Boating Skills Course

The Vineyard detachment of the Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering a 10-week boating skills and seamanship course beginning Wednesday, March 7. The course will meet weekly from 6 to 8 p.m. through May 16 at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.

This in-depth course will cover topics and techniques of value to recreational boaters to foster safe boating on near-shore waters. The detailed subject matter will include choosing and equipping a boat, legal considerations, trailering a boat, boat handling, aids to navigation, navigation rules, nautical charts and basic piloting, powering a boat, knots and lines, weather, marine radio and safety issues.

The course is approved by the Massachusetts Environmental Police. Upon satisfactory completion of the course, youths 12 to 15 years of age are eligible to apply for licensure under state boating regulations so they may legally operate a power boat alone.

Preregistration is required for admission. Additional information and reservation of space in the class may be obtained by calling Chris Scott, auxiliary instructor, at 774-930-0921. While the instruction is free, there is a $50 fee to cover textbooks and materials used in the course.