Final answer:
Strong currents threaten boaters by affecting navigation, imposing mooring challenges, and potentially causing hazardous situations that can lead to accidents or capsizing. Effective handling of these currents requires skill and sometimes additional power to ensure safe boating.
Step-by-step explanation:
Strong currents represent a significant hazard for boaters for several reasons. Currents can drastically affect the navigation and maneuverability of a boat. For instance, when a boat attempts to travel straight across a river at a certain speed, but the current in the river flows at a different speed and direction, like shown in Figure 3.43 where the water flows at 1.20 m/s to the right, it can push the boat downstream and off course. This challenge requires additional skill and power to compensate and can be especially treacherous in areas with high traffic or near obstacles.
Furthermore, as indicated by Figure 13.25 depicting the Boats in the Bay of Fundy during high and low tides, currents can create significant mooring challenges. Tides, currents often associated with them, and the associated rise and fall in sea levels can greatly impact boat safety, demanding suitable mooring arrangements to prevent boats from drifting or sustaining damage.
Another issue is related to the fact that currents of approximately 0.06 A can be potentially fatal. While this pertains more to electrical currents and the need for circuit breakers and fuses in preventing shock hazards, the analogy underscores that even seemingly small forces, whether water or electrical, can have severe consequences. In aquatic environments, the intensity of the physical currents can similarly lead to situations beyond the control of the boater, endangering lives of the passengers and leading to possible collisions or capsizing.