CURRENTS

Bringing boating fun to children with special needs

BY MAUREEN SAMUELS

►District 24’s Louisville Sail & Power Squadron has been part of the Lincoln Heritage Council Boy Scouts of America Adventure Camp for more than 10 years This unique children’s day camp is tailored for special needs students throughout the Kentuckiana region, offering a variety of activities that foster personal growth and self-sufficiency Along with other District 24 members, Louisville has proudly volunteered at the camp under the leadership of Ed Ice, adopting their pontoon boat station and bringing joy to campers on the water. This weeklong event is held in the spring and fall at Camp Crooked Creek part of a Boy Scout Reservation 40 miles south of Louisville, Kentucky and provides opportunities for children to develop social and life skills through fun, interactive activities.

The activities at Adventure Camp include pontoon boat rides, canoeing, fishing, arts and crafts, BB guns, archery, dance therapy and even a silent disco There’s also a multisensory Bubble Bug station and hiking to ensure a diverse and engaging experience.

Our volunteers, experienced boaters and dock workers alike, operate the pontoons, which are adapted to accommodate wheelchairs. Safety is a priority, and we emphasize the importance of life jackets by explaining, “Just as you’d wear a seatbelt in the car, a life jacket is essential for boating” Volunteering twice a year, we find our involvement deeply rewarding in introducing boating to children who might not otherwise experience the thrill of being on the water.

As you might guess, after years of service these two pontoons are now showing their age. While we refurbished one several years ago, we’re now seeking support to upgrade the fleet with a new vessel. Louisville has earmarked $5,000 to help with this endeavor, but we’re hoping to secure a “new-to-them” pontoon and a Mercury 50-horsepower EFI outboard motor, which costs approximately $7,500 new We need outside help to make this happen. ■

Marine experts get back to basics with America’s Boating Course

BY PAMELA KEENE

►Boating safety classes are not just for new boaters More than 25 employees at Marine Specialties, a local marine services provider, recently took a certified safe boating class taught by instructors from America’s Boating Club Atlanta.

“Safety has to be number one on the water for all boaters, including those of us who work on the water every day,” said Mark Millwood, environmental, safety and health manager for the 36-year-old company, which provides dock building and shoreline solutions in Georgia and South Carolina. “From formalized instruction about the rules of the road to safety information about best practices for operating a boat, the daylong class has really brought boating safety back to the forefront within our team.”

Taught by America’s Boating Club Atlanta certified instructors, the course follows a curriculum approved by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators.

→ The course includes the latest information about Georgia boating laws, which may change from year to year.

Millwood was directly responsible for sourcing and coordinating the full-day boater safety course for the team “One of the takeaways from the course is to always be aware of other boat operators on the water and be ready to take diversionary actions to avoid an accident,” he said “Many of the accidents on the water result because at least one boater isn’t aware of the rules of the road who has right of way, which side to pass a boat on when it’s approaching your vessel, always operating the boat in a safe manner.”

The course also emphasizes the importance of having a designated lookout to keep an eye out for other vessels “Never assume that you know what the other boater is going to do, has ample boating knowledge, or that the driver is paying attention,” Millwood said.

The course also emphasizes the importance of having a designated lookout to keep an eye out for other vessels “Never assume that you know what the other boater is going to do, has ample boating knowledge, or that the driver is paying attention,” Millwood said.

The course was taught in English, and a Spanish translator was available to help explain difficult concepts The company purchased reference copies to the instructional book in both English and Spanish that are available to employees.

“Our employees will have access to the book for reference about what they learned,” Millwood said. “It was well worth the investment for Marine Specialties to bring the class to our boat operators and leads.”

Millwood said that the company plans to offer the course to new employees “It’s just a good idea for anyone on the water to be up-to-date and aware of boating safety practices,” he said “It’s our responsibility as a business that works on the water to always operate in a safe manner and ensure that all our boat operators are fully trained in the safe operation of their craft.” ■