Seniors Impart Boat Safety After Decades on the Water

You may not imagine kindergartners going to a senior living community to learn about the importance of life jackets, or a robot named “Coastie” helping a pair of seasoned sailors with this unique partnership. But next week, that’s what you’ll find at Judson Park when Bonnie and Keith Harding, along with other residents, lead an informative class with students from nearby Parkside Elementary.

“We really just go over how the lifejackets are supposed to fit properly, and emphasize that if you get in a boat, you always have to have one,” said Keith. “That’s the message – it should be just like a helmet when you ride a bike or a seat belt when you get in a car.”

For more than 40 years, the Hardings got to intimately know the Puget Sound and the waterways between the San Juan and Gulf Islands aboard the Bonita M., their 32-foot Grand Banks trawler.

In 1990, with their three children away at school, they decided to use their extensive nautical knowledge in support of boat safety and awareness as volunteers with the Coast Guard Auxiliary. For the next three decades, they helped patrol the local waters, offering assistance to distressed boaters and conducting vessel safety checks. They have also taught many boating safety classes.

Despite selling the Bonita M. last year, the retired teachers continue their involvement with the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Each month, particularly in the spring and summer, the Hardings teach mandatory boat safety courses to new boaters and those who want to be kept current regarding new maritime laws and regulations.

Additionally, they also teach the importance of life jackets to kindergartners and other young children. Assisting them is “Coastie,” a robot the Coast Guard Auxiliary uses to make the information fun and relatable for children.

Next week, ahead of National Safe Boating Week May 18 to 24, the Hardings and other residents will host three Parkside Elementary kindergarten classes at Judson Park for life jacket lessons.