National Safe Boating Week on Marco Island

Marco Island Sail and Power Squadron, America’s Boating Club-Marco Island, has always had safe boating as its mission. The Club offers safe boating classes to their members and the public ranging from the beginner’s American Boating Course through chart reading and celestial navigation.

In addition to offering safe boating classes, the club offers a Free Vessel Safety Check inspection to all boaters in the area, members, and non-members. Boaters can take advantage of having their boat inspected to see if they meet the minimum United States Coast Guard rules and regulations for their watercraft.

As in the past, the Club will take the lead this spring to encourage all residents of the area to remember and observe Safe Boating Week by wearing a life jacket when around or on the water.

This year we will be honoring our first responders for their part in boating safety. The following organizations have agreed to bring their boats to the Marco Island Yacht Club to be recognized for their part of boating safety around Marco Island and surrounding waters: Marco Island Police Department, Marco Island Fire and Rescue Marine Group, Flotilla 95, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Marco Island Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Sea Tow, and BoatUS.

The Club emphasizes boating safety 365 days per year, but the National Safe Boating Week is a special time for the Club to reach out to the public with a Wear It campaign. The Wear It campaign is going to be expanded to allow more people to hear the message. Instead of just a week in May, culminating with a day that residents wear a life jacket to a marina, we want to give the residents an opportunity to remember every day in May needs to be a safe boating day.

Dave Chaney, the Club’s Wear It Campaign Event Chairman, has contacted most of the water recreational businesses on Marco Island and the Isles of Capri to reach out for their help this year. We have asked these businesses to give extra time in their safety talk to customers that rent their watercraft on the need to wear a life jacket when on the water. Businesses will give extra attention to the seven boating safety rules for wearing life jackets when on or around the water. In turn, the businesses will give each person that rents a boat a wrist band or a coupon that says that they support the Wear It Campaign. After the day on the water and returning to port, the customers can go to Sweet Annie’s to purchase a float at half price by showing that they are wearing the wrist band or present the ice cream store with the coupon they received. The use of the wrist band or the coupons will be good at Sweet Annie’s for the full month of May.

On May 16th, Marco Island Sail and Power Squadron, with all the other boating organizations representatives, and the participating businesses, will go to the City Council meeting to receive a proclamation from the City Council declaring the week of May 21st - 27th to officially be named National Safe Boating Week on Marco Island. 

On May 21st, we invite everyone to come to the Marco Island Yacht Club, wearing your life jacket, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. All the above-mentioned first responders will be there, and Sweet Annie’s will be there with ice cream floats. Parking is limited so carpool where and when possible.