BoatUS Foundation looking for a few good Captains to teach on-water powerboat skills courses
by Scott Croft 12 Jul 2018 05:28 PDT
The BoatUS Foundation is looking for U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Captains to teach on-water powerboat skills courses © Stacey Nedrow-Wigmore / BoatUS
The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is seeking U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Captains interested in teaching new or experienced boaters on-water powerboat handling and navigation skills courses at locations around the country. Courses are taught in small groups of three to four students aboard single- and twin-engine power vessels approximately 21- to 26-feet in length, provided by local partners such as marinas, boat dealers and select Freedom Boat Club locations. A National Safe Boating Council or Freedom Boat Club-approved course curriculum guides instructors who teach three-hour courses over a day or weekend. Captain pay ranges from $250 to $350 per day.
The Foundation's On-Water Training courses are designed to address the high costs typically associated with at-the-helm training, making hands-on boating education more affordable, and offer the chance to try out recreational boating or give boaters the opportunity to brush up on their skills.
To date, more than 600 students have taken the BoatUS Foundation's on-water courses at more than a dozen locations in Florida, Southern California, New England, the Mid-Atlantic and the Gulf Coast. More course dates will be added in 2019 and will include additional locations in the Midwest, Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest.
The most common lesson offering is the basic "Powerboat I" or "Intro to Boating" course that teaches students how to prepare a boat for departure, steer straight at idle speed, center the wheel, shift gears and throttle control, stop the boat in an emergency, station hold, perform the "Boater's Eye" technique, and understanding the "weathervane effect." A "Powerboat II" course covers pivot turns, docking alongside a pier and departing, and how to maintain a proper lookout. Some classes are themed to ladies-only or parents and teenagers.
Any U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain interested in learning more can complete a short survey at www.getfeedback.com/r/N0xuMGeG. To see a current list of course dates and locations, visit BoatUS.org/On-Water.