Busiest boating day of year

This weekend, thousands of area boaters will take to the water as they jockey for some of the best views of the region's fireworks or enjoy a leisurely cruise following that backyard barbecue.

The Fourth of July typically sees the heaviest nautical traffic of the year, but patrol officers said they are ready to handle the high numbers.

"It really has the heaviest volume not only here in Anne Arundel County, but throughout the state, as well," Col. George Johnson, superintendent of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, said about July.

And more boats usually mean more accidents. That's why city and...