America’s Boating Course saves boaters money!

United States Power Squadrons has made it easy to earn a boating certificate, which is necessary to boat in many states.

America’s Boating Course 3rd Edition, certified by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard, is being offered nationwide.

Completing America’s Boating Course 3rd Edition qualifies most boaters for substantial discounts on their boating insurance—which more than pays for the course!

“The course has been extensively revised and rewritten to address new technological developments and meet updated state licensing requirements,” said Bob Sweet, national educational officer of the United States Power Squadrons.

The revised course also includes a completely new Introduction to Navigation chapter as well as Basic Piloting Skills, How GPS (Global Positioning System) Works, and Basic Concepts in Coastal and Inland Navigation.

Intended for boaters who want to take educational courses at their own pace and time, America’s Boating Course can be completed on the Internet, as a CD-based course or in a classroom setting. All course takers will receive an extensive full-color book as well as an animated and narrated self-study CD. The book and CD serve as easy-to-use references after the course has been completed.

A boating certificate for successfully completing America’s Boating Course may reduce your boat insurance premium by as much as 10 percent, said Sweet. He added that some insurers offer even greater discounts for those who also complete USPS advanced courses.

Sweet urged everyone interested in saving money and being safe on the water to contact United States Power Squadrons at 866-262-8222. Online course registration for Internet courses can be found at www.americasboatingcourse.com and registration for classroom courses can be found at www.usps.org.

Marine fuel tax rebates—are you eligible?

According to the American Boating Association, recreational boaters who purchase taxed fuel for use in their boats may be entitled to a refund of all or part of that ‘highway use tax’ depending on the state in which the fuel was purchased.
The following states offer rebates:
• Alaska
• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• North Carolina
• Texas
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wyoming
See the ABA for more information and links to individual state information.

Photo contest winners announced

Final judging for the 2008 USPS Photo Contest took place during the 2009 Annual Meeting. A slideshow of winning photos can be seen here.

The first place winner was Thomas Reichard in the “Squadron Scenes” category. The subject was a D/5 raising the “Small Storm Flag” at Fort McHenry. Photo at left.

Second place went to Rita Sparacino for her “On the Water” photo of Sunset on Missisquoi Bay, Vermont.


Third place went to Brenda Abrams for her “Safety is Fun” photo of three children having fun titled “Woo-hoo.”

Fourth place went to Kathy Kempson for her “My Pride and Joy” photo of winter kayakers, she says is more fun than a barrel of frozen monkeys.

FEMA's Citizen Corps Partners With United States Power Squadrons

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a newly-formed affiliation with the United States Power Squadrons (U.S. Power Squadrons) to support Citizen Corps, FEMA's grassroots effort to strengthen community preparedness through civic participation February 21.  This partnership expands the Citizen Corps network of national organizations working in partnership for community preparedness; the U.S. Power Squadrons is the twenty-seventh Citizen Corps Affiliate.

"The alliance between Citizen Corps and U.S. Power Squadrons makes for a natural homeland security team as the U.S. Power Squadrons are playing an increasingly critical role in maritime safety and security via the America's Waterway Watch and Waterway Awareness Programs," said Corey Gruber, Acting Deputy Administrator of FEMA's National Preparedness Directorate.

With over 2,300 local Citizen Corps Councils nationwide, Citizen Corps brings together and involves community and government leaders, community members and organizations in all-hazards emergency preparedness, planning, mitigation, response, and recovery.  Citizen Corps and the U.S. Power Squadrons each view community safety and emergency preparedness as a top priority for their respective organizations and the general public.

"Encouraging United States Power Squadron members to take on a larger role in disaster preparedness and civic engagement speaks to the core principals of our organization," said Commander Creighton Maynard. Jr., "and, now, through this affiliation with Citizen Corps, we are delighted to expand the U.S. Power Squadron's role in community preparedness through support for emergency planning, education and outreach, and training for the general public." 

The U.S. Power Squadrons, organized in 1914, is America's largest non-profit boating organization dedicated to making boating safer and more enjoyable through public education in seamanship, navigation and related marine safety topics. They have 45,000 members organized into 450 squadrons nationwide and U.S. territories.

For more information about FEMA and Citizen Corps, visit www.fema.gov and www.citizencorps.gov.  To learn more about the United States Power Squadrons, visit www.usps.org.

 

Staten Island Squadron Helping Children

The Staten Island Power Squadron had its annual Frank Corrado Memorial Brunch at the Great Kills Yacht Club. Proceeds were donated to benefit the children of the Staten Island Chapter of the New York Foundling Hospital. From left are Commander Jim DiMeo and his wife, Christine, Pat Rossmy of the New York Foundling Hospital, Margaret and Don Heap and Anne and Larry Morgan of Staten Island Power Squadron.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS SUGGESTIONS FROM USPS ®

I’m an experienced boater, why make resolutions you ask?
Just remembering all of those rules is really quite a task.
And so to set the record straight and clear up the confusion,
Let me explain the reason for my New Years resolutions.

I will turn on my blower, when I’m running rather slow
'Cause CO is odorless and deadly, as you know.
I’ll check flares and extinguishers, especially the date.
Because in an emergency, there’s little time to wait.


I wear a lightweight life jacket when voyaging around,
Because in most fatalities, you’ll find the victim drowned.
I’ll Vow to take a first aid class: learn CPR and more
When the emergency’s on board, help’s always on the shore

When pumping fuel into my boat I promise to take care
Flying may be fun, but not when blown into the air.
When setting my boat’s anchor, the rode’ll be 7 to 1
‘Cause drifting on some muddy shoal is really not much fun.

I’ll monitor my fuel, remembering the rule of thirds
Endangering on empty, is much more than absurd.
I’ll check the weather forecast and always watch the sky
With rain you’re wet and soggy, but with lightning you can die.

I’ll go into new waters with GPS ‘n chart in hand
What looks like tawny water, Mate, could actually be land.
There’s navigational hazards, pilings and shoals you know.
And using local charts could save you an expensive Tow.

When a person is in the water, my engines I will stop
I wouldn't want to injure them with my razor sharp prop.
And I will never use alcohol when I am the skipper
For a Captain under the influence is as dangerous as Jack the Ripper

I truly love cruising my boat and don’t want one mistake.
But there are times when I forget about my vessel’s wake.
In the spirit of the New Year I will take time to pause.
Remembering the injuries and harm my wake could cause

These are my resolutions with appropriate explanations
To be a safer boater is high in my expectations.
I’ll do things right and I’ll forget past misdeeds and remorses.
Every boater needs United States Power Squadron courses.

Happy and Safe New Year

Lt. Bill Hempel, P
Peace River Sail and Power Squadron



William Hempel is a featured writer for the Sun Newspapers in Southern Florida. He was the first recipient of the United States Power Squadron’s Ship’s Bell Award for significant public relations and is a member of the National Marketing and Public Relations Committee.

Governing Board Surprise

Governing Board Meetings can be pretty predictable. Meetings, seminars, tours and lots of socializing in the halls of the hotel. The Detroit Governing Board started out that way. Many of our members got to visit the tall ship "Highlander Sea" and some were privileged to do some sailing.

On Thursday, that changed. All of a sudden, the hotel is filled with security personnel and at times the elevators are locked in place. Steve Erickson the D/16 photographer has a curious streak and decided to find out what was happening. Lo and behold, the Republican ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin were entering the building and Steve captured the moment.

Be sure to join us in Anaheim for the 2009 Annual Meeting. We'll have a new president and vice president by then and who knows, they might pay us a visit.

Stormy Weather - Be Prepared

USPS member Phil Arcuni has been a long time resident of Key West and is accustomed to the annual storms which pass thru. The following is his latest message to family and friends.

Dear Family and Friends,

The storm is now about 150 miles SW of Key West at near CPA. We have Tropical Storm conditions since last evening, and expect them for another 24 hours. Rain not as heavy as the last two storms, but wind 30+ knots with gusts to over 50 kts.

We are doing fine, though house-bound. Damage in the yard is minimal so far. Boat is on a six-point moor in the center of the canal, and doing just fine. The little Boston Whaler is tied down upright and collecting rainwater for bathing if needed. If we have any storm surge, it is not noticeable. Perhaps there is some on the south side of the island. TV shows some pretty high waves over there. Power and other services are still working.

Mandatory evacuation to the mainland started early Sunday, and no one has been allowed back yet. Maybe tomorrow. I suspect that there is concern for any traffic in this cross wind on the 37 bridges.

Our plan to stay for the storms has worked out well. The house is strong, and we can get by without services for a week or more. We have a small generator for starters. The boat has a larger generator with lots of fuel, and we can backfeed power to the house.

Photos of boat and part of its mooring scheme are attached for those of you who might be interested. Note the chains around the davit base are for more than one boat. We have been through this drill many times in the last 20 years.

Best to all, Phil