The Vero Beach / Sebastian Flotilla 56 of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary is promoting Boating Safety Week with Public Affairs events and classes during the month of May. The Flotilla was formed during WWII to assist in coastal defensive patrols and we are continuing to provide support to the active duty Coast Guard today.
The Auxiliary is the volunteer arm of the Coast Guard assisting the Active Duty Coast Guard in every mission they perform except active Law Enforcement and Military. While Auxiliary members routinely perform environmental, search and rescue and other patrols both in air and on the water, the primary mission is promoting Recreational Boater Safety in attempt to save lives, & property as well as lessen the Search and Rescue burden of the Coast Guard, the Auxiliary and other supporting agencies such as our the County Sheriff’s Dept.
In furtherance of that objective the Auxiliary offers monthly Boating Safety classes that qualify successful students for the Florida State Safe Boating card, which is now required to operate a powerboat of 10hp or greater in Florida, if one was born after Jan 1988. Our next class is on Saturday, 21 May, the first day of Boating Safety Week. We certainly encourage ALL boaters, regardless of age, to take the class.
We also offer courtesy vessel safety inspections to ensure one has the legally required safety equipment on board. If one fails, there is no legal repercussion with an Auxiliary inspection, as opposed to USCG, FWC, or other agency boardings & spot inspections. Recommendations are made to bring the vessel in compliance with the law.
A couple of additional thoughts: We encourage all boaters to
- Wear a comfortable Life Jacket when on the water and…
- Carry an Emergency Locator Beacon (PLB or EPIRB) to alert Rescue Authorities of your location via Satellite network in the event of an emergency and:
- Download the Coast Guard app on your smartphone and the smartphones of all those that boat with you. It provides a wealth of information and can help alert rescue authorities in the event of an emergency.
For more information you can contact Mark Cannon at 321-507-3308 or flymlb@yahoo.com . The CG Aux website is www.cgaux.org with links to our Flotilla as well.
Proclamations in support of Boating Safety Week are scheduled as follows:
- Indian River County Commission Meeting – Tuesday 10 May (9am)
- City of Sebastian City Council Meeting – Wednesday 11 May (6pm)
- City of Vero Beach City Council Meeting – Tuesday 17 May (9am)
- Note: Indian River Shores Proclamation was received on 28 April by the Town Council