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News for the Boating Public



Winter 2008 Educational Opertunities
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  • Coastal Navigation Starts Jan 8 and continues for 12 consecutive Tuesdays, from 7pm-10pm The course will consist of 32 hours of training on Tuesday nights beginning on January 8th. All aspects of coastal navigation will be covered, including Dead-Reckoning, Fixed, piloting, radar and electronic navigation. The course will be tought by a team of USCG Axillary Instructors most of which are professional licensed mariners. Course fee includes the instructional materials, study guide and training charts. Students will be responsible to bring a 24 inch parallel rule, simple calculator, pencils and eraser.

  • Basic Skills and Seamanship Starts February 7, 4 consecutive Thursdays, from 7pm - 9:30pm The U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary's Boating Skills and Seamanship (BS&S) course is a comprehensive course designed for both the experienced and the novice boater. The course, now in its 12th edition published in 2002, consists of 6 core required two- to four-hour lessons 2 added optional lessons that are normally included in the core course, plus five elective lessons, providing up-to-date knowledge for handling boats in all conditions. 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.

    Got a Boating License?

    Boating regulations are getting stricter throughout the tri-state area. New York is raising the minimum age for PWC (or the trademarked term 'Jet Ski') operators to 14, and requires an operator's permit. New Jersey is phasing in stringent licensing requirements for anyone operating a powerboat, and another phase of those rules just came into effect in February 2006. See the New Jersey State Police Marine Division page for a flowchart and more information. In all cases, completing the Coast Guard Auxiliary's Boating Skills and Seamanship course meets these strict state requirements.

    Important Security Change

    If you operate a boat in New York Harbor, you are now forbidden from coming within 100 yards of any passenger ferry certified to carry 150 or more passengers. That includes the Staten Island Ferry, New York Water Taxi, New York Waterway boats, and just about any other large passenger boat you might see. This is in addition to existing rules against approaching cruise ships. If for some reason you cannot stay clear of these zones, call the Coast Guard on Marine VHF Channel 16 for instructions.

    America's Waterway Watch

    Boaters, fishermen, divers, bridge and marine workers, and anyone else on or around our waterways can add their "eyes and ears" to the Coast Guard through America's Waterway Watch.

    America's Waterway Watch is a new national initiative to ensure that suspicious activity on the water gets reported to the right agencies. For more information, including details about the types of things you should watch out for, see www.americaswaterwaywatch.org. If you notice suspicious activity, suspicious people, suspicious boats or loads on or near the water, call 1-877-24-WATCH (1-877-249-2824). To report oil spills, call 1-800-424-8802. Of course, for emergencies requiring an immediate response, call 911.

    Other Resources for New York City Boaters