Dan Thomas is education officer for the Vero Beach Power Squadron. “When something happens, it happens fast, so you need to think and act quickly,” he says.
When you hear those super sounds of the ‘70s sung by Christopher Cross, it makes you want to hop aboard some wind-driven vessel in search of a Caribbean paradise. But it takes more than “a dream and the wind” to carry you away—just ask Dan Thomas, past commander and current education officer for the Vero Beach Power Squadron.
“When you’re sailing, you’re constantly moving and changing things,” says Thomas, a boater with more than 35 years of experience on the water. “Boating has been called a contact sport. When something happens, it happens fast, so you need to think and act quickly.”
Through the Vero Beach Power Squadron, Thomas teaches “Sailing 101,” a seven-session introductory course that covers everything from basic terms such as “tacking” and “heading up” to the types of sails (jib and mainsail).
Similar to the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Vero Beach Power Squadron is a group of boating enthusiasts who are dedicated to promoting safe boating. It is an affiliate of the United States Power Squadrons, which was established in 1914 and today represents 450 squadrons and 60,000 members nationwide. One of the group’s biggest goals is giving back to the community. Thomas said that the Vero Beach chapter, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, has ranked fifth in the amount of community hours it has donated, including things such as performing life jacket and safety checks at local boat ramps.
Read the entire article in the February 2008 issue
True Tails is a series written by Amy Robinson for Vero Beach’s dog lovers. Ask Amy about your dog’s behavior by clicking below.
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