HCSO participates in Sea School

By Staff

Posted 9:22AM on Wednesday, April 17, 2013

FLOWERY BRANCH - The Hall County Sheriff's Office recently participated in Sea School at Hideaway Bay Marina in Flowery Branch.

Since 1977, instructors from the U.S. Coast Guard have conducted a number of courses ranging from Charter Boat Captain's Licensing to Sailboat and Fishing Boat courses on safety.

This class' instructors utilized realistic props to simulate actual emergency situations that boaters may encounter while on Lake Lanier. Teaching everyone to slow down while using a 360 degree approach to navigating, ensuring that everyone could properly identify buoys and markers on the Lake, conducting proper safety checks before departure and awareness of geographical location underlined the theme of the course.

Hall County Sheriff's Office Capt. Harry Chapman (Ret.) of the Marine Patrol Division capped off the course with safety advice garnered from his years of experience on Lake Lanier.

The most common issue encountered each season is a boat's close proximity to other vessels, according to Chapman. He also echoed the common message of having enough life jackets to accommodate every passenger on each vessel, along with maintaining at least one fire extinguisher in the event of a sudden emergency.

Capt. Chapman added "You have to maintain a safe distance between you boat, jet ski or other type of watercraft regardless of speed and activity. Any sudden change of course, or speed, will quickly become a dangerous situation if you are
following someone too closely. Accelerating and steering your boat is not something one learns in a day at the Lake. You must practice and develop that skill on a regular basis."

To learn more about Sea School and other courses offered through the U.S. Coast Guard instructors, visit www.SeaSchool.com. For training coming up at Hideaway Bay Marina, visit www.hideawaybaymarina.com. You'll also find safety tips and general information from the sheriff's office's Marine Patrol on the department's website, www.hallcounty.org/sheriff, or you can call call (770)531-6889.