Cruising Boats and Systems

It’s not really a jungle out there. Avoid confusion, chaos, and collisions. Understand the rules that govern how boats should behave on the water. Know your responsibilities.

Learn how ocean waves are generated, how they affect boat handling, how to access ocean wave data, and how navigation software can include the effect of waves on your route.

Learn the special skills needed for river and lake boating. How to “read” a river, cope with river currents, go through locks. Plus the navigation rules unique to river boating.

Handling a boat in a variety of situations…getting on plane, trimming the boat, dealing with rough water, understanding what you can control versus what nature throws at you.

Important for offshore boaters, the 500 millibar upper air chart will help you predict upper-level wind speed and direction, trough and ridge patterns, and the 5640 storm track line.