Flotilla 96, Wiggins Pass has just announced an additional class for the always-in-demand Local Waters Knowledge Class that teaches area boaters how to safely navigate the channels and waterways inside the Southwest coast of Florida.

The course is available on Monday, March 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Flotilla’s on-water station in the Cocohatchee River Park, 13531 Vanderbilt Drive, Naples, and is led by two experienced local licensed captains and Coast Guard Auxiliary members.

Through a combination of charts, graphs and exclusive aerial videography the course familiarizes boaters with Wiggins Pass to Mantanzas Pass on Fort Myers Beach, Little Hickory and Estero Bay plus the estuarial waterways of Vanderbilt Lagoon, Water Turkey Bay and the Cocohatchee and Imperial Rivers.

The cost is $45 per person, but space is limited and so reservations are required and can be made by calling (239) 594-8009 or through the flotilla’s website (https://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=070-09-06)

Boaters that participate in boating training courses have significantly lower rates of on-water incidents and so training is an important part of the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s Recreational Boating Safety mandate.

The Flotilla also offers the popular Boat America course which is the day-long safe boating course that can lead to the award of a Florida boaters license. This course is offered every month and features a class on Saturday, April 12, at 9 a.m.