About the Auxiliary and Division 1

Find your closest flotilla by using the Auxiliary Flotilla Finder.

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, 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 flotillas of Division 1 of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England 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.

America's Boating Course classes are conducted several times a year. The schedules are posted on this web site. 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.

The members of the Division 1 flotillas are also active in conducting safety patrols. Using their own boats, which have been equipped and inspected to Coast Guard standards, they can be found on most weekends, holidays, and some weekdays during the Summer, assisting the recreational boater and helping to keep our waterways safe.

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.