AMERICA'S BOATING COURSE (ABC)
Presented by USCGA Flotilla 65

Course Description

If you're interested in an exciting and highly interactive boating safety course, check out America's Boating Course. ABC can be completed either on the Internet, with a book supplement, or you can purchase a shrink-wrapped combination of the book and a CD. Purchasing the CD version you can take the course with you anywhere you go, with our without Internet access. The course is fun and it's very comprehensive. By following the link above, you'll be taken to a Web site that fully explains the course contents and how you can participate. America's Boating Course is a joint project between The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary and the United States Power Squadrons. In addition, the course has been approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators.

Topics include:

• INTRODUCTION TO BOATING -- types of boats; different uses of boats; outboard, stern-drive, and inboard engines; jet drives.
• BOATING LAWS -- boat registration; hull identification number; required safety equipment; operating safely and reporting accidents; protecting the marine environment; Federal boating laws; and PWCs.
• PERSONAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT -- personal flotation devices ("life jackets"); fire extinguishers; sound-producing devices; visual-distress signals; first aid kit; anchor; safety equipment and PWC.
• SAFE BOAT HANDLING -- bow riding; substance abuse; entering, loading, and trimming a boat; fueling portable and permanent tanks; steering with a tiller and a wheel; docking and mooring; knots; filing a float plan; checking equipment, fuel, weather, and tide; using charts; choosing and using an anchor; safe PWC handling.
• NAVIGATION -- the U.S. Aids to Navigation system; types of buoys and beacons; navigation rules; avoiding collisions; sound signals; PWX "tunnel vision."
• BOATING PROBLEMS -- hypothermia; boating accidents and rescues; capsizing; running aground; emergency radio calls; engine problems; boating problems and PWC.
• TRAILERING, STORING, AND PROTECTING YOUR BOAT -- types of trailers; trailer brakes, lights, hitches, tires, and bearings; loading, balancing, and towing a trailer; towing (and backing) a trailer; boat launching and retrieving; boat storage and theft protection; launching, retrieving, and storing a PWC.
• HUNTING AND FISHING, WATERSKIING, AND RIVER BOATING -- carrying hunting gear and weapons in a boat; fishing from a boat; waterskiing safety guidelines and hand signals; waterskiing with a PWC; navigating rivers.

Many insurance companies will offer discounts on boat insurance to individuals who successfully complete this course.

Individuals who successfully complete the course and exam are awarded certificates and cards.

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