All about boats: choosing the right boat, classification, how to measure length, basic hull designs, recreational, runabouts, cruisers, personal watercraft, canoes, kayaks, sailboats andmotors types.
Legal Requirements: How to register a boat or PWC (jet ski), validation stickers, hull ID numbers, titling and registering a boat or PWC, required boating safety equipment,pfd’s, fire extinguishers, whistles and horns, visual distress signals, light requirements.
Navigation rules: Basic safety regulations, pollution regulations, oil discharge, minimum education and age requirements for operators, water skiing regulations, navigation rules,
U.S. aid to navigation system, lateral aids, regulatory markers.
Getting underway: Preparation, loading, boarding, homeland security, how to file a float plan, safe boat operation, knots, anchoring, emergency repairs, maintenance, trailering, towing, launching and retrieving.
Accidents: Capsizing, falls overboard, collisions, running aground, emergencies, floating for survival, treading water, using clothes to float, BUI, visual distress signals, accident reporting, fire prevention, first aid.
Special Topics: Weather and water conditions, navigation, using a compass, nautical charts, water sports, diving, water skiing, sailing, personal watercraft (jet ski) operation.