Public Courses
The
Squadron Boating Course is a course for all boaters including skippers of a
family cruiser, sailing enthusiasts, personal watercraft (PWC) operators, hunters
or fishermen operating an outboard utility boat, and canoe and kayak paddlers,.
It covers the basics you need to know to safely and legally operate your boat,
such as basic boating terminology, boat handling, water sports safety, PWCs,
legally required equipment and other boating laws and regulations, right-of-way
rules between boats, and marine radio operation. The course is meant to be of
interest to the whole family, and we encourage your family to attend as a group.
Beyond the basic safety material, additional material covers the fundamentals
of reading nautical charts, of using a chart to plot and follow a safe course,
and the basics of using a Global Positioning System (GPS) for navigation.
In addition to practice charts and plotting tools, the materials supplied with
the course also include a CD-ROM containing Maptech’s
Chart Navigator computer program, allowing the student to learn about this exciting
new electronic technology. The Squadron
Boating Course can be taught in either of two formats at your local
squadron's discretion – an eight (8) hour course covering basic safety topics,
or a twelve (12) hour course covering safety plus charting and navigation topics.
Either format with its proctored examination meets the requirements of National
Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) so that you can get your
safety certificate in those states that require one to operate a power driven
vessel.
GTBay offers the Squadron Boating Course on two Saturday mornings to cover
the (8) hour Basic Safety topics and one (4) Saturday afternoon for the Boater
that would like an introduction to Charting and Electronic Charting.
GTBay
will offer the Squadron Boating Course in the Spring of 2009. The schedule has
not been set at this time.