5/19/2012- 5/20/2012:  "America's Boating Course"

As part of National Safe Boating Week The Champlain Sail and Power Squadron, a unit of the United States Power Squadrons, will be conducting "America's Boating Course", a course in basic boating safety, on Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20 at the Lodge at Gander Mountain Sports in the Champlain Center Mall. The course will be approximately 8 hours in length and run from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM on Saturday and from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Sunday with a break for lunch each day.

Included in the course will be boating safety rules and procedures, navigation rules, basic boat handling, coping with adverse conditions and emergency situations, communications afloat, trailering, personal water craft operation, state and federal regulations and more. It is a NASBLA( National Association of Boating Law Administrators) approved course and will satisfy the New York State requirement that all PWC (personal water craft) operators must have completed a boating safety education course and the Vermont State Law that specifies that the operator on any type of motorized water craft in Vermont waters on Lake Champlain, Vermont resident or non-resident, born after January 1, 1974, must have proof of completion of a boating safety education course. In addition, the course is accepted by most insurance companies for a reduction in the cost of boat insurance. The course includes a very comprehensive book and as a special feature it also includes an introduction to digital charting on a CD_ROM, and an overview of electronic navigation.

Although all US Power Squadron instructors are volunteers and are not paid for teaching boating safety courses there is a charge of $35 for books and materials. A reduced price is available for two people who wish to share a book. For more information or to register for the course contact Bob Shivokevich Squadron Education Officer, at 518-493-7251 or at rshivokevich@yahoo.com.