Coast guard auxiliary to offer free boating safety class March 25 in Springfield

Sara Karnes, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read
Table Rock Lake was formed as a byproduct of Table Rock Dam.
Table Rock Lake was formed as a byproduct of Table Rock Dam.

A boating safety course is planned next week in Springfield.

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 5-2 will host the Boat America course from 9 a.m. to 5 pm. Saturday, March 25, at the Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expy. Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1984 has to pass a boater education course before they can operate a motorized vehicle on a Missouri lake or waterway.

"There's never a bad time to refresh your skills and to review the rules of the road, and there are rules to the road when we're out on the water," said Todd Wilkinson, District Staff Officer-Marine Safety with the auxiliary, told the News-Leader. "We don't see the road like we do when we're driving a car, but the rules are there. It's a way for us to make sure that we're having a safe and fun time when we get out on the water in the summertime."

More:Want to learn how to kayak? Here are some basics before you head out on a Missouri river

The course will cover the essentials of boating safety, like the legal aspects of boating safety on federal and local waterways, knowing the basic parts of a boat and more, including the importance in wearing a personal flotation device.

"The No. 1 takeaway we always stress to folks is to wear a life jacket," Wilkinson said. "We see, a lot of times, folks get complacent and they think, 'I'm on this boat. I know this boat. I know this waterway. I don't need to wear a life jacket.' Our time honored saying is 'You don't put on a seatbelt right before the car wreck.'"

Other aspects of the course will focus on environmental issues, which means ensuring a boat isn't attracting aquatic invasive species, and proper maintenance of a boat.

Julie Carey, Todd Wilkinson and Darrel Kerr show different styles of life jackets.
Julie Carey, Todd Wilkinson and Darrel Kerr show different styles of life jackets.

"You don't have to be a boat owner to be familiar with boating safety and know how to keep you and your family safe on the water," Wilkinson said.

The boating certification course is free to attend and, once the test is passed, a Boater Safety card is issued. Textbooks can be purchased for $15. The class is limited to 15 attendees. Email lschmidtuscgaux@gmail.com to register.

National Boating Safety Week is coming up in May, and the auxiliary offers a free vessel safety check. Visit the "US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 5-2 Springfield MO" on Facebook to learn more about the their efforts to promote safe boating on Ozarks waters.

Sara Karnes is an Outdoors Reporter with the Springfield News-Leader. Follow along with her adventures on Twitter and Instagram @Sara_Karnes. Got a story to tell? Email her at skarnes@springfi.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Coast guard auxiliary to offer free boating safety class March 25