One look at your favorite local waterway and it’s obvious — more people are par-ticipating in boating than ever before. Families are enjoying quality time together. Friends are meeting up to socialize in that favorite cove. And has long been a tra-dition, countless enthusiasts are fishing, enjoying that ski, wakeboard or tube ride, or just escaping their everyday grind on a relaxing cruise.
It’s a reminder of all the many possibilities boating has to offer, but also that on today’s increasingly crowded waterways there has never been a better, more cru-cial time to be a qualified, educated skipper.
For over 100 years, boaters of all experience have learned these skills thanks to America’s Boating Club. A nationwide network of squadrons dedicated to boating safety and education, the non-profit Club boasts over 20,000 members organized into more than 300 clubs across the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Is-lands. Many credit the Club for their initial boating education. America’s Boating Club, however, is also a great place for any boater looking to advance their skills, prepare for an exciting challenge like a long-distance cruise, even socialize with fellow boaters and make lasting friends.
America’s Boating Club believes that an educated boater is a better boater. Edu-cated boaters know the rules of the road on the water, understand navigational markers and warning signs, and realize the importance of various safety equip-ment and how to respond in an emergency. Educated boaters are also responsible boaters, aware of both their fellow boaters and the environment, and welcomed into the boating community.
America’s Boating Course is the classic first step in any novice boater’s education and is designed to not only educate but prepare participants to pass their individual state tests and receive a boating safety certificate. That certificate is now a requirement in many states and may even lower insurance costs.
America’s Boating Club is also the premier source for education in a wide variety of other areas, including boat handling, understanding and using nautical charts and/or GPS, proper use of VHF radio and other electronics, even how to navigate rivers, locks and lakes or plan an extended cruise.
Perhaps the best part about America’s Boating Club’s educational programs? Not only are they educational and affordable, they’re also fun! Nearly all courses and seminars are available in multiple formats, from convenient at-home sessions via the internet* to instructor-led sessions in the classroom. Members can also receive practical hands-on training with certified instructors at a vast network of Learning Centers (350 and counting!) Worried about maneuvering in the tight confines of a marina or feel confident anchoring? Or maybe you want to learn the skills to safely take that first cruise. Whatever the need, America’s Boating Club can provide the education in a supportive, non-intimidating environment.
Being a member of America’s Boating Club also means access to benefits that ex-tend beyond education. Members frequently give back to the community through activities like free Vessel Safety Checks, waterway cleanups, and crowd-sourced navigation updates. There are also on-water social opportunities like cruises and raft-ups, as well as community activities and events where you can share your passion for boating with fellow, like-minded members. Other benefits include sig-nificant savings on towing, boating products, boating and non-boating insurance, travel and lodging and more, from leading companies including Sea-Tow, BoatUS, Boat Fix, Wyndham Hotel Group, Avis and Budget, Vistaprint, Office Depot and Of-ficeMax, Hamilton Marine and more.
In fact, the best savings are found in an America’s Boating Club Value Bundle. In addition to a one-year membership and all the above member benefits, it includes America’s Boating Course Online, a choice of two interest-specific seminars, a one-year subscription to a choice of boating publications and more.
So come on, join the club…and make the most of your boating investment.
*Note: Not all states accept the online version of America’s Boating Course due to the inability to provide a proctored test.
