Naples School of Boating LLC

ARE YOU IGNORING THE BEST SAFETY FEATURE ABOARD YOUR BOAT?

Boater's Guide: Everything You Need to Know About MMSI Numbers

May is boating safety month, so we are diving into a crucial topic for your on-the-water safety and communication: the Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number. Whether you just bought a new boat or are upgrading your vessel's electronics, here is everything you need to know about what an MMSI is, why you want one, and how to get it.

What is MMSI and How Does It Work?

A Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) is a globally unique, nine-digit number that identifies your specific vessel. You can think of it as a "telephone number" for your boat. The number is coded with information indicating the issuing government, the type of station, and your vessel's unique identity. To use an MMSI, you must program the number into your VHF radio equipped with Digital Selective Calling (DSC).

What Are the Benefits of Setting Up MMSI?

Programming an MMSI into your electronics dramatically enhances your safety and communication capabilities:

Automated Distress Calling: The most significant benefit is the ability to transmit an automated distress call. In an emergency, pushing a single distress button on your DSC radio transmits a signal containing your exact MMSI number to the U.S. Coast Guard and all other DSC-capable receivers within range.

Faster, Smarter Rescues: When the Coast Guard receives your alert, they use your unique MMSI to pull up your pre-registered vessel details and emergency contact information, allowing them to mount a highly efficient rescue effort. Furthermore, if your radio is linked to a GPS receiver, your exact latitude and longitude will be broadcast alongside your MMSI.

AIS Visibility: If you want to use an AIS transponder to broadcast your course, speed, position, and vessel name to other ships in your area to avoid collisions, an MMSI number is absolutely required.

How to Get an MMSI Number

How you obtain an MMSI depends entirely on how and where you plan to use your boat.

For Recreational Boaters in U.S. Waters: If your boat is under 65 feet, is used strictly for recreation, and will never visit a foreign port or communicate with foreign stations, you are not legally required to carry a radio. Therefore, you can get a free or low-cost MMSI through approved U.S. organizations such as BoatUS or the U.S. Power Squadrons. These organizations will relay your registration information directly to the U.S. Coast Guard.

For Boaters Traveling Internationally: If you plan to sail to a foreign country (such as Canada, Mexico, or the Bahamas) or communicate with foreign stations, you must get an FCC Ship Station License. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will issue an internationally recognized MMSI as part of this ten-year license. You will also need a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit (RROP) for yourself. Note: If you already have a domestic MMSI from BoatUS and plan to leave the country, you will have to delete your existing MMSI and replace it with an FCC-issued one.

For Handheld Radios: If you have a portable handheld VHF radio with DSC, the FCC has a special MMSI class for handhelds. This allows the handheld radio to be licensed independently and moved between different vessels.

A Final Rule of Thumb: Remember that an MMSI belongs to the vessel, not the user. If you ever sell your boat or your radio, you cannot simply remove the MMSI from memory. You must update or transfer the registration so the new owner's emergency contact information is tied to the vessel.

The old pier becomes a reef 🪸 🐡🐠

On Friday, April 24, 2026, the City of Naples, along with Pier rebuild contractors Shoreline Foundation, Inc., and marine and environmental engineers Turrell, Hall & Associates (THA), marked a milestone in recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian and the rebuilding of the iconic Naples Pier. Fifty-nine concrete pilings from the demolished pier, totaling over 300 tons, were successfully deployed at the Wasmer Reef site, located approximately 10 miles offshore of Gordon Pass in the Gulf.

Rather than sending the concrete to the landfill, the City exercised a reef deployment option, transforming remnants of the Naples Pier into the foundation of a new underwater ecosystem. The deployment, made possible through a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit and overseen by THA, marks the eighth reef created within the Wasmer site. The reef was first established in 2015 through a multi-agency collaboration funded by BP oil spill grants and private donations.

The Wasmer Reef, now more than a decade old, is thriving and hosts corals, aquatic vegetation, invertebrates, bivalves, and tunicates that provide refuge and food for juvenile and mature fish species alike. The Naples Pier pilings will join that legacy, with dive teams confirming site conditions before and after deployment to ensure full compliance with permit requirements.

Remaining pier pilings not destined for the reef have also been diverted from the landfill. They have been delivered to a recycling facility, where they will be processed into recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) for use in road construction.

For Naples Pier Rebuild Project updates, visit the Naples Pier Rebuild Project webpage or subscribe to the City of Naples email lists. Video footage and additional photos from the reef deployment will be posted later this week.

Just another day at the office! Today we delivered this Sea Ray 400SLX from Marco Island to LaBelle Florida. Need your boat relocated for off season storage? We provide deliveries and captain services to all of Southwest Florida. Visit our website to learn more.

www.naplesschoolofboating.com

From Coast to Coast: Mastering the Locks of Lake Okeechobee

There is nothing quite like the transition from the Atlantic to the Gulf via the heart of Florida. The Okeechobee Waterway is a bucket-list trip for many, but as any seasoned captain knows, the five locks—from St. Lucie to W.P. Franklin—are the true gatekeepers of the journey. Whether you’re a first-timer or looking for a refresher on the 2026 navigation updates, this edition of the newsletter is for you. I’m sharing a "how-to" video from my recent trip through the waterway, along with the critical resources you need to check before you ever cast off your lines. Let’s dive into the art of "locking through" and the best ways to tackle the open water of the Big O.

Fair Winds,

-Capt. Frank

A Boater's Guide to the Okeechobee Waterway | Frank Lecardo From Coast to Coast: Mastering the Locks of Lake Okeechobee There is nothing quite like the transition from the Atlantic to the Gulf via the heart of Florida. The Okeechobee Waterway is a bucket-list trip for many, but as any seasoned captain knows, the five locks—from St. Lucie to W.P. Franklin.....

Yesterday we did a night navigation training and today, a lesson in using radar to navigate in dense fog. Need some confidence at the helm? Visit our website to learn more about our training programs.

Amazing sunset over Marco Island tonight!

Stopping for a bit of lunch before the trip back! It’s a great day to learn boating and navigating!

Trip to Boca Grande today with some customers who are completing our Powerboat Mastery Training program!

Need some navigation training? Our Powerboat Mastery Training Course can help you find your way! We will teach you to read charts, plot waypoints and routes, understand tides and currents, and decide if the weather is safe for your voyage. Build your boating confidence today! Visit our website to learn more!