From the Boathouse: Getting to know the U.S. Coast Auxiliary
Ahoy!
Recently, I was asked who are the United States Coast Auxiliary and how do they help me as a boater?
Well, the Coast Guard Auxiliary is a volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. The auxiliary volunteers are widely popular for their free vessel-safety checks for any recreational boat. The checks help the recreational boat owner comply with the sometimes confusing federal safety regulations, and the inspector will make additional safety recommendations. The auxiliary is also known for teaching boating-safety classes and handing out safety pamphlets at boat shows.
While on the water, the volunteers operate safety and regatta patrols aboard their private vessels. They are a very important resource as part of Coast Guard search and rescue teams, too. Duties include standing communication watches, assisting during mobilization exercises, performing harbor and pollution patrols, providing platforms for unarmed boarding parties, and recruiting new people for the service.
The Auxiliary began in 1939 and now has 30,000 members with 1,000 local units in the nation. Southern California is in District 11 Southern Region. If you are a pilot and want to help them, Air Station LA and Sector San Diego are looking for a few pilots with planes to expand their AuxAir program.
If you are interested in AuxAir, contact Eugene Korney, DSO-AV at (310) 614-6739 or pirep47@yahoo.com. Additionally, you can find out more about the Auxiliary at www.cgaux.org or our local units at www.d11s.org.
Tip of the week
While I was visiting Monterey during a conference last week, I had lunch at the Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club. This is a nicely secluded club with a nautical and comfortable atmosphere inside the dining room. I met Jerry Mayo, MPYC manager, who was very welcoming and seated us at a table with a view of the harbor.
The rooftop of the yacht club is only a few feet higher than the municipal wharf’s road, so the club is actually built alongside but below the roadway on the wharf. This brings the club facilities near the bay’s water and looking out to the boat docks. Also, the lowered location of the club created an impromptu game of finding the entrance.
Later, Mayo emailed, “Thank you for coming in for lunch. I hope that you enjoyed everything”.
“Founded in 1953 as a not-for-profit organization, the Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club is a yachting and social club comprised of over 400 adult and junior members who have an interest in coming together to share in boating, sailing, yacht racing and social activities. Club membership is not limited to boat owners,” he included.
“With its small family character, the club has established a reputation among the West Coast yachting communities for warm hospitality, friendly competition, and above all, lots of fun. MPYC runs over 100 sailing races each year, has hosted numerous national racing events, and enjoys stature as a major yacht racing club”.
I highly recommend any visiting yacht club members to drop in the club and tell Jerry that I sent you.
The original boating program, “Boathouse TV & Radio Shows,” has stretched from coast to coast for more than two decades. See the details at https://www.boathousetv.com, https://www.facebook.com/boathouseradio and https://www.twitter.com/boathouseradio.
Safe Voyages!
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MIKE WHITEHEAD is a boating columnist for the Daily Pilot. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to mike@boathousetv.com or go to boathousetv.com.