Since 1964 America’s Boating Club Cape Coral, the Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron has been an active participant in the Cape Coral community. The club provides a variety of educational, social and community service activities to our members and the public at large. 

Boaters new to Southwest Florida find our waterways “different” and many that stop by our booth at the Framer’s Market ask lots of questions. In response the Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron has created a new seminar for boaters that are new to Southwest Florida. 

The Southwest Florida Boating Primer is a seminar that runs 90 minutes and is designed to help boaters understand how the commercial development in Fort Myers and the draining of the Everglades had both positive and negative impacts on how and where we can boat. It also looks at why it is important to know how to read a chart, understand the impacts of river currents, tidal current and winds can have on your boating experience. 

Other topics include a discussion of how being in a Federally Protected Manatee Area impacts how and where we can boat. Along with the impact of being on the Intracoastal Waterway system can cause confusion even seasoned boaters. 

During the second half of the seminar, we will look at some of the more popular areas boaters like to visit. Some of these places have more than one way to get into them and the shortcuts you see others use may not always be the best option for your boat or current skills. 

After the seminar members of the club will be on hand to answer questions about boating and how our organization is working to make boating safe for everyone in our community. 

The seminar will be held on Thursday April 18 at 7 p.m. and again on Monday May 1st at 7 p.m. Both sessions will be held at the Cape Coral Sail and Power Squadron, at 917 SE 47th Terrace, Cape Coral, in room 202.

The seminar costs $15 per person and seating for each session is limited, so reserve your seat now by going to the events page at ccsaps.org. 

For more information about America’s Boating Club Cape Coral our offices are open, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Our members also staff a booth at the Cape Coral Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning. At both locations you can find other valuable boating information along with some items for sale, like local charts and books including, “Safe Boating in Southwest Florida, Your Guide to the Many Channels on our Waterways.”