New Bedford CG Aux. Celebrates 70 Years
Flotilla 65 assists the Coast Guard by operating patrols, offering Vessel Safety Checks, free boating safety classes and other boating activities. Photo courtesy Flotilla 65.
SouthCoastToday: On May 14, 1942, the “New Bedford Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 1N-0605″ was formed by a small group of local boating enthusiasts. Records from the earliest days tell us there were 17 charter members.
The overarching mission of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is to contribute to the safety and security of our citizens, ports, and waterways.
The Flotilla was originally established in New Bedford and thus the name “New Bedford” Flotilla 1N-0605. The numbers signify that it was the 5th Flotilla in Division 6 of the 1st Coast Guard District. The Flotilla was made up of dedicated boaters who seized every opportunity to better themselves.
Throughout the years, the unit continued to function and grow providing boating education to the public, offering courtesy vessel examinations, and doing “sunset patrols” to assist the Coast Guard on busy weekends.
Flotilla 65 has grown from 17 members in 1942, to 446 members in 2012, and is now the largest flotilla in the country.
The Flotilla continues to dedicate itself to recreational boating safety by providing safe boating courses, vessel safety checks, commercial fishing vessel exams, safety and security patrols, pollution response patrols, marine environmental protection and assisting the U.S. Coast Guard in all missions except law enforcement. In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary operates in any mission as directed by the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard or Secretary of Homeland Security.
The overarching mission of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is to contribute to the safety and security of our citizens, ports, and waterways. Its balances its missions of recreational boating safety and Coast Guard support with Maritime Homeland Security.
Read more:
Share this Article On 
Follow BoatingLocal:
Like BoatingLocal on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Receive our Daily RSS Feed.
About the Author
Tom Richardson is the co-director and host of BoatingLocal. Before that he served as the editor of Northeast Boating from 2005 to 2009, and as managing editor of Salt Water Sportsman magazine from 1995 to 2004. He lives, boats and fishes in southeastern Massachusetts with his wife and three kids.
