Veronica
Maguire revs up her power pontoon boat and takes it for a ride on the Savannah
River every day. She's been sailing since the 1980s.
"It's
a joy; a pleasure being out on the water," Maguire said. "And particularly the Savannah River
to be so close to nature and to the city and have all this access to the wild
life, it's just a beautiful; beautiful secret really."
And
even though sailing has become second nature, Veronica says it's important for
her to stay updated on boating precautions. That's why she enrolled in the
Savannah River Sail and Power safe boating course.
The US Power Squadrons teach
the rules and regulations of boating; information vital to anyone getting out
on the water.
"Even
if you're just going to be a passenger on someone's boat, and they're ready to
dock, and you need a role to play there, they want you to participate, having
this course, you'll know what to do," said Paulette Harris, a member of the CSRA Power Squadrons.
Students
learn nautical terms like "port side" which is the left side of the boat or "tacking,"
which is a sailing maneuver. They also learn emergency communications and
navigation aids like sound or light signals.
"You'll
know better how to handle any safety issues," Harris said. "Suppose a storm is coming up."
Students are not only learning about boat
safety, but they're also learning about the weather and whether or not it's a
good day to go out.
Maguire said she enjoyed the weather course offered by the club, but says the sky is
all clear for the weekend.
"Looks
like a good day to boat," Maguire said. "There aren't any clouds in the sky and the wind is
soft."
Which is perfect sailing conditions for the
captain of this ship.
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