With Miami's Columbus Day Regatta this weekend, the members of the Coral Gables flotilla will have their hands full.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 6-7 is one of five flotillas in South Florida. And with the busy weekend coming up, it's likely they'll be transporting many people back to shore and safety, while advising boaters that ``law enforcement will be everywhere.''

Held on Biscayne Bay, the annual Columbus Day Regatta is in its 54th year. And with the exception of last year, fatalities during the regatta weekend are not uncommon with the amount of heavy drinking and boats.

''We expect to be transporting a lot of people back to shore,'' said Joel Aberbach, member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary for 35 years.

''Many times people can't find their boat [after swimming] or don't know where they came from because they're so inebriated. Or if the captain of the boat gets arrested, then we have to transport the other members to land,'' he said.

The flotilla members will also be providing medical services during the weekend and will have six to seven boats on site to patrol the area.

The volunteers will be boat patrolling for more than 150 hours starting Friday night and continuing until Monday morning.

Besides this one weekend, the Coral Gables flotilla with its 90 members does much more.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the civilian component of the United States Coast Guard. Volunteers work side-by-side with their active-duty U.S. Coast Guard counterparts in missions including environmental protection, commercial vessel safety inspections, port security and planning, licensing and documentation, public education and patrolling.

The members receive extensive training almost identical to the Coast Guard personnel with the exception of law enforcement and military-specific tasks.

''When there was a freighter fire on the Miami River a short time ago, our members received a call and quickly assembled a crew and established a safety zone on the river so no boats could get close to the fire,'' Coral Gables flotilla member Cal Gordon said.

``And every day we have aircraft in the air to patrol offshore for migrants or drug smugglers.''

Volunteers are out on the water every weekend and also get called out during the week if there's an emergency.

Specifically, the Coral Gables flotilla goes out every fourth weekend of each month as directed by the U.S. Coast Guard to the Miami River, and the north and south bay.

''We couldn't operate without them,'' said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Commanding Officer John Corbett of Station Miami Beach. ``These volunteers are an extension of the station.''

Corbett added that because they're a 2B0 station, meaning there's always two boats that respond at one time to an emergency, that if one boat is taken away to help with something else, then the auxiliary would come in and take over for the Coast Guard.

''They're doing the same job we would be doing,'' Corbett said.

Volunteers say anyone, regardless of skill, can be a part of the flotilla because there are so many different positions available in helping the Coast Guard.

And according to Gordon, Aberbach even organized Operation on Guard with the active duty guard, an initiative similar to that of the Neighborhood Crime Watch program which asks community members to report suspicious activities to local law enforcement agencies.

It later went on to be adopted nationally and became the American Waterway Watch.

But besides volunteering, community members can also receive other services from the flotilla members.

''The Coral Gables flotilla offers vessel safety checks, public education and membership to those who are interested,'' Commander Thomas Walker said.

And even with all the stories and saved lives each member recalled, their best memories of being a member is the ``fellowship and good friends.''

For information on the Coral Gables Flotilla 6-7, call 305-274-9829.

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