Whether you’re new to cruising or you consider yourself an old salt, you might want to take advantage of a just-launched online course called “Cruising Boats and Systems” from America’s Boating Club and the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. If you’re new, the course will help you charter or cruise safely and confidently, armed with accurate information. If you’ve done this before, it never hurts to get a refresher course or brush off some cobwebs.
The online course is designed to be user-friendly, and you can take it anytime you want at home, your office or even on your boat. Just go to BoatUS.org/Courses. It covers both powerboats and sailboats, and starts with advice about selecting a cruising vessel and then deals with mechanical and electrical systems, navigation and safety gear, anchoring, and electronic communications.
The course has a series of short quizzes to help you understand and remember key points. It also has a handout you can download and print out to refresh your memory.
“There’s no single boat that’s perfect for cruising,” says Amanda Suttles Pérez, education director of BoatUS Foundation. “We’ll help you look at what you may want to consider for a cruising boat and how to address your specific type of cruising needs. We’ll also show you everything you’ll need to have a fun, stress-free, multi-day cruise.”
The course takes about two hours to complete. It usually costs $30, but it now has an introductory price of $19.95 if you use the coupon code “CRUISING” when you register at BoatUS.org/Courses. Read more:
https://www.boatus.com/pressroom/release.asp?id=1563
