Power Up
A local organization promotes water safety through boater education programs
BY Taylor Hammeke
Days are getting longer, temperatures are rising, and the beach is buzzing with more life on and off the water. Boat owners are “dusting off” their boats and getting out on the water for inaugural trips.
If you’re a boater, the Cape Fear Sail & Power Squadron is a great organization to know as summer approaches. The group conducts safety checks, where a member ensures your craft is qualified under Coast Guard standards.
The Power Squadron also offers an ABCs of Boating class, which satisfies the North Carolina boating education requirement for anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1988. Anyone interested can enroll at weteachboating.org. There are three classes offered each year.
The Cape Fear chapter is a member of United States Power Squadron, a national nonprofit that focuses on boating education and safety programs. The local squadron has more than 190 members. The national organization has more than 20,000 members spread over 300 squadrons in the US and Puerto Rico.
Otis White, Commander of the Cape Fear Sail & Power Squadron from 2020 to 2022, attended the annual meeting in February in Orlando.
“The leadership of the squadron has committed to continuing the community efforts of education, civic service, and fraternity,” he says. “This focus and the efforts of all involved led us to win first place nationally in the 2022 Squadron Growth & Retention category in Division 2 (medium-sized squadrons). We also won third place in Growth & Retention for our district. Even after 72 years we are still the number one boating membership club in the Cape Fear.”
Dr. Mark Wilde-Ramsing, former deputy state archaeologist (underwater) of North Carolina, spoke on “Researching and Documenting the Queen Anne’s Revenge” at the group’s general membership meeting in February. Attendees at the March meeting learned about the role of the Army Corps of Engineers in navigation and safety.
The Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers talk each year about safely navigating the channel markings.
Cape Fear Sail & Power Squadron
If you’re a boater, the Cape Fear Sail & Power Squadron is a great organization to know as summer approaches. The group conducts safety checks, where a member ensures your craft is qualified under Coast Guard standards.