Greenwich Boaters Hit the Classroom Before Hitting the Water

With the boating season’s official start coming up on Memorial Day weekend, the Greenwich Sail and Power Squadron had a full house for its daylong boating certificate class.

The eight-hour course that’s required of all Connecticut boaters was attended by 51 mariners on Saturday that included instruction on seamanship, docking and anchoring, rules of the road, and a subject on the minds of many — safe towing for water skiing and tubing.

“This was a sell-out. It is our biggest class yet with 51 people,” Squadron spokesman Susan Ryan said during a class break. “We had to turn away 20 people.”

During the break, state Rep. Fred Camillo addressed the class, saying that he is helping to push legislation through the state house that would tighten laws regarding young boaters. What is called Emily’s Law, in memory of Old Greenwich teen Emily Fedorko who was killed in a boat-tubing accident on Long Island Sound last August, was approved by the state Senate last week.

“We’re pushing for it to come out for a vote in a couple weeks,” Camillo said of the proposed law that would increase the minimum age of teen boaters certified to tow skiers or tubers from 13 to 16 years of age.

Ryan said that every student in Saturday’s class held at Greenwich Police headquarters would receive a packet from the Emily Catherine Fedorko Foundation — a sticker for a boat throttle and ignition and a key fob each reading ‘Turn It Off for Emily.’

Ryan also good-naturedly chided Camillo for not wearing a life vest while kayaking on Long Island Sound. As she fitted Camillo with a life vest, he sheepishly admitted that he carries one life vest in his boat but “I put it on my dog and then I see (Police) Chief (James) Heavey on the water who yells at me for not wearing my vest.”

Camillo promised to pack a second life vest the next time he kayaks.

More information about the Greenwich Sail and Power Squadron and the courses it offers can be found here.

Sign up for Greenwich Patch news alerts and more, here.

Other Patch stories:

• UPDATE: Greenwich Your Electric Bills Are Going Down
• Greenwich Police: Driver Found Asleep at the Wheel Is Charged with DUI
• Greenwich Is Named a Top Beautiful Town in Connecticut