6th-grade Students Earn Life Jackets in Boat Safety Course
By Amy Polk

Sixth grade students at Les Cheneaux Community Schools completed a boating safety course in May that was instructed by Dave Crockett and Dewey Lopes of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Les Cheneaux Flotilla. Mr. Crockett (far right) sits with the class and Cedarville residents Deana and Stuart Spencer (far left), who presented each student with a personal life vest as a donation to the boating safety program. (Photograph courtesy of Les Cheneaux Community Schools)

Sailing and pleasure boating on the Great Lakes is one of the reasons many choose to vacation and live in northern Michigan, and it is the reason Stuart Spencer has spent most of his life on or near the water.

His knowledge of how dangerous and unpredictable the water can be inspired the Cedarville resident and his wife, Deana, to buy life vests for his daughter's entire sixth grade class in 2005. Three years later, they are still providing Cedarville Middle School's sixth grade classes with life vests upon completion of their boating safety training at the school, and 35 students received vests in May.

Stuart Spencer (right) distributes life vests he donated to Cedarville Middle School sixth grade students in May, following the students' completion of a boating safety course at the school. (Photograph courtesy of Les Cheneaux Community Schools)

"We're just happy to donate them and we want to keep doing this every year," Mr. Spencer said. "If you save one life out of it, it's worth it."

Mr. Spencer recalls an accident in which a friend's father died while racing sailboats on Lake Erie because he was not wearing a flotation device. The man was an All-American college swimmer, Mr. Spencer said, but he perished because he was knocked unconscious in the accident.

That incident has had a lasting impact on Mr. Spencer, and his family has a rule on their boats that everyone must wear a personal flotation device (PFD) at all times.

"We sail, pontoon, canoe, and kayak, and we're always on the water, and everyone must always wear a PFD," he added.

As a community on the water with an active boating community, Les Cheneaux Community Schools offers a mandatory boater safety course to the sixth grade class each year.

In Michigan, children younger than 12 are allowed to operate a boat powered by a motor of no more than six horsepower, without restrictions. They can also operate a boat powered by a motor between six and 35 horsepower, only under direct supervision of someone 16 years or older.

Between 12 and 15 years of age, young people must pass an approved boating safety course and then carry a boating safety certificate to operate a boat with motor more than six horsepower.

No one younger than 12 can legally operate a personal watercraft (or jet ski), and people ages 12 and 13 can operate a personal watercraft only if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and meet other stipulations. Teens 14 and older can operate a personal watercraft with a boating safety certificate.

Mr. Spencer wasn't aware of Cedarville's boating safety class until three years ago, when his daughter, Meghan, participated. Dave Crockett and Dewey Lopes of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Les Cheneaux Flotilla teach the class. Mr. Crockett has taught it for five years and Mr. Lopes has taught it for four. It includes seven hours of instruction, and students write an exam at the end of the class to qualify for a boater safety certificate. Almost 100% of the sixth grade class passes the test each year, and the rest (typically 2% or less) have the opportunity to take a summer boater safety course offered in Cedarville by the Mackinac County Sheriff's Department and Les Cheneaux Islands Association.

This year the two-day class will be Thursday, July 5, and Friday, July 6, or Thursday, August 2, and Friday, August 3. The free course will be taught at Clark Township Fire and Ambulance Hall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. each night, and is primarily for young people ages 12 and older, but adults are welcome too.

The Islands Association also offers free adult boating skills refresher sessions for individuals or small groups of people with some boating experience. Sessions can be scheduled by calling John Griffin at (906) 484-2022 or Diane Patrick at (906) 484-5555 for an appointment.

Mr. Crockett said in the estimated 700 marine fatalities reported nationwide each year, 80% of the victims were not wearing life vests.

"That number could be substantially reduced, so personal floatation devices are the heart and soul of our safety campaign," Mr. Crockett said. "I think the Spencers' PFD donation is the greatest thing that was ever done for the boating safety program here. These kids have no excuse now not to use them."

Each year as the Spencers present the life vests, Mr. Spencer tells the students of his experiences, and asks them to always wear their life vests on the water.

"We never want a child to drown because he or she didn't have a PFD," Mr. Spencer said.

Using Life Vests, Flotation Devices Is the Law

As local residents take to the water this spring, summer, and fall, the Department of Natural Resources and Coast Guard offer the following laws for using personal flotation devices. When preparing to go out on a vessel, the operator must check that the legally required equipment is on board. All US Coast Guard requirements must be met on the Great Lakes.

+All vessels must be equipped with a personal flotation device for each person on board.

+The U.S. Coast Guard requires that all vessels have at least one Coast Guard-approved wearable flotation device for each person, such as a vest or full-sleeved flotation jacket. They must be the proper size for each person on board. Sizing for flotation devices is based on body weight and chest size.

+Michigan law permits a vessel that is less than 16 feet long, or is a canoe or kayak, to have either a wearable or a throwable flotation device for each person on board. Throwable devices include life rings and buoyant, marine seat cushions.

+Michigan law requires all children under six years of age to wear a Coast Guard approved Type I or II PFD when riding on the open deck of any vessel.

+Each person riding on or towed behind a personal watercraft must wear a Coast Guard approved Type I, II, or III personal flotation device. Inflatable devices are not allowed on personal watercraft.

+All flotation devices must be in good, serviceable condition and must be readily accessible.