PAGE 4 • SPRING 2006 THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SAILING ASSOCIATION
SAFETY AT SEA - TEACHING OUR YOUTH
By Wayne Spivak, USCG Auxiliary
E
very year for the past several years, around the
For more information about safe boating courses, contact
end of May, Jean Gieger does something rather
the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary at www.cgaux.org
unique. Jean, a mother of a five year old, does
or call (877) 875-6296.
this rather unique thing not only for her child, but also
for other parents’ children. What Jean does, in a quiet
little town, on which nestles the Atlantic Ocean, in a
device (PFD) as well as many other items that Jean uses
place that has more boats per square mile than any
on the water, as well as items the children may see on
other place in the United States, is giving what she
their boats.
hopes these children will remember – a safety lessoned
learned.
Jean doesn’t teach down to the children, she teaches to
them. She explains the buoy system, the red nun buoys
and the green cans. She explains sound signals and the
Jean Gieger is a United States Coast Guard Auxiliarist.
emergency signal of five short blasts.
As one of over 31,000 of America’s Volunteer Lifesavers,
Jean concentrates her time between Recreational Boating
She enforces the federal law that all children less than
Safety on land, and as a member of the Auxiliary Boat
twelve years of age must wear a PFD for safety. She does
Crew program, where she helps conduct safety patrols
this for both the students and the teachers and parents
and search and rescue.
who have come to learn.
This day, she is concentrating on Recreational Boating
“Thank you for teaching me the safety rules on the
Safety. In fact, she is working on what is called a
water.” Wrote Ashley, age six, to Jean. “I learned that
Preventive Search and Rescue (Pre-SAR) mission. In
they have plastic whistles and a cork because if it was
laymen’s terms, she is teaching boating safety. Also,
metal it would rust.”
she’s teaching it to some of the youngest members of our
society, as a hobby and sport that she hopes they will all
Nick Aquino, also six, wrote, “I learned there is a night
enjoy for years to come.
flare and a day flare. Another thing is make sure your life
jacket fits you.”
Jean is teaching boating safety to first graders in the
local elementary school. Jean comes to school in her
What makes the time and effort worthwhile, says Jean, is
uniform. The children are apprehensive and awed. Jean
the closing sentences that are representative of both the
also brings her international orange personal flotation
continued on page 8
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