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History of the Americas Boating Club
by
Glenn Crews
Admin Officer
Welcome to Americas Boating Club of Hilton Head! You have joined one of the largest and oldest Educational boating clubs in America. From early beginnings in 1914, 20 Yacht Clubs in the northeast U.S. officially started the United States Power Squadrons to provide Education to power boaters.
Recreational boating, in the early 1900s, largely consisted of sailing craft and a few larger steam yachts with professional crews. With the introduction of the internal combustion engine, gasoline-driven watercrafts were establishing their presence. By 1916, there were 500 members of the U.S.P.S.
The United States declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917. Secretary of the Navy, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, accepted a proposal which volunteered the entire U.S.P.S Educational program to train men for U.S. Navy Coastal Defense. In New York City, four free nautical schools were established that taught over 3,000 men while schools in Boston, Detroit and Washington were also established. Over 5,000 men who attended these classes entered the armed services and, based in significant part on the quality of the training that they received.
While 1939 was a milestone in the U.S.P.S organization’s history, tragic events shortly followed as the world once again erupted into war. On 8 December 1941, less than 24 hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, then President Franklin Roosevelt called upon The United States Power Squadron’s Educational Program once again to support the war effort!
Boating today is a Family oriented adventure which requires a focus on Safety and knowledge of all boating operations including weather, docking/undocking and navigation. U.S.P.S. rebranded its’ name to Americas Boating Club to better align with today’s needs, but still consistently provides the best Boating Education in the world. Our local ABC of Hilton Head provides Instructor-led courses and seminars to ensure you have the best and safest boating Member Experience in the Low Country!
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