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1. What does the
Member Training Program do for me?
a. It provides a training pathway to prepare you to become a boat crew
member who can serve on afloat patrols. Further training can learn to
certification as coxswain—i.e. patrol boat skipper.
2. What sort of afloat patrols can a boat
crew qualified member go on?
a. Venue patrols (maritime safety checks of our area of operation-South
Puget Sound)
b. Regatta patrols (e.g. Sea Fair)
c. ATON patrols (inspecting maritime aids to navigation)
d. Derelict patrols (inspecting known abandoned vessels for evidence of
sinking or leakage of oil or gas)
e. Training patrols (patrols wherein trainees learn and demonstrate
their competence in the required steps of training)
f. SAR patrols (Search and Rescue patrols)
g. Maritime safety patrols (e.g. evaluating a reported possible oil
spill)
h. Training with active duty and reserve Coast Guard and Navy personnel
i. Miscellaneous others
3. How do I get started?
a. First, you must become BQ (basic qualified) which means that you
have to take an approved boating safety class. If you have not taken
such a class, speak with the FSO-PE, who can tell you what classes are
available locally, where and when.
4. What is the next step in getting boat
crew qualified?
a. The elements of the training include textbook work, practical
dockside and/or afloat training, self assessment exercises, review of
selected topics with a mentor who will certify on a sign-off sheet that
you know the material and a final evaluation of your knowledge and
capabilities by a Coast Guard Auxiliary Qualifications Examiner.
5. What materials do I need?
a. The Coast Guard will provide you for free a CD with all of the
training material (boat crew and coxswain) on it. The reason that the
CG will give you a CD instead of the printed version of the manual is
that the CD costs the Coast Guard 20 cents while the printed manual
costs the CG $40! Unfortunately, training material on the CD prints out
to over 1000 pages—which will choke your printer!
b. The Small Boat Seamanship Manual has been re-published by a
commercial publishing house and is available for $20 through your
member training officer, Mike Allert. That book is identical to the
official Coast Guard training manual but more compact and less
expensive. However, it does not include the sign off sheets needed to
certify that you have passed each required step of learning.
c. The sign-off sheets for the boat crew qualifications must be printed
off the CD onto your printer or can be obtained from the FSO-MT.
6. Fine. Now how do I get the training?
a. There are two ways. You can attend the Boat Crew Academy which will
be held yearly. At the conclusion of each session, you will have the
opportunity to get signed off on the study material presented—assuming
you know the material! A more detailed information sheet will be
forthcoming. In the meantime, if you are interested, save the dates.
b. An alternative is to meet at times of mutual convenience with a
mentor who will review the material stipulated in the sign-off sheets
with you. Such a mentor must be a currently qualified boat crewman or
coxswain.
c. A combination of the above also works. The key thing is to meet all
of the training requirements and demonstrate your mastery of the
material.
7. What if I attend the Boat Training
Academy but miss some days?
a. See question #6, paragraph b, to arrange make-up training. This will
be a common problem and make-ups will be easy to arrange.
8. What kind of boats does the flotilla use
for patrols and training?
a. The flotilla currently has about six boats (“facilities” in CGAux
parlance) used for training and patrols.
b. There are two personal water craft used for patrols. PWC and
Paddlecraft training is not part of the routine Crew training program
for the flotilla.
9. After I become a boat crew member, how
do I advance to coxswain?
a. The procedure is the same except that the breadth and depth of the
required material to be mastered is much greater.
b. In addition, a member must have served as a boat crew member under
orders for no less than 28 hours to be eligible for advancement to
coxswain.
10. I have a boat. After I become boat crew
qualified, can I function as the coxswain (i.e. the skipper) of my boat
on a patrol?
a. No. On every patrol, the crew requires a currently certified
coxswain who is in charge. However, traditionally, the boat owner
drives the boat during departure and docking.
11. What about uniforms?
a. Training that is underway under Coast Guard orders require that the
crew be in appropriate uniform with the required personal protective
equipment. Appropriate uniform means either the ODU or long tropical
blue uniforms. Steel toe boots are recommended but not required for the
Auxiliary in most cases. Dark colored sneakers are acceptable.
b. During dockside training or afloat training that is not under Coast
Guard orders, the uniform is recommended but not required.
c. See your Materials Officer for information about obtaining uniforms
and personal protective equipment. Penny’s contact info in on the
roster.
12. How long does it take to become boat
crew qualified?
a. That all depends on how you do it. It you attend the Boat Crew
Academy, four months of mostly weekend work should do it.
b. It you earn your qualifications by working with individual mentors
and work hard, you can become qualified in a few weeks. Coxswain
qualifications take much longer to complete.
13. Do I have to be boat crew qualified to
go on a patrol?
a. Not usually. An individual who is working on his/her boat crew
qualifications can go along as a trainee. There are a few exceptions
such as Sea Fair and operational exercises with the active duty Coast
Guard and/or Navy.
14. What is TCT and how do I get the
training?
a. TCT stands for Team Coordination Training. It is an all day course
taught by the Coast Guard and its Auxiliary staff to all active duty,
reserve and auxiliary members. It specifies the principals needed to
work closely, effectively and harmoniously together as a boat crew or
an air crew. Completion of this training is required before a person
can be certified as a boat crew member. TCT is taught during one day of
the Boat Crew Academy and at other selected times during the year.
15. What is ICS training and how do I get
that?
a. ICS 100 and 700 are two online courses offered by FEMA on their web
site. They stipulate how the Incident Command System is intended to
function at the time of a local, regional or national emergency. An
Auxiliarist must pass the online courses before he/she can be certified
as a boat crew member. It is worth remembering that the Coast Guard
Auxiliary is the only volunteer organization that serves under the
command of the Department of Homeland Security.
16. How often are patrols available?
a. That depends. The summer time is the busiest time and patrols are
frequent. The current plan for 2008 is to have at least two patrols
each month for training purposes until all training requirements have
been met for those who want to achieve them.
17. What about aviation? How do I get
involved in that?
a. Training for boat operations and aviation operations are separate.
Few people have time for both commitments. To learn how to get involved
in aviation, contact the Division SO Operations.
18. Besides small boat patrols and
aviation, what other opportunities are there in USCGA?
a. For specialty education opportunities available through the Coast
Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary, contact the FSO-Public Education.
b. For opportunities to serve on the flotilla staff, and to develop any
other special interest you may have, contact Craig Smith, Flotilla
Commander or bring it up at a meeting.
19. Who do I contact if I have further
questions about the small boat seamanship training program?
a. Talk to your flotilla member training officer.
20. Is this going to be fun?
a. You bet. You will learn a great deal about boating, you will
contribute to the safety and welfare of the boating community and your
country, and you will develop some great friendships along the way.
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