Staff Report

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PROSPERITY — The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is kicking off National Safe Boating Week with a boating safety course on May 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The classroom course will be held at the Hollow Creek Community Center, 2701 Priceville Road in Gilbert. The course, About Boating Safely, is certified by S.C. Department of Natural Resources and students who pass the course exam will be awarded a South Carolina Boater Education Card.

The course fee is $30 per person or $40 for two family members sharing a textbook. Class size is limited to 30 students. Register at www.register-ed.com/events/view/74919. Contact Scott Iverson at 910-818-1558 or email vikingwaters7@gmail.com for more information.

Novice and experienced boaters can benefit from this course. The boating course is designed for boaters of all ages and experience with an emphasis on recreational boating safety.

Also included are waterways navigation, rules of the road, safety equipment, boating problems and emergencies, storing and protecting your boat, and legal requirements for boating in South Carolina. You will learn what to do before you get underway and the basics of protecting and handling your boat or PWC safely.

In South Carolina, boaters under 16 years of age are required by law to pass an approved boater education course before operating, without supervision, a personal watercraft (PWC) or a boat powered by a motor with 15 hp or more.

Many insurance companies offer discounts to graduates of the boating education course.