[May 21, 2012] The water and boating safety drives labor of love with Coast Guard Auxiliary Tweet HICKORY NC, May 21, 2012 (Hickory Daily Record - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Kelly Townsend loves the water. If he's not working on computers in his day job with the City of Hickory's Information Technology department, he's on the water -- usually in the uniform of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. "I've always loved the water," Townsend said. "I learned to swim in kindergarten. I loved fishing on Lake Hickory when I was a kid. I truly have a passion for water. I never tire of it." He loves water so much that his affinity for the Coast Guard Auxiliary has earned him the title of national vessel exam and program visitation director. That means he works almost as hard for auxiliary as he does for Hickory. "It takes a lot of time," Townsend said, "but it's rewarding. I'm fully into the auxiliary." The auxiliary is the civilian volunteer arm of the USCG. Members are authorized to do anything active duty Coast Guard can do except law enforcement. "We help with seaport inspections, and we do river and lake patrols," Townsend said. "Basically, we're involved with surface operations. We handle communications when needed. We do safety classes and safety patrols on the water. But we don't chase down boaters for violations." Safety is what the auxiliary is all about. Public education is one of three primary missions for the unit, and that may be the most important to hear Townsend talk. "Boating safety is imperative," he said. "Boating is fun, but a preventable accident can ruin your day." It can also be fatal. The statistics show that boaters who have taken safety courses fare better on the water. Coast Guard data from 2010 reveal that for educated boaters, there were five deaths out of 248 accidents. For uneducated boaters, there were 304 deaths out of 2,723 accidents. Boaters who had not taken certified safety training had an accident rate 91 percent higher than those who did. It's easy to see why Townsend preaches safety. And why North Carolina requires safety courses for boat operators 26 and under. One of the three auxiliary missions is vessel examinations. "When we're on the water, say in Lake Hickory, we sometimes inform boaters about things they could be doing better -- safer -- if we notice risky behavior," Townsend said. "We don't write tickets. We don't tell boaters they must do something. We just offer observations. They can listen, or they can ignore us." And some boaters do tell the auxiliary to buzz off. "We want people to have fun," Townsend said. The auxiliary performs boat safety checks. You can have your boat inspected on the water, at a marina or even at your home. This is not the same certification required by North Carolina -- the one that gives you a number and a sticker for your boat. The auxiliary looks over boats and trailers to make sure they meet federal safety standards. North Carolina's regulations mirror federal standards. Again, the auxiliary is not responsible for citations or fines. That's law enforcement work, and the auxiliary is restricted in its third mission, operations on the water. Townsend said auxiliary members assist law officers when needed. The auxiliary will help with water traffic control, but it won't do underwater searches for missing people. The safety instruction offered by the auxiliary applies to law enforcement too, such as the lake unit of the Hickory Police Department. The local flotilla, by the way, is actually regional in scope. It's the Western North Carolina Foothills Flotilla, and the territory extends to all the way to the state lines north and west -- mountains and foothills. Townsend's activities are mostly in the immediate area, and his primary focus is Lake Hickory. However, he and other auxiliary members have conducted operations on Lake James, Lake Norman and elsewhere. Seamanship is a term that covers coastal and inland boating. If you want to learn it, Townsend and the auxiliary can provide what you need. The training covers right of way and give way (something all boaters should learn), marine regulations, and North Carolina requirements. Boat US is the corporate sponsor of Americans Boating Safely, a nationwide program embraced by the Coast Guard Auxiliary. The course runs six to seven hours. There is also a four day safety and seamanship course that offers more intensive training. One of Townsend's duties is to make sure every flotilla in the country has the decals for boaters who have completed the basic safety course. He helps solve problems, review safety instruction and procedures to incorporate the latest practices and ensure training pays attention to the advances in technology. However, a responsible boater at the helm is still more important than gadgetry. "My uncle gave me the best advice ever," Townsend said. "Pretend you're invisible. When you're on the water, stay alert for changing conditions, unexpected hazards in the water, and especially other boaters. And conduct yourself as if they can't see you." Insufficient lookout causes most boating accidents, Townsend said. And the person driving the boat is the one who ought to know what's going on at all times. Pay attention is the first rule of boating, he said. Boats change and so do regulations -- including environmental regulations -- Townsend said. He keeps up with those changes to ensure flotillas throughout the United States are up do date. Townsend is not former Coast Guard. He got interested in the auxiliary because of his love of water. He joined in 2004. He and all volunteers use their own boats. The government doesn't supply vessels to the auxiliary. However, whenever the auxiliary is on patrol or performing any official function, the private boats are considered "under orders." They are marked with placards and flags. Volunteers are in uniform. All you have to do to join the auxiliary is be 17 or older, a citizen, and not convicted of a felony. Volunteers are trained and actually get an ID card from Homeland Security. And love the water. "Water and computers are my life," Townsend said. He normally works at Patrick Beaver Memorial Library. Hickory has IT people at various locations to maintain its system of 163 computers. That includes the public computers at the library. Townsend has been a Hickory employee for 11 years. Previously, he worked for Newton and Catawba County. It's all about information: Information that runs through computer networks and information on boating. Those two things "have consumed my life," Townsend said, "but in a positive way." "If I didn't enjoy the water -- if I wasn't obsessed with the water -- I would not carve out enough time to work with the Coast Guard." So if you see his smiling face and a Coast Guard emblem coming toward you on Lake Hickory, just remember he's not there to see what you might be up to. He just wants you to have as much fun as he does, so you can enjoy the water again and again. ___ (c)2012 the Hickory Daily Record (Hickory, N.C.) Visit the Hickory Daily Record (Hickory, N.C.) at www.hickoryrecord.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]