Boating School Information

Boating schools offer varying curriculums for those of different experience levels or those looking to accomplish different things.  For the purposes of this article we will assume that you are looking to learn some basic boating skills that will enable you to safely pilot a sail or motor boat in the 30-50 foot range. While most of these types of classes last from a few days to a week it is important to remember that boating skills and good seamanship are the accumulation of skills and experience over time. If you do not get out on the water and actively practice the skills you learn in a boating school you will not receive the full benefit of the training.

A good boating school will teach you a set of skills, as well as a system for applying them in the real world. Most programs will begin with some classroom time where you review items like weather, rules of the road, basic navigation, crew operations and skills, preparing to depart, emergency procedures and safety best practices. Some boating schools also cover some of theory involved like sailing theory, leaving a dock or mooring, anchoring, boat control in confined waters, boat control in open waters, dead reckoning skills, man overboard recovery methods and others in the classroom.

While all this classroom time is a valuable part of the learning experience there is no substitute for actually getting out on the water in a real boat and practicing. Some new companies have recently begun to offer “online” boating schools, while these types of programs are a great supplement to an on the water class, an online program alone is no substitute for real experience on the water.

After a few hours in the class room most good boat schools will get you out on the water for some real firsthand experience. You may wish to consider the type and size of vessel the school has available and request one that matches or comes close to what you think you will be piloting when you complete you training. Some instructors will even provide training on your own boat.

We recommend trying a boat club that offers a good training program because it will give you the opportunity to participate in an accredited school, and then get out on the water to practice those skills on a shared boat without the time and financial commitments of boat ownership. Visit our sponsor WindPath Fractional Yachting for more information.