Coast Guard Auxiliary Reports
By Carolyn Brown Treadon
The following information was shared by Bob Curry on the U.S. Coast Guard Heartland Safe Boating Facebook page. Bob is a Coast Guard Auxiliary Recreational Boating Safety Specialist.
As we all anticipate the upcoming holidays, helping the boaters in your life be safer is one of the greatest gifts you can give! Bob adapted the “The Twelve Gifts of Christmas” song parody written and sung by Allan Sherman to offer safe boating gifts. This week, I will share with you 6 of the 12 recommendations. Check back next week for the second set of 6.
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a Marine VHF/FM radio with Digital Selective Calling (DSC). Be sure to obtain an MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) number and program it into the radio. A good, waterproof, floating handheld radio can be had for around $150-250. If your true love already has a mounted VHF/FM marine radio, then get them a handheld radio for their ditch bag. If your true love goes offshore, then they need a satellite communication device such as an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) for the boat or a Personal Locator Beacon they can wear on their life preserver.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a U.S. Coast Guard approved automatic self-inflating Type V personal flotation device (PFD). The other types are good, too.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a copy of “A Boater’s Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats.” A hard copy is always nice to have aboard, but it can also be downloaded to your smart phone electronically. If you were thinking about giving your true love a smart phone for Christmas, you can download the U.S. Coast Guard app and have the regulations available at hand, along with a great deal of other safe boating information.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a dry box to keep your true love’s wallet, cell phone, car keys, and required certificates dry.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a marine compass. You can’t take a heading without a compass. A good marine compass is a good backup to your GPS. A compass does not need electricity to work like a GPS does, and GPS units can fail at any time. You can either get a marine compass that is designed to be mounted on the console or you can get a handheld unit.
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a nice aluminum anchor instead (hammered or not)? Your true love already has one? Well, it is nice to have a backup anchor. We are actually required to have two anchors on our patrol boats.
Thanks to Sherrie, we will always remember safe boating is no accident! Check back next week for the second round of recommendations!
Please contact us for more information about our safe boating classes or learning more about getting involved in the Auxiliary, check out our website at www.uscgaux.net follow us on FaceBook @ Apalachee Bay Flotilla 12 or contact our Flotilla Commander Phil Hill at pnkkhill2000@yahoo.com
If you would like to learn more about vessel safety checks, please contact Steve Hults, Staff Officer for Vessel Examinations at steve.hults@uscgaux.net.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org.
From FWC News
It’s manatee awareness month
November is Manatee Awareness Month, an important time for boaters to go slow and lookout below to watch for manatees as they travel to warmer water sites around the state.
Manatees depend on water generally warmer than 68 degrees Fahrenheit to survive the winter, so in the fall they travel to Florida springs, power plant discharges and other warm-water sites.
While manatees are large, they can be difficult to see in the water. That is why it is important to: follow guidelines and follow all manatee protection zones; look out while boating; wear polarized glasses and always give them space. Manatee protection zones are marked by waterway signs and maps of manatee protection zones are available online at MyFWC.com/Manatee by clicking on “Data and Maps.”
During the colder months, seasonal manatee zones require boaters to slow down in certain areas to prevent manatees from being injured or killed by motorboats or personal watercraft. Boat strikes continue to be a major threat to Florida manatees. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) law enforcement officers are on patrol in state waters to inform boaters of the seasonal manatee speed zones and take appropriate enforcement actions. Boaters are reminded to abide by the regulatory signs they see on the water.
Remember, disturbing manatees at warm-water sites can cause them to swim out of protected areas and into potentially life-threatening cold water. Manatees are a protected species and it is illegal to feed, harass, disturb or harm them. Physically handling a distressed or stranded manatee can cause more harm. Instead, report injured, distressed, sick or dead manatees to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or by dialing #FWC or *FWC on a cellphone so trained responders can assist.
The FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continue to investigate and respond to an elevated number of manatee deaths along the Atlantic coast of Florida. The FWC and USFWS take manatee conservation seriously by actively implementing science-based conservation measures that are making a difference for manatees and habitat. Learn more about how officials are responding to this event by visiting MyFWC.com/Manatee and clicking on “Learn More” in the banner at the top of the page.
Resources for boaters, educators and other interested members of the public are available at MyFWC.com/Manatee. What should you do if you see a manatee? The Viewing Guidelines page provides helpful tips on respectfully viewing manatees, additional guidelines for boat and personal watercraft operators, and information on what you can do to help these amazing aquatic mammals.