Flotilla 13-3 What's New!

COAST GUARD AUXILIARY CONDUCTS
FREE VESSEL EXAMINATIONS
330-771-7171

On January 5th, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Centennial Bank will meet for the annual Vessel Exam Day at Venture Out Resort. The Centennial Bank has a cook out for park residents with hamburgers, hot Dogs and all the trimmings. The Auxiliary sets up it’s trailer and talks to park residents about safe boating while offering Free Vessel Exams and discussing the upcoming Boating Safety and Seamanship Classes being held at the park beginning 10 January.

Left to right
Bob McNamee, Ron Jelliff and Don Baker.
Vessel Examiner Bob McNamee oversees Ron Jelliff as he conducts a Vessel Safety Exam for Don Baker, a resident of Venture Out. Ron is working to be our newest Qualified Vessel Examiner.

Left to Right
Auxiliarist Neil Haring, Bob McNamee, Jo Allmond, Diane Adam and Virgil Allmond, Flotilla Commander, talk to Residents of Venture Out at a recent Boating Safety Booth.

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BOATING SKILLS AND SEAMANSHIP PROGRAM
330-771-7171 / 305-872-4071
adamjd4118@neo.it.com

The Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 13-03, Big Pine Key, is offering a Boating Skills and Seamanship class beginning January 10th. It is a three week program, Scheduled Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00 to 9:30 P.M. It will be held at Venture-Out Resort (Ship’s Store 2nd Floor) 701 Spanish Main Drive, Cudjoe Key.

We will have a BS&S Class Signup booth on January 9th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Venture Out Boat Landing. Free Vessel Exams will be offered. The cost of the program is $55 per person (materials included) and $80 per couple with shared materials.

Topics include: Which Boat is for You, Required Boat Equipment, Operator Responsibilities, Rules of the Road, Handling Your Boat, Highway Signs, Orientation to Nautical Charts, Weather, A Look at the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Navigational Tools & Techniques, Navigational Exercises, Trailering, Boating Safety, Your Boat’s Radio and a Search and Rescue (SAR) Exercise, Florida Law, Environmental Concerns in the Florida Keys and Hands on Knot Tying.

For more information or to register:

Select “Boating Safety Class"
USCGAUXClassReg@gmail.com
Bob Eichholtz 305-872-7505 auxbob@bellsouth.net

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Flotilla 13-03 Assists with Whale Rescue

Read the article on pages 32 and 33 in the summer issue of The Breeze written by Flotilla 13-03 members Ann Hedberg and Ted Giesbrecht detailing our involvement with this exciting and important marine mammal rescue near Cudjoe Key.

What About Ethanol in Gasoline and Marine Engines?

BoatUS Magazine recently published an article debunking several myths regarding the use of gasoline containing 10% ethanol (E-10) in marine outboard engines. Owners of outboards might be interested in reading this informative article: Three Ethanol Myths Clarified

Mustang Survival Recalls Several Inflatable Life Jackets

Mustang Survival is voluntarily recalling all model number MD2010 and MD2012 inflatable life jackets sold in the United States during 2011. You can read about the specifics of this recall here by downloading MUSTANG RECALL (.pdf file).

E.P.I.R.B. Registration Concerns Addressed

In recent months Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB’s) registration cards have not been matched to the right beacon after being returned from the manufacturer to their owners after replacing the battery or having factory maintenance repairs made.

If you recently sent your EPIRB back to the manufacturer for repairs and/or to have the power supply (battery) replaced, we suggest you compare the Identification Hexadecimal Number on the registration form sticker with the number on the unit itself. Please verify that the 15 digit Hexadecimal Numbers match your registration certificate. These numbers must match exactly. If you receive your EPIRB back from the manufacturer and the Hexadecimal numbers do not match, you should immediately file an updated registration form with NOAA.

How do I register my beacon or submit an updated registration form? Preferably register online at: www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov.

However, you can also mail or fax the signed registration form to:

NOAA/SARSAT

NSOF, E/SP3

4231 Suitland Road

Suitland, MD 20746

Fax: 301-817-4565

New beacons come with a registration form. While pre-owned beacons may not come with a registration form, the form can be downloaded from the website identified above or faxed to you on request by calling: 888-212-7283.

Automated Radio Check Service Now Available

Sea Tow® is pleased to announce a new public service for the safety of boaters. Boaters are now able to conduct 24/7, automated radio checks. The service does not require the response of other boaters or watch-standers in order to work, nor does it require special equipment. This free service is available through Sea Tow's ongoing partnership with MariTEL.More information can be found by going to Sea Tow's Automated Radio Check Service. or in the Big Pine Key area dialing into Keys Marina VHF Channel: 26

Recent Flotilla Activities

The most recent Flotilla 13-03 activities can be read in the current issue of the flotilla newsletter. For your added convenience, there are also links to all of the 2011 Channel Markers, the newsletter of Flotilla 13-03, Big Pine Key. All of these newsletters are very large .pdf files that can be read on-line or downloaded for reading at a later time.

Flotilla 13-03 is very active in the winter months when winter residents make their appearance in the Keys to take advantage of the warmer months for boating. In addition to four safe boating programs taught during the October to April winter season, safety patrols, member training, and aids to navigation checks as well as other vital programs continue. Flotilla members provide boating safety booths at public events, and this spring Flotilla 13-03 had booths at the Marathon Sea Food Festival, Earth Day at Bahia Honda State Park and Kid's Karnival at Little Summerland Key, and members distribute safe boating literature, teach knots to children, and hand out coloring books.

From time-to time, Flotilla 13-03 members more directly assist the Coast Guard in less traditional ways such as preparing meals for the crew at Station Marathon, a way to foster closer working relationships with active duty personnel.

Members of the flotilla can be spotted while conducting patrols in the lower Keys and while constantly training for missions to assist Florida Keys boaters who may require assistance. Boat crews constantly practice towing and rescue procedures so that our boats and crew are always ready to assist the Coast Guard and the boating public.

Practicing the "alongside tow."

Practicing the recovery of a "man overboard."

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