you offered safety information and that the boater declined. Do not pressure them to accept or try to force the interaction, and don’t just ignore the situation. This approach supports giving helpful information while honoring the boater’s autonomy and keeping accurate records for the program.