POWERBOATS, HOUSEBOATS, jet skis, jon boats, and even sailboats all make appearances at the annual Spirit of America Youth Boating Camp on Tims Ford Lake.
As the interest in water recreation continues to increase, so do accidents and fatalities. Boating camp incorporates fun and safety education for area youth ages 12 to 15. It’s a week filled with hands-on training in handling a multitude of watercraft, led by Ranger Dalton Smith.
“Camp is for the kids, but they take that information home, and their parents learn from it as well,” Ranger Smith said.
Camps run Monday through Friday, and this year’s camps will be June 20 – 24 and July 25 – 29. It is a week filled with hands-on education as well as visual and auditory learning.
- Monday is water safety training on how to survive different situations.
- Tuesday is the Tennessee state boating education course and license test.
- Wednesday the students drive the boats that they’re now licensed to operate.
- Thursday is large vessel safety education and boating law enforcement.
- Friday is paddling and sailing – canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and sailboats.
It is a Spirit of America program, but Ranger Smith has added two other fun features that are unique to the Tims Ford camp: an airboat and houseboat. Most students only experience airboats on Florida vacations. Houseboats are popular on Tims Ford Lake and have sewage, electricity, and water connections, and campers learn to safely work with the utilities.
Ranger Smith said, “We’ll do jet skis. We’ll do jon boats with an outboard motor and tiller handle. We’ll do a center console boat with the steering wheel in the middle. We do pontoon boats and the airboat rides. They don’t drive the airboat, but they get to drive everything else and learn maneuvers, turning, backing up. They get a first-hand feel for it all.”
The law enforcement segment is good for many reasons. It teaches them that everything they’ve learned is not just important, it’s the law. It also gives them a glimpse into possible careers that might be of interest to them. They might one day pursue a career in boating enforcement, work as a state park ranger, or in general law enforcement.
“It’s on the trailer, completely unrigged. We go through all the terminology and all the parts. The students are the ones doing all the rigging up. We’ve been blessed the last couple of years with good weather for sailing. The kids learn to catch the wind and figure out how to make it go, turn around, and stop. That’s an experience a lot of kids don’t have – a sailing experience,” said Ranger Smith.
He said, “We want to make sure they not only get to experience and learn about, but that they come out of class confident they can do it all again.”
Classes are limited to a maximum of 20 students. Applications may be obtained and returned in person or by email from the park office. The cost is $75 per student and some scholarships are available.
Volunteers to provide lunch, snacks and drinks, and other assistance during camp are needed and welcomed. You may also help by sponsoring tuition. GN
