Who and What is Annapolis Sail & Power Squadron?

As well as offering vessel safety checks, education, and civic service, Annapolis Sail and Power Squadron members socialize, too.

Annapolis Sail & Power Squadron, (ASPS) is a local chapter of the United States Power Squadron.  The United States Power Squadron is a national, non-profit organization with over 40,000 members with a mission to promote recreational boating skills and boating safety through education, hands-on training, and civic activities while providing fellowship for members.

By joining our Squadron, you can become a part of:

1. A premier boating educational organization with great courses and seminars.
2. A civic minded group that donates time and money to the community.
3. A social group that holds raft ups, weekend rendezvous, weeklong cruises, a crab feast, picnics and monthly dinner meetings with interesting speakers.

The old days of power squadrons where uniforms were worn and ceremony was paramount are all but gone from the Annapolis Sail & Power Squadron.  We are more than your parents group of friends.  We still hold to our standards but have adapted to today’s fast paced, informal lifestyle.  We urge you to read on.

Educating boaters is paramount to our mission.  We offer the basic boating course in which you may earn your Maryland Safe Boating Certificate, but we offer so much more!  Here is a list of our courses and seminars:

Our courses generally run 6-8 weeks (one evening per week) and seminars are generally two hours long, often held at the Annapolis West Marine for free!  Both the courses and seminars are taught by our own instructors.  These are some or the best boating skills courses available to the recreational boater anywhere.

Annapolis Sail & Power Squadron (ASPS) is very civic service minded.  We aim to aid our local boaters and community in many ways.  Here is a list of what we do:

• Participate in Safe Boating Week Kickoff in May

• Participate with the Annapolis Sail & Power Boat Shows

• Perform Vessel Safety Checks

• Donate funds and services to other civic groups when possible

• Participant in the annual Toys for Tots program

This year at the Annapolis Boat Shows we will have a Boating Skills Virtual Trainer.  Stop by and try your hand at docking, pivoting, moorings, etc.

Our Vessel Safety Check program is a friendly one-on-one process that we provide for your vessel.  We make our inspection an educational procedure with the goal of providing useful “real world” safety information.  We are NOT an enforcement organization!  No one needs to fear having an inspection done by us.  We only aim to educate and promote safety on the water.  If your vessel doesn’t pass the safety check, our Examiners will help you identify outstanding issues and provide suggestions on how best to make corrections.  We can provide discount coupons from West Marine to purchase required safety equipment.  Upon passing the Coast Guard Vessel Safety Check, your vessel is issued decal indicating your vessel has been inspected and your commitment to safe boating.

ASPS is an all volunteer organization.  So we like to have fun together as well.  However, some Annapolitans have referred to us “a drinking group”.  We are not!  We do have a social hour with most of our events, once we are successfully tied up at the dock or off the water.  Our monthly dinner meetings do have a social hour.  However, that is about the extent of our “drinking group”.  Let us put that myth to bed!

Here is a list of some of our activities:

• Week day and weekend raft ups on local waters

• Weekend rendezvous to Chesapeake Bay destinations

• Weeklong multiple port summer cruises

• Spring Picnic

• Fall Crab Feast

• Monthly Dinner meetings at the Annapolis Sheraton, Sept – June

• Regional and National events with other Squadrons

I urge you to consider joining or visiting ASPS.  You may participate in any of our events without being a member, giving you the opportunity to check us out before joining.  If you desire someone to cruise with, to improve your boating skills, or a Vessel Safety Check, contact ASPS today. Whatever your boating interest I encourage you to give us a try.  We are an Annapolis group in your own back yard with so much to offer.

To learn more about ASPS, check out these informational hyperlinks:

ASPS website:                                            www.aspsmd.org

Anchor Watch (our Newsletter):                 http://bit.ly/1kzsrSM

Information on Member Benefits:               http://bit.ly/1mMw2Ib

Information on Education:                          http://bit.ly/1ppCdqQ

To contact the Commander, email:             [email protected]

For Membership information, email:                    [email protected]

Vessel Safety Check request, email:           [email protected]