Boating School Information

Choosing the right boating school can often mean the difference between finding a new passion in life and having an awful experience. One of my favorite stories an old boat dealer buddy of mine used to tell was when a client of his bought a big new power boat. In his excitement and desire to use it he grabbed his wife and headed out into the ocean for a short ride, the words “three hour tour” come to mind here.

In his haste to get his wife out on their new toy he did not bother to check the weather forecast. Needless to say the weather turned ugly, the inexperienced skipper panicked, his wife was absolutely terrified, and after receiving assistance to get back to the dock from local marine authorities he promptly called the broker and listed the boat for sale. Now while this may seem like a great way for a broker to earn a two-for-one commission on a boat, it is obviously not an ideal situation for anyone.

A little time spent in the classroom of any decent boating school would have given the poor individual in our story the simple knowledge that you don’t leave the dock without first checking the weather. Now this may seem like common sense to most people, but trust me, when the excitement of boating is on the horizon, plans are being made, lunches packed, calls placed, engines warmed up, etcetera… it is easy to forget something as simple as this.

This is really where choosing the right boating school comes into play. Think about what you want out of the program. Here are some examples of different focused programs some boating schools offer:

• Basic Seamanship
• Learn to sail
• Understanding Aids to Navigation
• Reading a Nautical Chart
• Safety at Sea
• Marine Weather
• Docking and Anchoring
• Radar
• Celestial navigation

The list could go on and on, in fact no experienced mariner would ever claim to have learned everything about boating there is to know. One of my favorite maritime quotes is this: Good seamanship is defined as having sufficient intelligence, experience, and foresight to avoid desperate circumstances demanding same.

The bottom line is when looking for a good boating school it is best to keep your options open, that is why we recommend programs like WindPath’s boat training courses. These types of boat club programs allow you to really experience all boating has to offer without the significant upfront investment like the one made from our story above.

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