Seven-week basic boating course starts March 5 in Revere

REVERE-The Broad Sound Power Squadron will conduct a basic seven-week boating course starting Wednesday, March 5, at the Point of Pines Yacht Club.Classes will be held every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Once the course is completed, the squadron will offer a special charting course. A free buffet will be presented on certificate night for students who pass the basic class, according to Vincent Scagliotti, past commander of U.S. Power Squadron District 18, the Broad Sound Power Squadron, a boating educational safety organization.The course will be taught by Scagliotti, Bill Reid, Paul Petrowski and Don Spurr, all of whom have plenty of nautical experience.”This course is almost mandatory these days,” said Scagliotti, noting the earliest goals of the U.S. Power Squadron was to provide education without legislation. “That was the original goal, but things have changed somewhat. If you are going to be boating on the lakes in New Hampshire, the law enforcement people up there are going to want to see a course certificate. And the same goes for the kids who are flying around on the Saugus River. If they’ve got a motor attached, they’re going to have to have a junior operator’s license. That’s what this course gets you.”Scagliotti said the U.S. Power Squadron and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary are the accepted host organizations for such course offerings, adding that the Massachusetts Environmental Police also have begun conducting classes.Anyone interested in the course can sign up at the yacht club on the first day of classes. Enrollment is limited to 40. The fee is $40 and covers all materials. For more information, call Scagliotti 781-492-1926.