United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Department

News

Statements of policy or procedure provided by members of the Chief Director's Office, National Elected Officers or Department Chiefs posted on this web page should be regarded as official statements.

Boating Department Deputy. It gives me great pleasure to announce the appointment of Bruce Johnson as the Deputy Chief of the Boating Department. Please join me and congratulate him on the appointment. Posted by John Potts, DC-B.

National Marina Day RBS Opportunity. Marinas across the country are gearing up for the eighth annual National Marina Day, to be held August 8, 2009. The Association of Marina Industries organizes this public affairs event to spotlight the important role that marinas play in the recreational boating community.

National Marina Day is a great opportunity for Auxiliary flotillas to engage in outreach of their own. RBS Program Visitors are encouraged to contact their local marinas in advance of National Marina Day to organize Auxiliary participation. Giving VSCs, advertising upcoming PE programs, reminding boaters about America’s Waterway Watch, recruiting new members, or setting up displays featuring life jacket wear and other elements of safe recreational boating are all ways that local flotillas can capitalize on the opportunities presented by National Marina Day.

Many marinas nationwide have already received “resource kits” including suggestions for partnering with the Auxiliary during this annual event. Contact your local marinas today to find out how you can help make National Marina Day 2009 a success! Submitted by: Bruce Johnson, DVC-BL

Annual Award Comes with $1000. Time is running out to help the BoatUS Foundation honor those who have made a significant contribution towards improving waterway health and educating boaters about environmental issues. The 2009 BoatUS Foundation Environmental Leadership Award will be given to a group, organization, company, marina or individual who has worked hard to make a difference - but only if local boaters help the Foundation identify nominees. The deadline to apply is June 30, 2009. Posted by Bill Griswold, BC-BRG

"Weakened" Hurricane Systems Harm Boats Far Inland, Too. Historically, whenever a hurricane comes ashore along the Gulf or Atlantic coasts, that's where the most damage is found. But even though a tropical storm system weakens significantly as it moves over land, it will often continue to carry a significant punch over a wide area inland - possibly hundreds of miles from landfall. With the start of the 2009 hurricane season June 1, BoatUS says inland boat owners should take these storms seriously and make preparations, even though the system may no longer be classified as a hurricane.

Boaters can get some free hurricane preparation help, including a hurricane preparation worksheet, an in-depth Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes, and checklists for what to do before and after a hurricane strikes, from the BoatUS Hurricane Resource Center. The web site also helps boaters monitor incoming storms with up-to-the-minute storm tracking tools and live satellite imagery. Posted by: Bruce Johnson, DVC-BL

National Safe Boating Campaign Announces $1,000 Shopping Spree Contest. Enter the "Be a Survivor: Wear It!" Contest for achance to win a $1,000 shopping spree at West Marine. This contest seeks stories about boaters whose lives were saved by wearing a life jacket. To enter, submit an essay or video with a story in which you or someone you knew surivived because you or they had a life jacket on. The contest runs through September 2. Winners will be announced on October 31, 2009. Entry submissions and contest details may be found here. Also, check out the Float Yourself Photo Contest here. Submitted by: Bill Griswold, BC-BLN

Soundings Magazine Benefits Auxiliary PE Partner Soundings Magazine issues are packed full of articles on boating safety and seamanship. Benefits include the following:

Deeply discounted new and renewal annual Soundings subscriptions – regularly $24.97, available to Auxiliarists at only $13.97/year.
Free annual Soundings and Trade Only subscriptions for current Flotilla Commanders and Public Education Officers at flotilla, division, district and national levels.
Free Soundings copies for each family in your PE classes, with a PE graduate subscription discount coupon inside each magazine.
Free online and print listings for your PE classes.
Last but not least, access to your own digital special Auxiliary Seamanship & Safety edition. This 80-page digital digest outlines tactics, strategies, and advice to get you, your crew, and your boat safely back to the dock after every marine outing.

To learn more about the Soundings benefits, go to http://shopauxiliary.com/ and click on Members Only. Then log in. Click on the Soundings logo. Submitted by: Bruce Johnson, DVC-BL

Attention Vessel Examiners. Have you heard about ORION's Safety Awareness Program for Auxiliary Vessel Examiners? Earn points and incentives for viewing an educational video demonstrating pyrotechnics. Additional points for reporting VSCs are redeemable for free pyros. Plus, the top 3 point earners each year receive a quarterly Omaha Steaks Gift, a $280 value. Check out the details by going to our Document Library and downloading the PDF version of the brochure, or just go to http://www.shopauxiliary.com/, click on Members Only, log in, and click on the ORION logo. Posted by Bruce Johnson, DVC-BL

USCG Licensing Courses Discounted. New partner, Mariners School, offers USCG Captain's License Courses in an on-line format. Mariners Learning System T is an exclusive suite of online courses that offer a great solution for students that want to earn their Captain's License, however, due to personal time constraints, need the additional flexibility online learning offers. For the 25% discount being offered to Auxiliary members, go to: http://www.shopauxiliary.com/. Click on MembersOnly and log in; then click on the Mariners Learning System logo. Posted by Bruce Johnson, DVC-BL.

Be a Survivor Contest. If you’re a boater whose life has been saved by a life jacket, share your survival story. The winning entry will receive a $1,000 shopping spree at West Marine. Each eligible entrant will receive a NSBC boating safety item valued at approximately $5.00 and might have his or her entry included in a future edition of the book "Saved By the Jacket," or on a boating safety Web site. Select one of these versions of our contest brochure to know how to enter and tell and show your life-saving experience. Details can be found here. The deadline for entering the contest is September 2, 2009. Submitted by: Bill Griswold, BC-BLN

Spring Commissioning The old saying that "April showers bring May boaters" should cause all Auxiliarists to be thinking about the boating/patrol season ahead. Taking a few extra moments now to maintain your facility/private vessel properly will help to ensure a season of breakdown-free boating. Check out the "Spring Fitting Out Safety Checklist" that BoatU.S. has posted on the web here. Posted by Bruce Johnson, BC-BLB.

New Auxiliary Public Service Advertisements Featuring Dan Marino. The Public Affairs department has prepared a new set of public service ads about boating safety, featuring Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. Check out the ads here, or listen for them on your favorite radio station.

State Liaison Officer Handbook for 2009 Posted. The updated 2009 State Liaison Officer (SLO) Handbook is posted on the Boating Department web site , in the Document Library. The document lists the updated DSO-SL and SLO listing for all districts. Posted by Pauline Longnecker, DVC-BS.

Grants Handbook 2009 Posted. The 2009 Grants Handbook has been posted on the Boating Department web site here. Consult this document for sources of 2009 awards and grants. Posted by: William Griswold, BC-BRG.

New issue of WAVES Online. The first 2009 issue of WAVES, the newsletter of the "B" Department, is now online. You can download the PDF directly here, or find it in our newsletter archive.

DSC VHF Radio Tutorial Available on CD. The DSC VHF Radio video tutorial created by BoatU.S. as an excellent online tool (here) is now available on CD. This course introduces the boater to the operation of VHF radio, and explains Digital Selective Calling (DSC) and Rescue 21, the Coast Guard’s new communication system. BoatUS Foundation is able to ship this tutorial as a CD in multiples of 25 for PE or member training classes, to any Auxiliarist free upon request. Place your order here. Submitted by: Bruce Johnson, BC-BLB

Boy Scouts of America & USCG Auxiliary Agreement Signed. On 23 February 2009, the USCG Auxiliary signed a Memorandum of Agreement to begin partner liaison with Boy Scouts of America. The Boating Department is developing an implementation strategy to make this a meaningful agreement between our two organizations. The MOA can be downloaded in the Boating Department Document Library under Partners, or downloaded directly (as a PDF) here. Posted by Bruce Johnson, BC-BLB.

Rocna Anchor Discount. Rocna anchors tout an exciting new-generation design, greatly improving holding and setting performance over the traditional styles of anchors. The Rocna sets very quickly, typically within 3 feet, and provides massive holding power across a range of bottoms, including sand, mud, and weeds. For a 15% discount and free shipping for Auxiliarists, go to http://shopauxiliary.com/, then click on MembersOnly; log in and click on ROCNA. Posted by David Delich, DVC-BL.

Links

Departmental Associates

Miscellaneous Links

News