This week, seventh and eighth grade students at Southold Junior/Senior High School began their course towards boating safety certification. Fred Smith, former commander of the Peconic Bay Power Squadron, also known as America’s Boating Club, opened the unit with an introduction covering the basics of boating safety equipment. The class is especially useful for local students, as many of them have access to water craft.
“Some classes, we find that 60 to 70% come from boating families,” said Mr. Smith. “At the beginning of each of the full courses we’ve had an opportunity to come in and give a general view of what the course is about, try to find out a little bit about the students and what they might know, and make it a little more interesting for them.”
The students undertake the full adult course and emerge as certified boaters, in compliance with Brianna’s law, named for Brianna Lieneck, an 11-year-old Long Island girl who died in a boating accident in 2005. The law has been implemented through a phased roll out since it was passed in 2019.
This program has been informing the next class of boaters in the school for 15 years. The students are graded on the material as part of their Technology class.
“It started with an instructor at the school who was a member of Peconic Bay [Power Squadron] and they had a study hall where the kids were [unoccupied]. So they talked to the superintendent and the principal and made the proposal. And we came in and showed the advantages of learning something new,” said Mr. Smith. “That’s how it started and then they adopted it as part of their regular curriculum.”
Beyond boating safety, the class also introduces students to employment opportunities and the rules for safe navigation, culminating in a boat ride on the Southold Police department’s marine unit.
“This is a unique opportunity for them to get a well-rounded education about what boating is and what are the safety measures. We talk a lot about life skills and opportunities on the water; we try to bring boating to these students in every which way we can,” said Matthew Pfister, who teaches the Tech class and is also a member of the Power Squadron. “We’ll do a lot of demonstrations on the safety, and we’ll go into scenarios about the ‘rules of the road,’ so to speak.”
As previously reported, anyone operating a motorized vessel in New York state waterways, regardless of age, is now required to complete the boating safety course. This includes sailing vessels with a motor as auxiliary power. The course is an overview of basic skills and boating regulations to help operators navigate safely. Boaters are now expected to present a certificate to law enforcement when requested. Individuals who hold a valid driver’s license can add an anchor to their ID to show that they have the certification.
To find the most up to date list of courses offered by the Power Squadron, visit usps.org.