America's Boating Course is a course for all boaters (the personal watercraft
operator; the hunter or fisherman operating an outboard utility boat; the
skipper of a family cruiser; the sailing enthusiast). All boaters must follow
the same nautical rules, regulations, and courtesies of the sea. All are subject
to the same forces of nature while boating.
America's Boating Club of Lake Murray will offer this course in two half-day sessions from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. each on
March 16 and 23 and again on May 4 and 11. Cost is $40 per person or $50
for two people sharing one instruction manual. The course will be held at Flotilla Island on Lake Murray, which is located at
the end of Johnson Marina Road in Ballentine. The address is 2390 Johnson Marina
Road, Chapin, S.C.
Visit our Boating Course page to
pre-register or email your interest in taking the class to
Lake Murray's Educational Officer Mike
Zafoot.
If room is available in the course, onsite registration will be held from
8:30 a.m. until 9 a.m. on March 16 and May 4.
You also may
follow this link to register online.
As boating is often a family activity, the course is of value to all members
of a boating family. USPS encourages families to attend as groups. Qualified, enthusiastic, and experienced USPS instructors provide instruction
as a civic service. There is never a charge for instruction; the only costs are
those for materials, plus overhead costs such as classroom rental, shipping and
handling, sales tax, etc.
While the content of the student manual serves as the basis for this course,
it will also serve as a reference book in basic boating long after the course
work is completed. Taught by certified instructors, the course has been approved by the National Association of
State Boating Law Administrators and meets boating license and safety
certification requirements in South Carolina. If you are unable to attend our
classroom offering, visit the
America's Boating Course website to learn how to order the CD version of the
course or to take the course online.
USPS believes that the more educated a boater becomes, the more likely that
boater will be a safe boater. America's Boating Course is the beginning of a boating
education. USPS encourages students to follow this brief and basic course with
additional boating education such as the courses offered to members of the
United States Power Squadrons. Your instructor can give you information about
these advanced courses.
America's Boating Club of Lake Murray also offers America's Boating Course
to residents, family and friends of specific communities and neighborhoods as
part of its Safe Boating Outreach Program. Presented in an eight-hour format, it
can be held at your local club house; just call and let us know you want to
learn to be a safe boater.
Course topics to be covered in America's Boating Course include:
-
Introduction to
Boating: types of power
boats; sailboats; outboards; paddle boats; houseboats; different uses of
boats; various power boating engines; jet drives; family boating basics.
-
Boating Law:
boat registration; boating regulation; hull identification number; required
boat safety equipment; operating safely and reporting accidents; protecting
the marine environment; Federal boat law; state boating laws; personal
watercraft requirements.
-
Boat
Safety Equipment:
personal flotation devices ("life jackets"); fire extinguishers;
sound-producing devices; visual-distress signals; dock lines and rope; first
aid kit; anchors and anchor lines; other boating safety equipment.
-
Safe Boating:
bow riding; alcohol and drug abuse; entering, loading, and trimming a boat;
fueling portable and permanent tanks; steering with a tiller and a wheel;
docking, undocking, and mooring; knots; filing a float plan; checking
equipment, fuel, weather, and tides; using charts; choosing and using an
anchor; safe personal watercraft (PWC) handling; general water safety.
-
Navigation:
the U.S. Aids to Navigation system; types of buoys and beacons; navigation
rules (sometimes referred to as right-of-way rules); avoiding collisions;
sound signals; PWC "tunnel vision."
-
Boating Problems:
hypothermia; boating accidents and rescues; man overboard recovery;
capsizing; running aground; river hazards; strainers: emergency radio calls;
engine problems; equipment failures; carbon monoxide (CO); other boating and
PWC problems.
-
Trailering, Storing
and Protecting Your Boat:
types of trailers; trailer brakes, lights, hitches, tires, and bearings;
loading, balancing, and towing a trailer; towing (and backing) a trailer;
boat launching and retrieving; boat storage and theft protection; launching,
retrieving, and storing a PWC.
-
Hunting and
Fishing, Water-skiing, and River Boating:
carrying hunting gear and weapons in a boat; fishing from a boat;
water-skiing safety guidelines and hand signals; water-skiing with a PWC;
navigating rivers, and other boating tips.
If you need more information or would like to request America's Boating Club of
Lake Murray teach its outreach program on safe boating in your neighborhood,
e-mail Lake Murray's Educational Officer Mike
Zafoot.
