Lake Murray Power Squadron will offer America's Boating Course to residents, family and friends of specific communities and neighborhoods as part of its Safe Boating Outreach Program. This eight-hour course can be held at your local club house; just call and let us know you want to learn to be a safe boater.

America's Boating Course is a joint project between the United States Power Squadrons and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. In addition, the course has been approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, and meets boating license and safety certification requirements in South Carolina.

Cost of the course is $25. An online registration form is offered once this course has been scheduled. For more information, contact Lake Murray Power Squadron member Mack McGahee at 803.234.5985 or victorialynn@att.net.

Course topics to be covered in America's Boating Course include:

	Introduction to Boating: types of power boats; sailboats; outboards; paddle boats; houseboats; different uses of boats; various power boating engines; jet drives; family boating basics.
	Boating Law: boat registration; boating regulation; hull identification number; required boat safety equipment; operating safely and reporting accidents; protecting the marine environment; Federal boat law; state boating laws; personal watercraft requirements.
	Boat Safety Equipment: personal flotation devices ("life jackets"); fire extinguishers; sound-producing devices; visual-distress signals; dock lines and rope; first aid kit; anchors and anchor lines; other boating safety equipment.
	Safe Boating: bow riding; alcohol and drug abuse; entering, loading, and trimming a boat; fueling portable and permanent tanks; steering with a tiller and a wheel; docking, undocking and mooring; knots; filing a float plan; checking equipment, fuel, weather and tides; using charts; choosing and using an anchor; safe PWC handling; general water safety.
	Navigation: the U.S. Aids to Navigation system; types of buoys and beacons; navigation rules (sometimes referred to as right-of-way rules); avoiding collisions; sound signals; PWC "tunnel vision."
	Boating Problems: hypothermia; boating accidents and rescues; man overboard recovery; capsizing; running aground; river hazards; strainers: emergency radio calls; engine problems; equipment failures; carbon monoxide (CO); other boating and PWC problems.
	Trailering, Storing and Protecting Your Boat: types of trailers; trailer brakes, lights, hitches, tires, and bearings; loading, balancing, and towing a trailer; towing (and backing) a trailer; boat launching and retrieving; boat storage and theft protection; launching, retrieving and storing a PWC.
	Hunting and Fishing, Water-skiing and River Boating: carrying hunting gear and weapons in a boat; fishing from a boat; water-skiing safety guidelines and hand signals; water-skiing with a PWC; navigating rivers, and other boating tips.

If you need more information or would like to request Lake Murray Power Squadron teach its outreach program on safe boating neighborhood, call or e-mail Lake Murray's Educational Officer Andy Hyman at 803.932.7077 or ahyman3@aol.com.