Welcome to the Flotilla 18-7, District 9CR Web Site
Flotilla Meeting ~ Time / Place
Flotilla 18-07 meets on the 1st Tuesday of the Month
United States Coast Guard Station Belle Isle
Detroit, MI
19:00 (7:00pm)
Note: Belle Isle is a Michigan State Park, and may require a fee to enter the park.
~ National Safe Boating Week ~
National Safe Boating Week is May 17-23, 2025. Boating safety advocates across the U.S. and Canada have teamed up to promote safe and responsible boating, including voluntary, consistent life jacket wear every time boaters are on the water.
“What looks like a perfect day for boating can quickly become hazardous if you end up in the water,” said Rachel Johnson, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council, the lead organization for Wear It! “You can have a great time while choosing to always wear a life jacket and being a responsible boater.”
U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in three-fourths of recreational boating fatalities in 2014, and that 84 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.
The Safe Boating Campaign, promoted by the Wear It tagline, continues to gain awareness, with three-quarters (77%) of the 2021 participants recognizing the image.
Life jacket wear (“always or most of the time”) is similar to 2018, with 57% indicating they “always or most of the time” wear life jackets in 2021, a decline from 2019 and 2020.
Barriers to life jacket wear are no laws requiring wear, uncomfortable jackets, forgetting or not thinking about wearing one, and/or simply not wanting to wear one.
Motivators to increase life jacket wear among users are a law requiring boaters to wear life jackets, having life jackets that are more comfortable or less bulky, having life jackets that are easy to use/wear, and awareness of boating accidents where wearing a life jacket saved lives. These reasons have been the top ones for several years.
Ownership of life jackets is high, with 97% of all participants owning a life jacket and 37% of them owning an inflatable life jacket. In addition, 48% of all participants have worn an inflatable life jacket.
COVID-19 has impacted the frequency of boating, with 36% saying they will go more often and only 10% saying they will go less often this year.
Modern Marine Navigation Course Preview
For information of other boating safety classes, click on the Boating Courses link on the left.
If you would like a free vessel safety check, click on the Vessel Exams link on the left.
Our Vision
As a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,U.S. Coast Guard, and a servant of the public, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, in its role as the designated National Recreational Boating Safety Coordinator, is a leader in improving the boating experience of the maritime public. We are an organization noted for working in partnership with all stakeholders within the waterways activity spectrum and across all modes of transportation to reach consensus solutions. We measure our success by our customer satisfaction, and our customers' needs help define our workload and priorities.
Our Mission
To minimize the loss of life, personal injury, property damage, and environmental impact associated with the use of recreational boats, through preventive means, in order to maximize safe use and enjoyment of U.S. Waterways by the public.
Contact information: Flotilla Commander
Vessel Safety Checks -- Saturday's -- May & June
Flotilla Vessel Examiner's will be on sight to give you a free and courteous check, and let you know of any shortfalls, best practices, and how to correct them. Vessel Safety Check's are completely volunteer. The owner must be with the vessel. Safety Checks can be completed on vessels in or out of the water.
For more information and locations click on "Vessel Exams" menu item
Flotilla 18-07 ~ Social Media Sites
