The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary on Fort Myers Beach announced that it will be offering a boating safety course on Saturday, April 18. The safety course meets legal requirements and provides insurance discounts to boaters. The course also offers a peace of mind factor when you\u2019re out on the water.<\/p>\n
Since the Coast Guard Auxiliary classes provide:<\/p>\n
1. The \u201cRules of the Road\u201d (navigation)<\/p>\n
You learn that the water isn\u2019t a free-for-all. Knowing who is the stand-on vessel (the one that maintains course) versus the give-way vessel (the one that moves) prevents those heart-stopping \u201cwhich way are they going?\u201d moments.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Aids to Navigation (ATON): You now know that \u201cRed, Right, Returning\u201d means usually keeping the red markers on your right side when heading back to port from the sea.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Night Operations: You learned how to identify a boat\u2019s direction and type just by looking at its red, green, and white lights.<\/p>\n
2. Emergency Preparedness and Safety Gear<\/p>\n
The class likely moved beyond just \u201chave a life jacket\u201d to \u201chave the right life jacket.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Float Plans: You learned the importance of telling someone on land where you\u2019re going and when you\u2019ll be back-the simplest way to save your own life.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 PFDs: You\u2019ll learn about the different Types (I through V) and that a life jacket only works if you\u2019re actually wearing it.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Fire Extinguishers: You will know the specific types required for marine fires (B-I or B-II) and how to check their charge.<\/p>\n
3. Understanding the Environment<\/p>\n
Boaters often underestimate the elements until they\u2019re stuck in them. You likely covered:<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Weather Reading: How to spot \u201canvil clouds\u201d or sudden shifts in wind that signal a coming squall.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Tides and Currents: How horizontal movement (current) and vertical movement (tide) affect your depth and steering.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Hypothermia: Understanding that water doesn\u2019t have to be \u201cice cold\u201d to be dangerous; it strips body heat 25 times faster than air.<\/p>\n
4. Legalities and Ethics<\/p>\n
The \u201cGlad I Did\u201d part usually hits here. You\u2019ve learned the local and federal laws that keep you from getting a heavy fine from the Fish and Wildlife Commission or the Coast Guard.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 BUI (Boating Under the Influence): You learned that the \u201calcohol effect\u201d is actually intensified by sun, wind, and vibration on the water.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Registration: The specifics of displaying your hull numbers and carrying your documentation.<\/p>\n
Why you will really be glad you took it:<\/p>\n
Aside from the knowledge, you\u2019re likely to gain situational awareness. Instead of reacting with panic when a large wake approaches or a storm rolls in, you now have a mental checklist to follow. It turns a stressful \u201cnear-miss\u201d into a controlled, professional maneuver.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t leave your family\u2019s safety to chance. Invest in knowledge that lasts a lifetime.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 91, Fort Myers Beach is the uniformed civilian volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. Flotilla 91 of Fort Myers Beach is dedicated to promoting boating safety through public education, vessel safety checks, and providing support to the U.S. Coast Guard in various missions, including search and rescue and environmental protection.<\/p>\n
Event details:<\/p>\n
Boat America: Responsible Boating Course<\/p>\n
\u00b7 When: Saturday, April 18 \u2013 9:00 am \u2013 5 pm<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Where: Pine Ridge Community Center, 15660 Pine Ridge Rd., Fort Myers, Fl, 33908.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Hosted by: U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 91, Fort Myers Beach<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Cost: $45 per person; Students under 17 years old free when accompanied by an adult<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Registration: Online at https:\/\/www.aux91fmb.org\/safeboating or 239-690-6780<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary on Fort Myers Beach announced that it will be offering a boating safety…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":118155,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-202812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202812\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}