About the Public Boating Safety Course

FL79 BOATING SKILLS and SEAMANSHIP COURSE

THE COAST GUARD AUXILIARY’S BOATING SKILLS and SEAMANSHIP COURSE

YOUR PASSPORT TO SAFER and MORE ENJOYABLE BOATING!

The Coast Guard Auxiliary’s comprehensive Boating Skills and Seamanship Course helps Tampa Bay boaters at all experience levels learn the skills needed to protect themselves, their passengers and
their boats and to better enjoy our area’s most popular outdoor pastimes! Each year, more than 100,000 boaters participate in this and other Auxiliary safe boating courses nationwide; one of the most comprehensive boating education presentations available to the public!

TOPICS INCLUDE:

Boat Equipment - Operation/Safety items; BUI/substance abuse; PFDs;
Boat Handling - Heavy weather; anchoring/docking; man overboard
'Highway' signs - Buoyage systems; chart symbols; GPS navigation
Rules of the Road - Inland rules; stand-on/give-way concepts
Marlinspike Skills - bend, hitch and knot tying,
Navigation - Compass/chart use; speed-time-distance calculations.
Marine Radios - Operation; distress/urgency/safety call procedures
Water Pollution/Environmental Protection Issues
Maritime/Nautical Customs and Traditions

WHO SHOULD TAKE THE COURSE?

Boat owners/operators
Spouses of boat owners
Individuals/families planning a boat purchase
Families with young kids and boats,
Jet-ski owners and operators
Recreational boat passengers
‘Anglers and waterborne hunters
Kayak and canoe enthusiasts
Kids! Children as young as 9 can easily navigate our course – (parental guidance encouraged)!

The 9 week course is scheduled to resume on 10 Jan 2024.

Course cost is $70 and includes textbook, certificate, instructional videos, safety
equipment demos and boatloads of helpful publications. Individuals completing the course may be eligible for boat insurance discounts, ranging from 10 to 25%, depending on
the insurer. Special DISCOUNT rates available for couples, families and groups of two or more!

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR BOATERS BORN ON or AFTER JANUARY 1, 1988!

The Auxiliary’s Boating Skills and Seamanship course satisfies the new Florida law requiring boaters born on/after January 1, 1988, and operating a boat with a motor of 10 HP or more (including jet skis) to complete an approved boating safety course and to carry the Florida Boating Safety Education ID card. Details are available at myfwc.com

LET US KNOW YOU’LL BE WITH US!