About the Auxiliary and Flotilla 22

Since its creation by Congress in 1939, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has served as the civilian volunteer component of the Coast Guard. Today, over 28,000 members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary are active on the waterways and in the classrooms in over 2,000 cities and towns across the nation, all to promote boating safety.

Membership in the Auxiliary is open to men and women, 17 years of age or older, who are U.S. citizens, and are interested in promoting Recreational Boating Safety. The local Lake Allatoona Flotilla, with a membership of about thirty volunteers, is a part of Division 2 of the Seventh Coast Guard District, and is active on Lake Allatoona in northwest Georgia. The flotilla members also provide classroom instruction in Boating Skills and Seamanship, Personal Watercraft Safety, and other programs to introduce young people to Water and Boating Safety.

Local flotilla members also perform Vessel Safety Checks. These examinations are provided to boat owners wishing to have a free, courtesy check of their boat's safety equipment. While performing the VSC, Auxiliary Vessel Examiners conduct a "one-on-one" educational session with the boat owner, providing the owner with an opportunity to ask questions and obtain the latest information on safety equipment and regulations which affect the recreational boater. Vessel Safety Checks are free examinations of your boat and safety equipment by a qualified Vessel Examiner.

Boating safety classes are conducted several times a year. The schedules will be listed on this web site. Boating safety classes cover such topics as safety equipment, which boat for you, basic boat handling, weather, trailering your boat, knots and lines, marine engines, and many other topics related to enhancing skills and safety in recreational boating. These courses include a 1-day Boat Georgia course, a 1-day course on Personal Watercraft (PWC), and a 3-day Boating Skills and Seamanship (BS&S) class.

The members of the Allatoona flotilla are also active in conducting safety patrols on our lakes. Using their own boats, which have been equipped and inspected to Coast Guard standards, they can be found on most weekends and holidays, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, assisting the recreational boater and helping to keep our waterways safe.

The flotilla holds monthly meetings on the third Saturday of each month at the Roberts School Community & Education Center in Acworth, Georgia. The meeting starts at 10 a.m., and is usually followed by a short member training session. For additional information, to register for a class, to schedule a Vessel Safety Check of your boat, or to get information on how you can join the Auxiliary, please visit our "Contacts" page on this site.