With Valentine’s Day in the offing, it is time for all those who stand a watch and wait for the return of those that went to sea to think about being the “safety officer” before they go! And, skipper, how about the love you have for those that go to sea with you – kids, grandkids and mates – and creating the safest environment aboard that is feasible or possible?
From the Heart to the Head
There is no doubt that even the most grizzled seafarers can benefit from a boating safety class. Regulations do change over time and techniques get refined and advanced. Want to find out what, where and when the latest boating safety classes are – email me below and I’ll look it up for you or go right to the web and find out at cgaux.org/boatinged/class_finder/index.php
From Stem to Stern
There is no greater “for free” service available than the free vessel safety check. And, this is not a regulatory event like getting your car inspected. If the boat doesn’t meet all the Federal standards, nothing bad happens (like not being able to drive your car since the inspection sticker was scrapped off.) Most likely, the USCGAux examiner will give you their cell phone number and ask you to call them when you’ve addressed the deficiency – most likely an expired flare package. And both exams are free! Want to schedule one? Email me or go right to the web and find out – uscgaux.info/i_want_a_vsc/index.php
Nothing Lighter – or More Valuable
The statistics on life jackets are sobering for those that don’t use them. For every sixteen boaters that go into the water that don’t have life jackets on, only one comes out alive. Conversely, if they had a life jacket on, fifteen come out. What population do you want your Valentine to be in? And, if they are the inflatable kind, they hardly know that they have them on! And the USCGAux is sponsoring a “Kids Don’t Float” program. We leave life jackets at various cooperating marinas and you can borrow them for the day – on the honor system solely – for your favorite price – Free!
The Silent Killer – Carbon Monoxide
If your boat has any enclosed spaces, they need a (marine) Carbon Monoxide Detector. For $50 at any major retailer like Home Depot, etc., you have the wake-up call that otherwise wouldn’t come.
The Wireless “Kill Switch”
Every powerboat comes with a lanyard that is tied to the helmsman’s belt or life jacket and also back to the ignition switch. If the helmsman falls over board, the lanyard goes with him and the engine stops, along with the boat. This gives the boater the chance to climb back aboard. But no one uses the lanyard because the helmsman is lashed to the helm. They can’t even walk a couple of feet across the deck to fetch a landing net for one of his fellow boaters. But now there are “wireless lanyards” on the market! The helmsman can walk all over the boat – just don’t leave it! Now, that’s a major safety uptick! Check the web or with any major chandlery.
Other great gift ideas to help keep boaters safe include:
* Emergency signaling kits — flares, signal mirror, whistle, etc.
* Up-to-date navigational charts and/or a handheld GPS unit
* Navigation tools and calculators
* Hand-held VHF marine radio with extra batteries
Show your love – for the crew and the skipper.
If you are interested in being part of USCG Forces, email me at JoinUSCGAux@aol.com or go directly to the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary “Flotilla Finder” at cgaux.org/units.php and we will help you “get in this thing . . .” ■
The Captain of the Port and Sector Commander for U.S. Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound is Captain Elisa Garrity. CAPT Garrity is responsible for all active-duty, reservist, civilian and auxiliary Coast Guard personnel within the Sector. As a Commodore in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary First District, Southern Region, Vin Pica works closely with CAPT Garrity and her staff to promote boating safety in the waters between Connecticut, Long Island and 200 nautical miles offshore. Sector Long Island Sound Command Center can be reached 24 hours a day at 203-468-4401.
Editor’s note: Weekly updates for the waters from Eastport, ME to Shrewsbury, NJ including discrepancies in Aids to Navigation, chart corrections and waterway projects are listed in the USCG Local Notice to Mariners. Log onto navcen.uscg.gov, scroll to “Current Operational/Safety Information,” click on “Local Notice to Mariners” then “LNMs by CG District,” and click on “First District.”
