Coast Guard Auxiliary urges life jackets, float plans as boating season starts

Grand Traverse Bay can look inviting in late May, but the Traverse City Coast Guard Auxiliary is warning that warm air does not make cold water safe. As boats start returning to West Grand Traverse Bay, East Bay and inland lakes around Grand Traverse County, the message is simple: wear a life jacket, file a float plan and know the water before leaving the dock.

That warning is rooted in hard numbers. Diane Walker, a Coast Guard Auxiliary public education officer, said 88 people drowned on the Great Lakes last year and 90% of them were not wearing life jackets. Cara Aiken, a staff officer for public affairs, drove home the point by stressing that the life jacket belongs on the body, not stowed in a compartment. The timing also lined up with National Safe Boating Week, which ran from May 16 through May 22, just ahead of Memorial Day weekend and the first heavy stretch of summer traffic on the water.

The auxiliary is also using training to reach both new and experienced boaters. A boater safety course is listed for Saturday, June 6, at the American Military League, 2423 Sybrandt Road in Traverse City. The class is 8 hours long, in person, and open to boaters age 12 and older. Adults can also take an additional navigation and GPS class to learn more about modern marine technology. After attending all eight hours and passing the test, participants receive a boating safety certificate.

That certificate matters under Michigan law. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says boaters born after June 30, 1996, generally need a boating safety certificate to operate a motorized vessel over 6 horsepower, and most personal watercraft operators need one as well. State rules also bar people under 12 from operating a motorboat over 6 horsepower, while 12- to 15-year-old operators face horsepower and supervision limits.

The Traverse City flotilla says its mission goes beyond classroom instruction. Its Eventbrite profile says it offers boating education, free vessel exams, water surface patrols and air patrols in the Traverse City area. That work matters because local conditions can change fast, even when a marine forecast looks mild. NOAA’s May 23 forecast for Grand Traverse Bay south of a line from Grand Traverse Light to Norwood called for waves of 1 foot or less, but the agency says its water temperature forecast is experimental and the Grand Traverse Light buoy station provides local marine observations for the area.

The May 16 class already had ticket sales closed, but the June 6 session gives local boaters another chance to prepare before the season peaks.