Boat Handling is a full course offered by the United States Power Squadrons, America’s Boating Club. It is the replacement for the recently retired Seamanship course. This online, self-study version consists of a comprehensive 250-page PDF Student Guide and six fully narrated online modules which present like classroom PowerPoint presentations but give the student total control of the pace and sequence of the slides.
In general, Boat Handling is taken after America’s Boating Course 3rd Edition and before Marine Navigation, although course completion sequence is left to the individual student.
Boat Operator Certification
This course is required for the Boat Operator Certification level of Inland Navigator (IN) if you have not taken Seamanship. Completion of Boat Handling online also provides completion for the following seminars required by Boat Operation Certification:
How to choose a suitable boat for the type of cruising you do. Owning versus chartering. Equipping the boat with appropriate navigation, electrical, and plumbing systems, and more.
$34.95How to handle common types of emergencies that occur on the water…from problems with the vessel to medical emergencies. What happens if the captain becomes disabled?
$34.95Learn the signs of changing weather, how to anticipate storms, what causes weather, how to read weather maps, what clouds mean, how weather systems move, why winds blow.
$34.95How to select an anchor, line, and other gear…choose a suitable anchorage, deploy and set an anchor, what to do if it’s stuck, how to pick up a mooring, and raft with other boats.
$34.95An advanced seminar that goes beyond the basics into the science of weather. Learn about the dynamics of storms using such tools as Skew-T plots, sounding data, and weather radar
$34.95