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Old 07-13-2018, 03:59 PM   #1
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What questions would you ask?

When my daddy passed away 3 months ago he left a boat to my mom and sister. The boat is named after my mom actually.
But neither my mom nor my sister have ever boated without my dad so they are both struggling with using the boat at all since they feel they have too much to learn before being comfortable boating safely. Since my husband and I have been boating for decades, my sister suggest I put together a webinar series for new boaters that teaches the basics, things like how to back the trailer, how to hook up the trailer, navigation, right of way, weather, what does that beeping sound mean and what do i do about it and lots more. Navionics is going to help sponsor this series so it will be completely free to webinar attendees.
For your new boaters out there, what questions do you need answered? For you seasoned boaters, what do you wish someone had taught you when you were a newbie?
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Old 07-13-2018, 04:05 PM   #2
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Sounds like a noble venture! Your dad would be proud. Why not ask your sister and mom what questions they have. Its a place to start. Or you could do a basic video on hooking the trailer up, launching etc and then solicit questions from newbies.love it!
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Old 07-13-2018, 04:41 PM   #3
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Since you're apparently talking about trailerable boats, I request you discuss ramp etiquette or common ramp courtesy during both launch and recovery. Courtesy isn't so common any more and etiquette has gone out of fashion, but there must be a way to convince your audience that there is a mutual benefit of practicing either or both at the ramp.


Thanks, and good luck with your project!
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Old 07-13-2018, 04:43 PM   #4
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Greetings,
Ms. cC. First and foremost, take a US Power Squadron basic boating course before you even get aboard. Knowledge of rules of the road and what does that pretty yellow stick mean are much more important that what's that beeping sound IMO. Condolences for your daddy.
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Old 07-13-2018, 05:16 PM   #5
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I'm glad someone said ramp etiquitte. That's the first thing that I thought of.

You might also consider some of the following:

How to pull someone on a tube safely
Jet Ski Safety
how and where to anchor
navigation with a paper chart
How to respond to some common problems
docking techniques
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Old 07-14-2018, 05:05 PM   #6
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Additionally, if they attend the USPS course, I'll bet they'll find some folks willing to help them along. The local USPS I'm familiar with is loaded with knowledgeable and nice people.
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Old 07-14-2018, 07:44 PM   #7
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Greetings,
Ms. cC. First and foremost, take a US Power Squadron basic boating course before you even get aboard. ...
No harm boarding while docked. Good opportunity to become familiar with systems and inboard equipment, as well as to just enjoy the boat's ambiance.
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Old 07-15-2018, 06:07 AM   #8
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Greetings,
Ms. cC. First and foremost, take a US Power Squadron basic boating course before you even get aboard. Knowledge of rules of the road and what does that pretty yellow stick mean are much more important that what's that beeping sound IMO. Condolences for your daddy.
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Additionally, if they attend the USPS course, I'll bet they'll find some folks willing to help them along. The local USPS I'm familiar with is loaded with knowledgeable and nice people.
Absolutely agree...
USPS now being marketed as Americas Boating Club offers many different learning options both online and live and both classroom and on-the-water. Cost is for materials as instructors are volunteers. Cost of membership and classes is minor in the world of boating and as sbu stated perhaps the biggest benefit will be a new network of friends and resources with similar interests to help them along the way.
Some USPS Squadrons are now offering Jump Start... an on the water introduction and training session on your boat for the new boater. I believe that these are free and a good way to get started and meet some knowledgeable resources to make the USPS connection.
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Old 07-15-2018, 06:42 AM   #9
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The content of a basic boating course been pretty thoroughly hashed out by the Power Squadron, Auxiliary, NASBLA, and a bunch of others. Take one of their courses. They all follow the same basic curriculum.

Another great source would be Chapman's. That covers just about everything a beginner needs to know, and looks really salty sitting on the coffee table.
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Old 07-15-2018, 07:09 AM   #10
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As a past USPS Basic Boating Course instructor, I'd recommend a thorough review of the material covered in that course. It's a well-thought out plan for introduction to what every boater should know, from getting the boat to the water to returning safely. Our focus was always on getting the most enjoyment out of boating by being safe and knowledgeable. Those who don't participate in some sort of basic skills/knowledge building are really selling themselves short on the whole boating experience.



I'm not a fan of web instruction. The classroom experience over a period of weeks opens discussion that broadens the scope of the learning far beyond what can be absorbed in watching a video or ticking off checkboxes on a webpage. Repetition and review of the previous weeks' material further reinforces the learning; the best learning is accomplished when knowledge fills a vacuum. The personal interchange in the classroom answers questions that otherwise might not be covered, and anecdotal discussion brings personal experience to the forum that reinforces the cirriculum material in a way that just doesn't happen in the impersonal world of cyberspace.



That said, any knowledge is better than none at all, and the simple fact is that people today aren't willing to commit the time to attend a six or eight week class when they can "get the same thing" sitting in front of a screen. So anything that encourages folks to broaden their knowledge is a good thing. The longer you can hold their interest, the more information they'll absorb. The key is to keep them coming back.
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Old 07-15-2018, 09:19 AM   #11
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For you seasoned boaters, what do you wish someone had taught you when you were a newbie?
How to swim was my first lesson received from expert swimmer mom; during my toddler age. Same lesson, at same age, was given to my two brothers. That was well over 60 yrs. ago.

IMO... no person should get serious about being aboard a boat for more than a very short [and carefully life vest protected] time prior to learning very well how to swim!

Swimming well is numero uno in my book!

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Old 07-15-2018, 12:59 PM   #12
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Certainly endorse the US Sail & Power Squadron's ABC Course. Their new promotion as "America's Boating Club (ABC, again) Is even "warmer and fuzzier".
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Old 07-15-2018, 05:23 PM   #13
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IMO... no person should get serious about being aboard a boat for more than a very short [and carefully life vest protected] time prior to learning very well how to swim!
I'm not disagreeing, just sharing our related experience.

Out youngest, a pleasant surprise, joined an active boating family. He was on boats and in the water before he was a year old, never without wearing a PFD. As he grew, he never got into water he couldn't stand up in without a PFD, and there was never a concern. He wasn't treated differently than anyone else.

When he was ~13, old enough but too young for a full qual, he, his older brother, and I registered for a class to get SCUBA certified. When we signed up, we learned we'd have to pass a challenging swimming test to take the class, including a 200-yard unaided swim. I'd never seem him swim without a PFD and had no clue if he could. We practiced with him some from our boat, making him splash around in water over his head without a PFD, but he wasn't willing to participate in a real pre-test and wouldn't take formal swimming lessons. "I'll be fine," was his attitude.

And he was. He wasn't the class superstar - a Boy Scout troop was taking the class with us - but he passed. Roughly 12 boating seasons behind the boat, swimming, tubing, and wakeboarding while wearing a PFD was instruction enough. Who knew?
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Old 07-15-2018, 11:50 PM   #14
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I'm not disagreeing, just sharing our related experience.

Out youngest, a pleasant surprise, joined an active boating family. He was on boats and in the water before he was a year old, never without wearing a PFD. As he grew, he never got into water he couldn't stand up in without a PFD, and there was never a concern. He wasn't treated differently than anyone else.

When he was ~13, old enough but too young for a full qual, he, his older brother, and I registered for a class to get SCUBA certified. When we signed up, we learned we'd have to pass a challenging swimming test to take the class, including a 200-yard unaided swim. I'd never seem him swim without a PFD and had no clue if he could. We practiced with him some from our boat, making him splash around in water over his head without a PFD, but he wasn't willing to participate in a real pre-test and wouldn't take formal swimming lessons. "I'll be fine," was his attitude.

And he was. He wasn't the class superstar - a Boy Scout troop was taking the class with us - but he passed. Roughly 12 boating seasons behind the boat, swimming, tubing, and wakeboarding while wearing a PFD was instruction enough. Who knew?
I'm pleased to hear that success story!

My mom had belonged to "The Whales" [a NY swimming and dive team for youngsters] when she was young - in the late 1920's through mid 30's. So, you can imagine how much she wanted her three boys to also be expert swimmers! We were always pleasure boating on weekends and parent's vacations; much, much water play every summer.


NOTE: Photo below is not my mom nor the NY Whales team... but... it sure looks similar to pictures she shared back in the 1950's / 60's

Here's mom's interesting way to get us to become free swimmers at very young age: 1st Mom hooked a line on rear of life jacket... telling me to paddle forward. 2nd she taught me how to kick straight legged and cupped hand for the crawl. 3rd mom showed me the breast stroke and walked me with vest still on and line still hooked to its rear. 4th she took off the line and let me practice both swim strokes with life vest still on. 5th the vest was removed and she had rope tied to a belt that was lightly cinched around chest. Soon I was able to swim and soon she removed the helper line. Right after removing the support line she taught me how to dog paddle in place, how to float on my back and how to swim just under surface of water holding my breath. This group of lessons went on for several weeks before I actually became a pretty good swimmer at very young age! I never looked back and always love to swim.

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Old 07-16-2018, 01:31 AM   #15
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I'm amazed that anyone who mucks around in boats couldn't swim.

I grew up a ways from the ocean , however we all learnt to swim at an early age in the town's Olympic pool* .Every kid in the school was taught to swim. It was part of our education.

We lived near a pretty big river and spent summers jumping off the road bridge, falling out of canoes, making rope swings.When we were a little older, we tried to get the girls to come skinny dipping with us.Ha, good luck with that!

We could do all these things because we were taught to swim.

* the term Olympic pool was used in Oz to describe the local pools built in most country towns. They were 55 yards long and about 8 lanes wide, with the deep end having a couple of diving boards. They were usually surrounded by grass full of bindis, the bane of our lives.
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Old 07-16-2018, 07:10 AM   #16
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I'm amazed that anyone who mucks around in boats couldn't swim.
In days past... Maine Lobster Men never wanted to know how to swim... incase they fell off the boat into Penobscot Bay's frigid water while lobstering alone.

Kinda stupid in my opinion!

I had a partner from England as an Executive in one of my businesses. He did not want to come out on my boats because he'd never learnt how to swim. My wife's dad never knew how to swim.
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Old 07-16-2018, 05:11 PM   #17
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The OP was looking for suggestions to create her own content. IF the US Power Squadron course is so great, she should not try to copy that. She should do something they don't cover...which is why she was asking for suggestions, not a USPS endorsement.
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Old 07-19-2018, 01:35 PM   #18
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The OP was looking for suggestions to create her own content. IF the US Power Squadron course is so great, she should not try to copy that. She should do something they don't cover...which is why she was asking for suggestions, not a USPS endorsement.

Yep, that would be great! What are some ideas that would help to compliment the Power Squadron course?
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Old 07-19-2018, 02:19 PM   #19
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Yep, that would be great! What are some ideas that would help to compliment the Power Squadron course?
Wow.... thats a talk order as the USPS basic boating course is only a start and just scrathes the surface. They then go on with many adfitional seminars and advsnced / elective courses that cover a very wide range of topics. It would be hard to find anything for beginners that is not offered by USPS.
I know licensed captains that paid goid money fir a private course and took their cspt exam... later started taking the USPS courses and commented they learned more than the $$$ privately offered course.
It would be worth looking through the USPS education website for abetter list of topics and summary of what's covered.

Just my opinion but I don't see a need or advantage to reinventing a wheel.
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Old 07-19-2018, 02:47 PM   #20
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Greetings,
The point I was attempting to make was initial trips on any vessel where one is "in charge" are potentially an overload to the senses. Movement in 3 axis, narrow or congested passages which may have current or wind influences, other boaters passing too close or at a high rate of speed, docking and undocking, trailer/ramp issues etc. A LOT going on for someone unfamiliar with the water and the protocol.


Successful completion of a basic boating coarse should prepare one for navigating thus taking just one of the myriad of new experiences out of the confusion or at least lessening the stress and danger. Hard to focus when you don't know where you're going.


I think Ms. cC mentioned most of what a newbie should know in her OP (...navigation, weather etc.). I would stress safety aspects of all procedures. Life jackets, MOB procedure, dealing with kids or pets on board...
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