US Coast Guard Auxiliary Oyster Bay Flotilla 22-05 is offering its "Boating Skills and Seamanship" and "ABC Course" with courses beginning Thursday, Jan. 27 for the BS&S and Saturday, Feb. 5 for the America's Boating Course (ABC). Courses will be conveniently held at The Waterfront Center located on West End Avenue, Oyster Bay.

The Boating Skills and Seamanship course runs for six Thursdays, starting Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m. It is designed for those over the age of 18 who are either interested in brushing up on their existing skills, or those who have not previously taken a boating course. Among the areas to be covered include seamanship techniques, personal safety for crew and passengers, boat handling, rules of the road, federal boating regulations and general legal requirements, radio/telephone use, knot tying and other subjects. Most insurance companies recognize this course and provide a 10 percent discount upon successful completion. Students will receive an Official Certificate of Completion.

The ABC is a one-day intensive instructional course held Saturday, Feb. 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will allow you to operate a personal watercraft or PWC in the waters of the State of New York. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be given a certificate of completion as well as a wallet-sized card, which must be in your possession while operating a PWC. Most insurance companies recognize this course and will provide a 10 percent discount on boat insurance upon successful completion.

Each of the above US Coast Guard Auxiliary courses is offered to the public. The cost is $60 for the BS&S course and $50 for the ABC course to cover the cost of books, materials and other class handouts. It is not necessary for students to own a boat to register for these classes.

For over 60 years, tens of thousands of men and women of the Coast Guard Auxiliary have spent millions of volunteer hours helping the Coast Guard carry out its missions. For additional information on America's Volunteer Lifesavers or these courses contact Flotilla Commander Joseph Orlich at 516-624-USCG (8724), sixos@optonline.net or visit our website: www.cgali.org