Affordable 3-hour at-the-helm powerboat courses
by Scott Croft 19 Mar 2019 11:27 PDT
12-14 April 2019
Want to learn the basics of powerboating or brush up on your skills? A partnership between the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water and Freedom Boat Club Annapolis and will bring affordable on-water boat training courses taught aboard single-engine powerboats to the Bay Bridge Boat Show, April 12-14, held at Bay Bridge Marina, Stevensville.
Intro to Boating and Women Making Waves are both three hours long and offered at $149 admission to the boat show is included. Boats are provided by Freedom Boat Club of Annapolis, and class size is limited to four students per vessel, ensuring each student gets sufficient time at the helm under the watchful eye of a U.S. Coast Guard-certified instructor.
Intro to Boating covers shifting, steering and throttle control, basic docking, open-water handling and basic navigation. It's offered Friday and Saturday at 10:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 2:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., and Sunday at 10:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
The ladies-only course, Women Making Waves, offers the same curriculum and is the perfect opportunity to spend a half day learning boat-handling techniques in a supportive environment. It's offered Friday and Saturday at 10:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m., and Sunday at 10:15 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The goal of the courses is to address the high costs typically associated with at-the-helm training, making hands-on boating education more accessible. The courses also offer area residents the chance to try out recreational boating and give current boaters the opportunity to improve their boat-handling skills.
Space is limited. Students must be 21 years or older. To sign up for any on-water training course from the BoatUS Foundation, go to BoatUS.org/On-Water.