Make it a resolution to take a safe boating class

How are you coming on those New Year’s Resolutions? Here’s one you should make and keep – take a Safe Boating Course. But who really needs it? Well, if you were born after 1986, by law, you need it to operate a powerboat. At any age you need it to operate a PWC – personal water craft – jet ski etc. And if you want your family to be safe on the water you need it and so do they.

What is in a Safe Boating Class? On March 14 there is an 8-week course starting that covers what you need to know. The night on Rules of the Road covers who has the right of way in different circumstances, how to avoid a collision, what danger signals mean. The Aids to Navigation class shows you how to read the signposts of the sea – which marks the middle of a channel and which warn of obstructions, and how to figure out which lighthouse is ahead of you. You learn how to tell one buoy from another at night. The Federal Regulations lesson discusses what legally you need to have aboard and what additional gear can make you even safer and more comfortable.

For the sudden changes affecting wind and waves, the Weather section shows you how to read the signs of pop-up storms and where to get local information. Boat Handling is so important there are two lessons on that. How do you approach the dock when a sudden gust comes up? What’s the best way to take on big waves? Line handling gets you tied up properly. Which line goes on first? How do you raft up next to a friend in Potters Cove smoothly so an overnight change in wind won’t cause a problem?  What kind of knot is best for which tasks? How do you anchor so your boat is secure for whatever the night brings? The Engines lesson shows you basics, winterizing, along with many safety tips. If you have gasoline fuel spilled in the bilge, did you remember to pour in ammonia to cap off the fumes? It is the gas fumes that are volatile.

There is so much to know about electronics. What do you need for communications and what should you have for navigation. What if the electronics fail? Do you know how to read a chart and plot a course? Are you comfortable in the fog? How about at night? Can your family take over if you are incapacitated?

You can take a very short course, but if all the knowledge is crammed into a one day 8 hour course, as a teacher I can tell you it is impossible to remember it all. Resolve to take a full course with the most knowledge you can get. Had a boat for years? Even an old salt can learn new tricks. Make it a weekly family night or nights where you can actually see your kids looking at the demonstrations instead of at their cell phones. It’s a great example for them to see you value learning and are taking a class with them. Google Northstarflotilla and click on Boating Classes to find out more. You can take Power Boating, a Sail Course, or do some Advanced Navigation! Resolve to make 2016 the year of family fun and safe boating!