Course Description
This 16-hour hands-on, on-the-water course is for anyone who wants to learn how to safely operate a small motorboat and improve their boathandling skills. No previous experience is required! The US Coast Guard and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) have approved this course and an increasing number of states have recognized it as meeting their requirements for a State Boating Education Certificate.
These national and state approvals call for the course to include a total of six to eight hours of classroom sessions covering required education topics.
US Sailing Membership is not required to participate in a Safe Powerboat Handling course
On-the-Water Sessions
- Engine & electrical systems
- Starting procedures
- Docking
- Leaving & returning to a slip
- Close-quarters maneuvers
- Anchoring
- Steering a range
- Proceeding to a destination
- Person in Water rescue
Classroom Sessions
- Safety, preparation & weather
- Maneuvering concepts
- Registration & capacities
- Equipment requirements
- Preparation & fueling procedures
- Navigation rules of the road
- Aids to navigation
- Environment regulations
Prerequisites
- None, no experience necessary!
Suggested Age
- 10–adult (may be affected by state minimum age)
Certification(s) Earned
- US Sailing/US Powerboating Safe Powerboat Handling Certificate (NASBLA Approved)
- State Boating Education Card (in applicable states)