Coast Guard Auxiliary Reports
This week is the first part of three from Bob Currie’s article.
Use the following links to see the other articles. COASTGUARD (Published January 26, 2023) and COASTGUARD (Published February 2, 2023)
The following information was shared from Bob Currie, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Recreational Boating Safety Specialist, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Station Galveston Flotilla. It is also available on the US Coast Guard Heartland Safe Boating Site.
When we talk about Recreational Boating Safety, some people may think that the target audience is only boat owners. Well, boat owners are in the target audience, but there is another target audience: the recreational boating passenger. You do not have to be a boat owner to enjoy recreational boating. Being invited to be a passenger can be quite enjoyable in itself, but you can increase that enjoyment by becoming a well-trained passenger. Let’s look at how you can accomplish that title.
BOATER EDUCATION COURSE
The most important step you can take to becoming a well-trained passenger is to take a Boater Education Course. All members of the Coast Guard are required to take such a course. A course that meets any state boating requirement will do. Boat operators born after August 31, 1993 (except for certain small boats with limited power) are required to take a Boater Education Course. There are Coast Guard Auxiliary flotillas who put on such courses, and you can also take the course online at BoatUS.com. The online course at BoatUS.com is free to members, and you can take it at your convenience.
CHOOSE YOUR SKIPPER WISELY
While a three-hour tour on a boat sounds inviting, things can go bad when the weather starts getting rough and the tiny ship you are on is tossed. You need to know that your skipper has experience with his boat, experience in the waters in which he intends to sail, and, if you are a paying passenger, that the skipper and all crew are properly licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard. If you are not a paying passenger, you should at least determine that the skipper is fit and has a well-outfitted boat. One good indication that the boat is properly outfitted with required safety equipment is a current Coast Guard Vessel Safety Check sticker on the port (left) side of the boat. That means the boat has passed a safety inspection and has the required amount of life jackets, visual distress signals (flares, flags, etc.), navigation lights, horn, and emergency kill switch lanyard, among other requirements.
FILE A FLOAT PLAN
A float plan is a detailed description of the proposed trip, including who will be aboard, where you will launch, when you will launch, where you plan to go, and when you plan to return, among other information. The Coast Guard Safety app has an entire section devoted to filing a float plan. Passengers may also file a float plan. You fill in the information in the plan and send it to up to three people via email. The app takes care of the emailing for you. The more people you have looking out for you the better.
DRESS FOR THE WEATHER
You should always were a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Flip flops are okay. No they aren’t! Wear some boat shoes. Good fitting tennis shoes will work. You do not want to fall overboard because your feet slipped in your flip flops. This happened just recently, dockside, and it resulted in a fatality. At the dock. When it starts cooling down you need to dress for immersion, meaning wear layers of non-cotton clothing.
HOLD A JOB BRIEFING
You don’t want to surprise your captain with your newfound knowledge by taking over a job without first having a job briefing. The job briefing should entail where important equipment, such as the anchor, first aid kit, boat lines, marine radio, docking fenders, visual distress signals, and other important equipment are located. You need to relay what knowledge and experience you may have to the captain, and then let him decide which jobs he wishes to assign you, if any. It may take some time before the captain decides to allow you to take on any responsibilities.
FOLLOW THE CAPTAIN’S INSTRUCTIONS
The best passengers are those who follow the important instructions given by the captain. This includes sitting where they tell you to sit, and not moving about the boat while it is underway unless instructed to by the captain. Don’t take on any chores without being asked to or without express permission. Moving about the boat, especially in close quarters to other boats or to the dock, can alter the intended course of the boat and could cause an unintended collision.
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
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.