Here's a little information about one of our cornerstones,
Public
Education...
AMERICA'S BOATING COURSE
During 2009, we will teach two one-day sessions of "America's
Boating Course" this spring.
The classes are normally taught in the Saginaw area in the
Spring.
Check back in early 2009 for specifics on dates and locations.
The course runs from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.; on-site
registration
begins at 7:30 a.m. Students will be awarded a Boating Safety
Certificate upon successful completion of the course.
The cost: $40 per student. The fee includes a
textbook/workbook and
an interactive, (and REALLY
COOL!)
educational CD ROM. Instruction is provided at no cost by members of
the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. Here's more information about America's
Boating Course:
The ABC - America's Boating Course - is a
CD-ROM and
text-based course designed to appeal to hunters, anglers, personal
watercraft operators, and other boaters who cannot find time for a
full, comprehensive course. The ABC was developed by the U. S. Coast
Guard Auxiliary in cooperation with the U. S. Power Squadrons and Mosby
Lifeline, and is approved by the National Association of State Boating
Law Administrators (NASBLA). It is also approved by most of the states
which require formal instruction in order to operate a boat.
Topics include:
INTRODUCTION TO BOATING -- types of
boats; different uses
of boats; outboard, stern-drive, and inboard engines; jet drives.
BOATING LAWS -- boat registration; hull
identification
number; required safety equipment; operating safely and reporting
accidents; protecting the marine environment; Federal boating laws; and
PWCs.
PERSONAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT -- personal
flotation devices
("life jackets"); fire extinguishers; sound-producing devices;
visual-distress signals; first aid kit; anchor; safety equipment and
PWC.
SAFE BOAT HANDLING -- bow riding;
substance abuse;
entering, loading, and trimming a boat; fueling portable and permanent
tanks; steering with a tiller and a wheel; docking and mooring; knots;
filing a float plan; checking equipment, fuel, weather, and tide; using
charts; choosing and using an anchor; safe PWC handling.
NAVIGATION -- the U.S. Aids to Navigation
system; types of
buoys and beacons; navigation rules; avoiding collisions; sound
signals; PWX "tunnel vision."
BOATING PROBLEMS -- hypothermia; boating
accidents and
rescues; capsizing; running aground; emergency radio calls; engine
problems; boating problems and PWC.
TRAILERING, STORING, AND PROTECTING YOUR BOAT --
types of
trailers; trailer brakes, lights, hitches, tires, and bearings;
loading, balancing, and towing a trailer; towing (and backing) a
trailer; boat launching and retrieving; boat storage and theft
protection; launching, retrieving, and storing a PWC.
HUNTING AND FISHING, WATERSKIING, AND RIVER BOATING
-- carrying
hunting gear and weapons in a boat; fishing from a boat; waterskiing
safety guidelines and hand signals; waterskiing with a PWC; navigating
rivers.
Many insurance
companies will offer discounts
on boat insurance to individuals who successfully complete boating
courses such as this!
If
you ARE interested in
taking an upcoming class,
please pre-register by contacting our Public
Education officer,
Ted Billy,
by clicking below.
Click hereto
e-mail the Public Education Services Officer
if you'd like more information about the Coast Guard Auxiliary!
to
e-mail the Public Education Services Officer 