Boating safety class offered by U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Learn about boat safety, equipment, and regulations, and earn a state boating safety certificate at the Boat America Class on Responsible Boating from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Pine Ridge Community Center at 15660 Pine Ridge Road, Fort Myers (next to the fire station and across from the Tax Collectors Office). The program is offered every third Saturday of the month. Register online HERE or call 239-690-6780, option 1.
Recreational boating is fun and enjoyable, and boaters here are fortunate to have enough resources to accommodate the wide variety of pleasure boating demands. However, area waterways can become crowded at times and be a place of chaos and confusion. While being a marvelous source of recreation, boating, to the unprepared, can be a risky sport. Not knowing or obeying the Navigation Rules or the nautical “Rules of the Road,” drinking alcohol or taking drugs while operating a boat, or choosing not to wear your life jacket, are all examples of human error together with a lack of proper judgment.
For anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, who will be operating a boat in Florida waters with an engine of 10 horsepower or more, the law requires them to complete an approved boating safety course and obtain a Florida Boating Safety ID Card. This card is not a boating license, it is a certification that the person named on the card has completed the required boating safety course.
The presenters are trained professionals of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary who facilitate the sharing of experiences and relate courseware to our local area. Greg Masonick, the Flotilla Commander of the Fort Myers Beach Flotilla 91 stated, “Education and awareness of boating hazards is the key to safe boating. In-person classes offer student interaction, shared perspectives, and local area knowledge. Participants experience the importance of life jackets, reducing risks, being prepared, and exercising good judgment. Everyone is busy today, and this one-day class can fit easily into almost everyone’s calendar.”
The cost is $45 per person and includes study material. Advance registration is required.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the lead agency protecting America’s seaward frontier in recreational boating safety. Our vessels and aircraft deploy across the U.S. they aid or save countless boaters every year. Every day the auxiliary saves hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage and saves countless lives.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian 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, visit cgaux.org.
Source: U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary