CT Safe Boating Class with USCG Auxiliary

United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 24-01, Branford, Connecticut, will teach the safe boating course required to obtain a state Boating/Personal Watercraft Operator certificate on Saturday, May 12, from 8 am to 6 pm at its new base located at 99 Indian Neck Avenue, Branford.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. No walk-ins permitted. There are no age restrictions for this class. The cost for the About Boating Safely course is $65 per person and includes Danish and coffee, soft drinks, snacks and lunch for those who sign up.  The cost includes all materials needed to attend and complete the course. A proctored exam follows full completion of the course. Certificates for passing scores will be delivered after a test is complete.

Please go to our website, http://a0142401.uscgaux.info/ for the registration form: Click on “NewClass! Click here to sign up” and scroll down to see the application form link (“click here”).  Download the form, complete it in full and mail with check for $65 per person, made payable to Flotilla 17-01 Inc. to Branford Flotilla 17-01, Inc., P.O. Box 916, Branford, CT 06405.

TOPICS INCLUDE
•    Introduction to Boating – Types of power boats; sailboats; outboards; paddle boats; houseboats; different uses of boats; various power boating engines; jet drives; family boating basics.
•    Boating Law – Boat registration; boating regulation; hull identification number; required boat safety equipment; operating safely and reporting accidents; protecting the marine environment; Federal boat law; state boating laws; personal watercraft requirements.
•    Boat Safety Equipment –Personal flotation devices ("life jackets"); fire extinguishers; sound-producing devices; visual-distress signals; dock lines and rope; first aid kit; anchors and anchor lines; other boating safety equipment.
•    Safe Boating – Bow riding; alcohol and drug abuse; entering, loading, and trimming a boat; fueling portable and permanent tanks; steering with a tiller and a wheel; docking, undocking and mooring; knots; filing a float plan; checking equipment, fuel, weather and tides; using charts; choosing and using an anchor; safe PWC handling; general water safety.
•    Navigation – The U.S. Aids to Navigation system; types of buoys and beacons; navigation rules (sometimes referred to as right-of-way rules); avoiding collisions; sound signals; PWC "tunnel vision."
•    Boating Problems – Hypothermia; boating accidents and rescues; man overboard recovery; capsizing; running aground; river hazards; strainers: emergency radio calls; engine problems; equipment failures; carbon monoxide (CO); other boating and PWC problems
•    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, Water-skiing and River Boating – Carrying hunting gear and weapons in a boat; fishing from a boat; water-skiing safety guidelines and hand signals; water-skiing with a PWC; navigating rivers, and other boating tips.

For more information, please call Mark Haines, Flotilla Commander and Public Education Officer, at 203-488-5349, or email him at boater1701@comcast.net, or leave a message with your name and return phone number at 203-488-5349. One of our staff members will return your call. Free parking is located in the Indian Neck School parking lot adjacent to the VFW building at 12 Melrose Avenue. Directions are also on our website.