Seminars For Experienced Boaters Being Offered In Darien

SEMINARS FOR 'EXPERIENCED BOATERS'

A series of three Wednesday evening classes for "experienced boaters" will be presented by the Darien Boat Club, the Noroton Yacht Club and the Darien Sail & Power Squadron at the Noroton Yacht Club, beginning October 23rd. All three classes are free and open to the public.

"We say 'experienced boaters' as an attention-getter," says Jeff Brown of the Darien Sail and Power Squadron. "Actually, all boaters will be interested in these topics: emergency actions by marine first responders, engine failure, and what to do with for an injured crew member while on the way back to shore where professional help is waiting."

"The Squadron has been teaching the basic information necessary for a Connecticut boating license for years and years. And we will continue to do so in the Spring of 2025," says Frank Kemp, a member of the Squadron. "But there is not enough time in this basic course to cover these specialized topics, and they are important. So we say that these presentations are for 'experienced boaters' - meaning anyone with a license, or who wants to get a license."

The first presentation, Wednesday October 23, will be given by members of the Marine Division of the Darien Police Department and Noroton Fire Department's Unit 34 Fireboat- discussing the range of services they have provided to boaters in distress and their observations as to how boaters can avoid serious problems in the future. The Marine Division is headquartered at the Darien Boat Club.

The next presentation, on Wednesday November 6, will have to do with engine failure and preventive maintenance. Joe Gerace, owner of Dockside Marine Service in Stamford, has been maintaining many of the boats and engines in the Darien waters. He will share his observations about what to do when things go wrong, and how to keep things from going wrong in the first place.

The final presentation, on Wednesday November 20, will be given by Dr. Mark Andreae: Bridgeport Emergency Medicine and Critical Care. Dr Andreae, a Darien boater and alumnus of Post 53, will discuss what can be done to assist an injured crew-member during the trip back to shore where help awaits. These long moments on the journey home are vital in preparing the injured person for the professional help waiting on shore.

The free presentations will start at 7:30pm and will include light refreshments. While an RSVP is not required, a note to DSPS@Optonline.net or a click at https://dspsct.org/SeminarRSVP will assist in planning - with an indication of plans to attend any one, two or all three of the sessions. Questions should also be forwarded to DSPS@Optonline.net.