Course for beginners, women and those with some experience; Includes show admission
STEVENSVILLE, Md. – Want to get a taste of the boating life or improve your on-water boat handling skills? The nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water will bring affordable on-water boat training courses taught aboard single-engine powerboats to the Bay Bridge Boat Show, April 17-19, held at Bay Bridge Marina, Stevensville.
Boats are provided by the BoatUS Foundation and class size 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-licensed captain. All course takers enjoy free admission to the show.
“Intro to Boating” and “Women Making Waves” are both three hours long and offered at $149. Intro to Boating covers shifting, steering and throttle control, basic docking, open-water handling and basic navigation. It’s offered Friday and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m., and Sunday at 10:15 a.m. and 2 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 at 10:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m., Saturday at 10:15 a.m. and Sunday at 10:15 a.m.
For those with more experience or simply looking to pick up new boat handling skills, “Precision Docking and Boat Handling” may be for you. The three-hour course, also affordably priced at $149, covers 180-degree turnarounds, docking on both port and starboard sides, departing from a dock, and how to use S.C.A.N. procedures to avoid distracted driving. It’s available on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday at 10:15 a.m. and 2 p.m.
For students with some experience and who have completed Precision Docking and Boat Handling, “Open Water Boat Handling” includes utilizing boat trim, displacement and planing modes, object avoidance, ferrying and emergency stopping. It’s available Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday at 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 18 years or older. To sign up for any on-water training course from the BoatUS Foundation, go to BoatUS.org/On-Water.
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About the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water:
The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating. Funded primarily by donations from the more than half-million members of Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the nonprofit provides innovative educational outreach directly to boaters and anglers with the aim of reducing accidents and fatalities, increasing stewardship of America's waterways and keeping boating safe for all. A range of boating safety courses – including 36 free state courses – can be found at BoatUS.org/Courses.
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com