Despite the town’s landlocked status, a group of local volunteers is working to prepare others for the upcoming boating season.
Flotilla 9-8, the Chapel Hill chapter of the U.S. Coast Guard, is already gearing up for this year’s National Safe Boating Week, which begins May 21.
The group, which specializes in boater safety and operates with a volunteer staff, provides local boating enthusiasts with boating safety classes and a vessel check program to ensure boaters are safe on the water.
With North Carolina ranking 10th on the National Safe Boating Council’s list of states with the highest number of boating deaths, Flotilla Human Resources Manager Genet Hutcheson said promoting water safety and educating recreational boaters is essential.
“There are a number of ways that we serve, but we are trying to promote safety on the water,” she said. “We hope that people are learning the important information we are trying to transmit.”
During vessel checks, volunteers ensure boats are stocked with personal flotation devices, paddles and other necessary boating hardware.
This season, the group has vessel checks scheduled at Lake Michie in Durham for the first Saturday of every month from April to September.
Sankey Blanton, assistant public affairs official for the chapter, said the flotilla’s volunteers are often involved in recreational boating or have previous military experience, but there is no typical volunteer.
“The group is made up of members who like to serve as volunteers and enjoy working with the group,” Blanton said.
