What does the Member Training Program do for me?
It provides a training pathway to prepare you to become a boat crew member who can serve on afloat patrols. Further training can lead to certification as coxswain—i.e. patrol boat skipper.

What sort of afloat patrols can a boat crew qualified member go on?

1. Maritime Observation Missions (maritime safety checks of our area of operation)
2. Regatta patrols ATON patrols (inspecting maritime aids to navigation)
3. Training patrols (patrols wherein trainees learn and demonstrate their competence in the required steps of training)
4. SAR patrols (Search and Rescue patrols)
5. Maritime safety patrols (e.g. evaluating a reported possible oil spill)
6. Training with active duty and reserve Coast Guard and Navy personnel
7. Miscellaneous others

How do I get started?
First, you must become BQ (basic qualified) which means that you have to take an approved boating safety class. If you have not taken such a class, speak with Rich Turrin FC and FSO-PE, who can tell you what classes are available locally, where and when.

What is the next step in getting boat crew qualified?
The elements of the training include textbook work, practical dockside and/or afloat training, self assessment exercises, comprehensive review of selected topics with a mentor who will certify on a sign-off sheet that you know the material, and a final evaluation of your knowledge and capabilities by a Coast Guard Auxiliary Qualifications Examiner.

What materials do I need?

1. The Coast Guard will provide you for free a CD with all of the training material (boat crew and coxswain) on it. The reason that the Coast Guard will give you a CD instead of the printed version of the manual is that the CD costs them 20 cents while the printed manual costs $40! Unfortunately, training material on the CD prints out to over 1000 pages—which will choke most home printers, so it’s probably best to head to your local Staples.
2. The Small Boat Seamanship Manual has been re-published by a commercial publishing house and is available for $20 on Amazon.com and other book sellers. That book is identical to the official Coast Guard training manual but more compact and less expensive. However, it does not include the sign off sheets needed to certify that you have passed each required step of learning.
3. The sign-off sheets for the boat crew qualifications must be printed off the CD onto your printer or can be obtained from: http://cgauxsurfaceops.us/documents/COMDTINST_M16794_52A. pdf

How do I get the training?

1. The best way is to attend the boat crew classes offered by our flotilla. There are also local flotillas that are running training courses and you can also go to these. Our flotilla’s courses will be run at the MIO offices and will take care of the classroom portion of your training. On the water training will be handled by other flotillas like our friends the 10-13 on Greenwood Lake or on the Lady B in Tottenville, Staten Island! At the conclusion of each session on land or water, you will have the opportunity to get signed off on the study material presented—assuming you know the material!
2. In special cases for boat crew trainees who have missed a few of the land based segments, alternative arrangements can be made to meet at times of mutual convenience with a mentor who will review the material stipulated in the sign-off sheets with you. Such a mentor must be a currently qualified boat crewman or coxswain.
3. A combination of the above also works. The key thing is to meet all of the training requirements and demonstrate your mastery of the material.

What if I attend the Boat Training but miss some days?
See question #6, paragraph b, to arrange make-up training. This will be a common problem and make-ups will be easy to arrange.

What is the swim test?
Part of the boat crew training is the swim test. Simply put, we need to know that you can swim from one end of the pool to the other while fully clothed. The test is simple, but it is difficult for the flotilla to schedule pool time so we only do it once or twice a year. Remember to bring a spare set of dry clothes to go home in!

What kind of boats does the flotilla use for patrols and training?
The flotilla does not currently own any boats. Instead we server on the boats (“facilities” in CGAux parlance) of neighboring flotillas. Thus you will be on boats that vary from from 18 feet to much larger 82 foot boats.

After I become a boat crew qulified, how do I advance to coxswain?
The procedure is the same except that the breadth and depth of the required material to be mastered is much greater. In addition, a member must have served as a boat crew member under orders for no less than 28 hours to be eligible for advancement to coxswain.

I have a boat. After I become boat crew qualified, can I function as the coxswain (i.e. the skipper) of my boat on a patrol?
Only if you have met the all the qualifications of Coswain. But, On every patrol, the crew requires a currently certified coxswain who is in charge so you will have a qualified Coxswain with you on the boat. However, traditionally, the boat owner drives the boat during departure and docking.

What about uniforms?
Training that is underway under Coast Guard orders require that the crew be in appropriate uniform with the required personal protective equipment. Appropriate uniform means either the ODU or long tropical blue uniforms. Boots are recommended but not required for the Auxiliary. Dark colored sneakers are acceptable. During dockside training or afloat training that is not under Coast Guard orders, the uniform is recommended but not required. See any of our FSOs, for information about obtaining uniforms and personal protective equipment.

How long does it take to become boat crew qualified?
That all depends on how you do it. It you attend our training program it is reasonable to do the training in about three or four months. If you earn your qualifications by working with individual mentors and work hard and have xperience, you can become qualified in a few weeks. Coxswain qualifications take much longer to complete.

Do I have to be boat crew qualified to go on a patrol?
Not usually. An individual who is working on his/her boat crew qualifications can go along as a trainee. There are a few exceptions such as operational exercises with the active duty Coast Guard and/or Navy.

What is TCT and how do I get the training?
TCT stands for Team Coordination Training. It is an all day course taught by the Coast Guard and its Auxiliary staff to all active duty, reserve and auxiliary members. It specifies the principals needed to work closely, effectively and harmoniously together as a boat crew or an air crew. Completion of this training is required before a person can be certified as a boat crew member. TCT is taught during one day of the Boat Crew Academy and at other selected times during the year.

What Is ICS training and how do I get that?
ICS 100 and 700 are two online courses offered by FEMA on their web site. They stipulate how the Incident Command System is intended to function at the time of a local, regional or national emergency. An Auxiliarist must pass the online courses before he/she can be certified as a boat crew member. It is worth remembering that the Coast Guard Auxiliary is the only volunteer organization that serves under the command of the Department of Homeland Security.

How often are patrols available?
That depends. The summer time is the busiest time and patrols are frequent with our neighboring flotillas. Usually finding space on a boat is not a problem for our flotilla members.

Who do I contact if I have further questions about the small boat seamanship training program?

Talk to Rich Turrin, Flotilla Commander, turrinaux510@yahoo.com or Zach Strauss, Vice Flotilla Commander, z02357@earthlink.net

Is this going to be fun?
You bet. You will learn a great deal about boating, you will contribute to the safety and welfare of the boating community and your country, and you will develop some great friendships along the way. Like Anything Else, You Will Get