U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Public Affairs
PRESS RELEASE
Date: February 1, 2009
Contact: Anthony Turner
Public Affairs Officer
562-577-0343
anthony.j.turner@uscg.mil
http://www.news.auxpa.org/
Valentine's Day Gift Ideas from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
With "love in the air" and spring and the boating season just around the corner, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offers some Valentine's Day gift ideas for boaters to help them stay safe all year long.
One of the best gift ideas for boaters is to sign them up for a boating education course. Knowledge is power, and it has been statistically shown that boaters who have taken a safety class are far less likely to be involved in a boating mishap or fatality.
The start of the traditional boating season is just a couple of months away, so now is a good time to schedule a free Vessel Safety Check (VSC). A VSC is a valuable gift for boaters that doesn't cost anything but time.
The “switch to digital” even affects boaters. Starting February 1, 2009 the Coast Guard no longer monitors analog distress signals transmitted from the older Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs). A new digital EPIRB is another great Valentine’s Day gift idea.
Other great gift ideas to help keep boaters safe include:
- Sleek, light-weight, and comfortable inflatable life jackets (personal flotation devices - PFDs)
- A carbon monoxide detector
- Emergency signaling kits -- flares, signal mirror, whistle, etc.
- Kill switch leash -- kills the engine if the boater falls overboard
- Up-to-date navigational charts and/or a handheld GPS unit
- Navigation tools and calculators
- Hand-held VHF marine radio with extra batteries
The Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary recommend these gifts to save lives and reduce mishaps on America's waterways.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard created by an Act of Congress in 1939. The Auxiliary, America’s Volunteer Guardians, supports the Coast Guard in nearly all of the service's missions.
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To sign-up for a Boating Education Course visit:
http://nws.cgaux.org/visitors/pe_visitor/index.html
To schedule a free Vessel Safety Course visit:
For more information about the switch to digital EPIRBs visit:
www.cospas-sarsat.org/firstpage/121.5phaseout.htm
For more information on how to become one of America's Volunteer Guardians visit:
