Boating Courses
Operating a boat requires a greater skill than operating a car or truck. To enjoy a pleasurable and safe
boating experience you must acquire these skills.
Some recommendations are:
• Take a Coast Guard, United States Power Squadron boating safety course.
- For information go to: http://www.usps.org/
• Take a boating safety course offered by local colleges or boating clubs.
• Obtain “hands-on” training from qualified personnel on how to operate your vessel.
Boating courses help you to gain knowledge and experience in such areas as, but is not limited to:
navigation, seamanship, rules of the road, weather, safety at sea, survival, first aid, communications,
and pollution control.
Basic Seamanship
As the owner/operator it is your responsibility to learn the “rules-of-the-road”
and understand basic seamanship rules and standards, as only
rudimentary information is repeated here.
In practical terms boats that are less maneuverable have the right-of-way over more agile vessels. In
general a power-driven vessel must give way to the following:
• A sailing vessel under sail only (engines not running).
– When the sailboat is under engine power, it is considered a power-driven vessel.
• Vessels propelled by oars or paddles.
• A commercial fishing vessel engaged in fishing.
– This does not apply to sport fishers or party boats.
• Vessels with restricted maneuverability, such as:
– Tow boats.
– A vessel engaged in dredging activities or work that restricts it to a specific area.
– A vessel engaged in the transfer of supplies from one vessel to another.
• A vessel not under command, broken down.
Meeting Situations
When meeting in various situations the give-way vessel must take action to avoid a collision and
maintain a safe distance. The stand-on vessel should maintain course and speed.
If it becomes apparent that a collision is possible and the
give-way vessel is not taking corrective action, it is your
responsibility to take action and avoid a collision.
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Safety And Operations
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