The course begins Jan. 24, ends March 7 and meets each Tuesday and Thursday from 7-9:30 p.m. at Homer High School. Cost of the class, including materials, is $45.
In 2000, the Coast Guard reported 7,740 boating accidents nationwide. That number has steadily decreased each year, with 4,904 reported in 2004. In Alaska, there were 68 accidents reported in 2000, and 52 reported in 2004.
More informed boaters are one reason for the decline, according to Sandy Mazen, the Homer Flotilla’s staff officer for public education. Mazen has organized and, along with other area auxiliarists, taught the BS&S class in Homer for six years.
He lists the Auxiliary’s vessel safety check program and the Auxiliary’s availability to support the Coast Guard’s response to boating accidents as other factors contributing to the decline in accidents and fatalities.
Of the 4,904 accidents in 2004, there were 676 fatalities, 3,363 injuries and more than $35 million in property damage. Approximately one-third of all boating fatalities involved alcohol. Alaska’s statistics show 16 fatalities, 33 injuries and more than $900,000 in property damage.
The decreasing numbers may be encouraging, but there is still much room for improvement nationwide and within the state. According to the state’s Office of Boating Safety, Alaska has one of the highest noncommercial boating fatality rates in the nation.
“Accident statistics reveal that three out of every four boating fatalities were the result of capsizing or falling overboard into cold water, where the boater was not wearing a life jacket. Most had not taken a single boating safety course,” the Boating Safety office reports.
Some states are opting for mandatory education programs to teach safe boating techniques and boating skills and awareness; however, at the present, Alaska does not have such a requirement, according to Mazen.
“There are four steps to boating safety,” he said. “First, get a vessel safety check. They are free and there are three auxiliarists in Homer qualified to give checks. Second, take a boating safety class. The Homer Flotilla offers the (BS&S) classroom type and America’s Boating Course on the Internet and CD-ROM. Third, always wear a (personal flotation device) and make sure it’s Coast Guard approved. And fourth, never go boating under the influence of alcohol.”
Topics covered during the BS&S class include types of boats, boat handling, weather, aids to navigation, engine and mechanical problems, radio communications, electronics, currents and tides and Alaska boating safety laws. It also includes a session to practice shooting off safety flares at Mariner’s Beach, visits to the two Coast Guard cutters stationed in Homer — the USCGC Roanoke Island and the USCGC Hickory — and wraps up with a graduation dinner provided by the Auxiliary.
For more information on the class or vessel safety checks, call Mazen at 235-6398. To register for the class, call Homer Community School at 235-6090.
McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky@homernews.com.
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