FLOTILLA 5-14
Cedar Creek Lake, TX
Public Education Boating Classes
The Public Education Boating classes will begin in March this year. The course being offered this year is the America's Boating Course. It is a high level general boating course that has been used here at Cedar Creek Lake with much success and popularity among the boating public including the teenagers.
Please email our Flotilla Public Education Officer or call (903) 451-4037 to be put on the mailing list for classes. Classes limited to 20.
All classes will start at 8:30 AM at the Flotilla 5-14 Headquarters building at Cedar Creek Lake. The course schedule is as follows:
March 29, 2008
April 26, 2008
May 24, 2008
June 28, 2008
July 26, 2008
August 23, 2008
September 27, 2008
About Boating Safely (ABS) is a seven-hour course designed to appeal to hunters, anglers, personal watercraft operators and other boaters who cannot find time for a full, comprehensive course.
About Boating Safely was developed by the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and is approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). It is also approved by most of the states which require formal instruction in order to operate a boat._______________________________________________________________
Topics include:
- INTRODUCTION TO BOATING -- types of boats; different uses of boats; outboard, stern-drive, and inboard engines; jet drives.
- BOATING LAWS -- boat registration; hull identification number; required safety equipment; operating safely and reporting accidents; protecting the marine environment; Federal boating laws; and PWCs.
- PERSONAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT -- personal flotation devices ("life jackets"); fire extinguishers; sound-producing devices; visual-distress signals; first aid kit; anchor; safety equipment and PWC.
- SAFE BOAT HANDLING -- bow riding; substance abuse; entering, loading, and trimming a boat; fueling portable and permanent tanks; steering with a tiller and a wheel; docking and mooring; knots; filing a float plan; checking equipment, fuel, weather, and tide; using charts; choosing and using an anchor; safe PWC handling.
- NAVIGATION -- the U.S. Aids to Navigation system; types of buoys and beacons; navigation rules; avoiding collisions; sound signals; PWX "tunnel vision."
- BOATING PROBLEMS -- hypothermia; boating accidents and rescues; capsizing; running aground; emergency radio calls; engine problems; boating problems and PWC.
- TRAILERING, STORING, AND PROTECTING YOUR BOAT -- types of trailers; trailer brakes, lights, hitches, tires, and bearings; loading, balancing, and towing a trailer; towing (and backing) a trailer; boat launching and retrieving; boat storage and theft protection; launching, retrieving, and storing a PWC.
- HUNTING AND FISHING, WATERSKIING, AND RIVER BOATING -- carrying hunting gear and weapons in a boat; fishing from a boat; waterskiing safety guidelines and hand signals; waterskiing with a PWC; navigating rivers.
Many insurance companies will offer discounts on boat insurance to individuals who successfully complete this course.
Individuals who successfully complete the course and exam are awarded certificates and cards.
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Texas Mandatory Boater Education Requirements - A successfully completed TP&W certified boater education course and photo ID is required for any person born after 9/1/84 to operate on the public water of this state a; 1) vessel powered by motor of 10 hp or more, or 2) a windblown vessel over 14ft in length. Exception: person accompanied by a person at least 18 yrs of age who is exempt from the course or who has completed the course. Personal Watercraft (PWC's) - All operational rules for regular motorboats apply to PWC's. In addition to those requirements, a person 13 to 17 yrs old must either 1) operate a PWC only if accompanied by a person at least 18 yrs old, or 2) the operator is at least 13 yrs of age and has successfully completed a boating safety course approved by the TP&W. Children under 13 are specifically prohibited from operating a PWC unless accompanied on board by a person at least 18 yrs of age.
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Webmaster 02/13/2008
