Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo 2023 M600 LEADERBOARD

Affordable on-water powerboat training starts up in Old Saybrook; 2 new courses added

by BoatUS 8 May 16:32 UTC
Affordable three-hour on-water powerboat training courses are now offered by TowBoatUS Old Saybrook/Coastal Maritime Training in partnership with the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation © BoatUS

Recreational boaters are beginning to return to the waters of Long Island Sound. Are they prepared? Maybe they know their docking skills aren’t the best – a basic need for boating but a spectator sport for many. Or perhaps they want more confidence while handling the Sound’s choppy waters.

In Old Saybrook, Coastal Maritime Training in partnership with the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water are offering affordable, three-hour on-water powerboat training courses for just $225 – taught under the watchful eye of a U.S. Coast Guard licensed instructor. The hands-on courses are taught aboard 21- to 24-foot single engine powerboats.

The courses are limited to four students per vessel, ensuring each student gets sufficient time at the helm. Offered seven days a week, instruction follows National Safe Boating Council curriculum with content conforming to the American National Standard (ANSI) for on-water skills.

Current course offerings include “Intro to Boating,” which covers steering, shifting gears, and close quarters boat control, while “Precision Docking & Boat Handling” covers 180-degree turnarounds, docking and departing from a dock, and using S.C.A.N. procedures to avoid distracted boating.

Two new courses offered this year include “Open Water Boat Handling,” which includes using boat trim, displacement and planing handling; ferrying; and emergency stopping, and “Open Water Advanced Maneuvering,” focusing on crossing waves and wakes, person overboard retrieval, sharp turning on plane and more.

For those looking for private instruction aboard their own powerboat, the company offers customized training programs tailored to a specific vessel and a captain’s needs. It also offers private sailing lessons aboard a 28-foot sailboat, and even has a program for first responders to further their boat handling training.

Courses depart out of Ferry Landing Marina, and the minimum age to participate is 12 years old. Sign up at BoatUS.org/On-Water.

BoatUS Foundation On-Water Training programs are currently offered at 21 locations across the country. Coastal Maritime Training is part of TowBoatUS Old Saybrook, a 24/7 on-water towing and assistance service for recreational boaters.

Related Articles

Spring launch checklist
Time-tested tips for getting your boat ready for the season Whether it's your first year or 50th, the recreational boat owner's advocacy, services and safety group, BoatUS, has help on how to start the boating season off right with its Spring Commissioning Checklist. Posted on 26 Mar
Be wary of letters offering documentation renewal
Official-looking vessel documentation renewal notices can lead to confusion and higher costs Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is advising boaters with vessels that have a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation to be wary of any letter arriving by U.S. mail offering renewal. Posted on 28 Jan
Got your boating safety certificate yet?
A 2025 mandatory boating safety education requirement BoatUS Foundation's online Boating Safety Course helps Empire State residents meet 2025 mandatory boating safety education requirement. Posted on 2 Jan
How to prepare a boat for Helene
Free online guides, videos, worksheet available from BoatUS With potential Tropical Cyclone Nine expected to reach hurricane strength as Helene before hitting parts of Florida's Gulf Coast later this week, recreational boat owners have all the hurricane preparation information they need at BoatUS.com/Hurricanes. Posted on 25 Sep 2024
How the arrival of Autumn changes boating
Three tips for safely enjoying the water in the off season from BoatUS Foundation Say a final goodbye to the summer 2024 boating season as Sept. 22 marks the fall equinox. With the change of season, ushered in by cooler air and water temperatures, boating safety also changes. Posted on 21 Sep 2024
How to prepare a boat for Francine
Free online guides, videos, worksheet available for hurricanes from BoatUS With Tropical Storm Francine expected to reach hurricane strength before hitting parts of coastal Louisiana and the western Gulf Coast this week, recreational boat owners have all the hurricane preparation information they need at BoatUS.com/Hurricanes. Posted on 10 Sep 2024
Try boating or hone your boat handling skills
With on-water powerboat training Summer boating season has arrived. Have you ever wanted to try out boating, or are you a boat owner looking to improve your confidence behind the helm? Posted on 3 Jul 2024
Are boaters doing better when it comes to safety?
Just-released U.S. Coast Guard stats show decrease in fatalities, accidents, but problems persist The recently released U.S. Coast Guard 2023 Recreational Boating Statistics shows some good news on the boating safety front, with fatalities falling by 11.3% to 564 from 636 in 2022. Posted on 15 Jun 2024
‘Extremely active' 2024 hurricane season expected
BoatUS helps boaters prepare Colorado State University's (CSU) Tropical Weather and Climate researchers, long known for their annual hurricane forecasts, are calling for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season to be "extremely active". Posted on 30 May 2024
Boating season begins on Lake Texoma
Prepare with affordable 3-hour powerboat training courses It's boating season on Lake Texoma, and as boaters return for a summer of fun on the water, are they ready? It's important for every boat operator to be confident behind the helm. Posted on 25 May 2024
Palm Beach Motor YachtsMaritimo 2023 S-Series FOOTER