Be a Safer Boater through Education

Published: Monday, December 13, 2021 11:00 am
By: Jordan Balbresky

How many times have you seen a new boater easing up to a dock and then accidentally hit the throttle and smack into a piling? What about the ones that forget to untie all the way and pull a cleat right off the dock? Everyone makes mistakes, but you can hopefully avoid some of the worst mistakes by preparing yourself for your time out on the water with good habits and by practicing your skills. The saying goes that good choices are based on experience and experience comes from making poor choices. Rather than trial and error, a better way to become a confident and capable boater is to take a class. Boating education is not as sexy as cool underwater lights, a rocking sound system, or the latest in marine electronics, but it is the single most important contributor to a safe and enjoyable day on the water.

It is well worth getting to know the latest education offerings, and thankfully there are a number of organizations that offer a variety of education programs for boaters of all skill levels. These courses can be online or in-person and range from short, half-hour online seminars to multi-week, immersive skills training courses that result in various certifications. One of the organizations that offer these classes is the one with the longest history of offering boater education courses: America’s Boating Club, United States Power Squadrons. Whether in-person, on the water, online or webinar-based courses, the organization’s training goes beyond the basics to focus on making their students the best boaters they can be.

Beginner, intermediate or advanced—whatever your skill level, America’s Boating Club has a class to enhance your boating knowledge and to fit your schedule. Local squadrons are located throughout the country and online classes can be taken from anywhere in the world. The foundation of their education program begins with the “America’s Boating Course.” It gives you the basics you need to get out on the water safely, and it meets most state boating education requirements. It is also available in Spanish, if you prefer. The course has helped countless boaters across the United States achieve state boating licensure and ensures that new boaters are well-prepared. Throughout America’s Boating Course, students dive in for a detailed education on topics like basic boating terminology, weather situations, and rules of responsibility. In the convenient online format, students will use interactive videos and graphics for a fun, innovative learning experience. The printed full-color guidebook you receive at the beginning of the course serves as an important supplement to the online course that offers expansive imaging and broad coverage of all topics that boaters will be able to keep with them on their vessels for reference.

Take what you’ve learned in America’s Boating Course and apply it on the water. America’s Boating Club Hands-on Training program helps boaters develop the skills and techniques that will take their boat-handling and seamanship abilities to the next level. These intensive courses last one or two days and combine classroom technical education and on the water real-world techniques to cover applicable topics like docking, anchoring, boat handling, maneuvering, and rescues.

Once you’ve got the basics, it’s always good to keep learning. Some of the additional key classes America’s Boating Club offers include:

Boat Handling which helps you build your competence and confidence on the water with an in-depth look at practical boating skills.
Marine Navigation and Advanced Marine Navigation that gives you the skills you need to get where you’re going using charts and marine electronics, as well as an understanding of winds, currents, and tides.
Engine Maintenance gives you information on how engines work and basic maintenance procedures, as well as how to recognize problems.
Marine Electrical Systems provides information on AC and DC systems typically found on modern boats.
Marine Communication Systems explains the different types of radios and communication options.
Radar for Boaters gives you basic information on using radar effectively.
Sail lets you learn about basic sailboat designs and nomenclature, rigging, and safety from experienced sailors.
Weather is a detailed study of the causes of weather, various types of storms, clouds and predicting weather.

While these courses enhance your time on the water and your understanding of important aspects of safe boating, the organization is also an incredible resource for continuing to build your skills.

Their video resources on America's Boating Channel include videos on everything from collision avoidance to life jacket care and maintenance. On their website, they have an online glossary of nautical terminology that is a helpful tool for those taking classes or those that just want to better understand some of the jargon that only boaters use. In addition, they have an app downloadable for smartphones and tablets. The America’s Boating Club app uses a device’s internal GPS to give you current location information.

It has an Emergency section that provides a boat’s information to respond to emergencies or give assistance if needed. Once logged in to the app, users can also create a virtual log and easily file float plans. The Resources section includes a vast database of helpful information including links to the National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tide charts, Aids to Navigation, lights and communication flag information, and a section on how to tie knots. Users can also use the app to request a free vessel safety check from their local squadron.

America’s Boating Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to boating safety and education. Its members are boaters and boating families who boat together, learn together, and contribute to their communities by promoting safe boating through education. America’s Boating Club has over 20,000 members organized into more than 300 squadrons across the country. For over a hundred years, the organization’s focus has been on providing unsurpassed boating safety education. Members also provide courtesy vessel safety checks, help the NOAA’s National Ocean Service keep nautical charts accurate, and organize beach cleanups.
To learn more about America’s Boating Club and its mission, visit americasboatingclub.org

About the Author

A former public relations practitioner serving the high-tech and consumer electronics industries, Jordan Balbresky returned to the agency world following a decade of hands-on marine experience. Living in the Caribbean and working in all aspects of the marine industry—from boat building, restoration and maintenance, to charter captain and delivery crew of sailing and motor yachts—Balbresky has a first-hand understanding of the outdoor and maritime markets. Fully immersing himself in the industry, he is a licensed scuba instructor, as well as master mariner and has lived on-board a custom-built schooner while skippering charters on boats of all sizes in the US Virgin Islands. In between articles, he works as a public relations and social media professional and enjoys fly fishing every chance he can.

A version of this article appeared in the Buyer's Guide (November/December) 2022 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.

tags: Boat Club, Boating 101, Education