About Us
About UsHouston Sail and Power Squadron is America's Boating Club® Houston.
For Boaters, By Boaters™
We are a non-profit fraternal organization whose primary purpose is to educate our members and the public with the goal of improving the boating experience for all. Whether it’s conducting our nationally recognized America’s Boating Course for the public, or providing a multi session course on Celestial Navigation, or any course in between, there’s something for everyone. We’ve formed a partnership with many maritime-oriented organizations to further boating education, boating safety, and stewardship of our waters.
As a growing and dynamic organization, we support all facets of recreational boating. Our Squadron has official ties with Leave No Trace, Inc., the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Galveston Bay Foundation. We have smaller groups within the Squadron that focus on kayaking, SCUBA diving, amateur (ham) radio, fishing and long-distant cruising (think Great Loop or Caribbean sailing).
We conduct Vessel Safety Checks, a program designed to ensure that vessels are properly equipped for safe boating. The United States Power Squadron has been conducting these safety inspections for several decades, and nationally have inspected over 500,000 vessels. These inspections are available and free to anyone.
Our Burgee Heraldry
The charter for the Houston Sail and Power Squadron was granted in February 1949 as part of District 15. It became one of the founding squadrons of District 21 in October of 1956. As the first squadron in Texas, our burgee (the triangular shaped flag above) draws on the proud history of our great state. The white star in the field of blue is derived from our state flag. It is symbolic of the fact that Texas is the only state that was an independent country, and today is known as “The Lone Star State”. The cowboy on the seahorse combines our western heritage, our love of the sea, and our sense of adventure. The slogan “Where the Cowboys Ride the Sea” appears in the masthead of the “Bay Neigh”, our monthly newsletter.
This cowboy is a unique symbol that is prominent in our publications, apparel, and in our home port decorations. The name of this character is Randolph, after the famous actor Randolph Scott. Scott was a complete gentleman, combining a rugged “can do” attitude with and a sense of decency and fair play. Those are qualities we all aspire to possess. The seahorse that Randolph is riding is named “Stardust”, after Scott’s favorite mount. The gold trim on the burgee recognizes the celebration of our 50th anniversary in 1999. Our Houston Burgee has flown proudly from vessels that have traveled many lakes, rivers, and oceans. It has also circled the globe on a NASA mission.
Where We Go Boating
Our members have many options for boating and we use a lot of them! We are on the local bays and rivers and lakes. Our fleet runs from large, multi-engine trawlers, to small-to-large sailboats; small power boats for fun, fishing and training; kayaks and canoes!
