Peace River Sail and Power Squadron
Boating Course Training Cruise
In March 2000, following the spring classes, an on the water training cruise was offered to the Boating class students and their families. The 65 foot Good Times Too cruise boat was chartered from Kingfisher Cruise Lines at Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda. The three hour cruise on Charlotte Harbor was designed to put to practice the piloting skills students learned in class.
Students were provided the navigation aids to be used and speed. Their task was to plot the courses and determine the times between markers before the cruise.
The cruise began at 1800 before dusk when the markers were clearly visible. Soon, darkness set in and only the distinguishing light sequences could be used to identify the navigation aids. The Good Times Too Captain Debby ran the thirty mile course and illuminated the markers with the spotlight as they were passed.
Ten instructors accompanied the students and assisted in taking bearings and determining position enroute.
Since the first training cruise in March 2000, six additional cruises have been conducted following completion of the Boating course. This has been an extremely popular event with the students.
Below are photos and the Charlotte Harbor chart showing the route of the cruise. Click on the small images to see a larger photo.
