US SAILING

Powerboat Handling Certifications

Safe Powerboat Handling Safety & Rescue Race Support Boat Combination Courses
Safe Powerboat Handling
This two-day hands-on, on-the-water course was originally developed to serve US SAILING constituents who use powerboats for their boating activities, but lack adequate boathandling skills. It has become a course for people who want to learn how to safely operate a powerboat or improve their on-the-water boathandling skills. The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) has approved the course and an increasing number of states are recognizing it as meeting their boating safety education requirements. The course is offered by US SAILING’s participating facilities throughout the United States and taught by US SAILING Certified Powerboat Instructors. Topics covered in classroom, dockside demonstrations, and on-the-water include:

 

• Powerboat types and characteristics

• Engine systems and troubleshooting

• Fuel, lubrication, dangers

• Engine controls, steering

• Props and lower units; dangers

• Preventative maintenance

• Maneuverability and turning characteristics

• PFDs: types, purposes, proper fit, care

• Safety equipment

• Operator responsibilities

• Drug and alcohol influences

• Trip planning and float plans

• Vessel Registration and capacity

• Proper boarding procedures

• Starting and stopping

• Shifting; throttle coordination

• Docking

• Speed control

• High and low speed turns

• Pivot turns

• Holding position

• Backing

• Mooring

• Anchoring

• Steering a range

• Navigation Rules

• Lights and sound signals

• Collision avoidance

• Constant bearing

• Navigation aids

• Emergency procedures and rendering assistance:
-- Capsizes
-- Falls overboard and recoveries
-- Towing and being towed
-- Hypothermia and heat emergencies
-- Fire emergencies and preparedness
-- Running aground
-- Accident reports

• VHF radio procedures

• Weather: local and hazards

• Tides and currents

• Marlinspike seamanship: knots, coiling and heaving a line

• Trailers and trailering

• Marine environment, laws and regs, marine nuisance species

• Disposal of human and toxic waste

• PWCs and other water activities

 

Safety & Rescue
This one-day hands-on, on-the-water course is designed for those who will be using powerboats to perform safety and rescue functions, such as sailing instructors, coaches, regatta personnel, marine patrols, police and fire rescue personnel, and park rangers. A prerequisite for this course is Safe Powerboat Handling Certification.

Topics covered in classroom, dockside demonstrations, and on-the-water include:

• Safety and rescue procedures

• Use of safety and rescue equipment

• Use of a VHF radio and making emergency calls

• Basic search patterns

• Executing a modified Williamson turn

• Recovering a person in the water

• Intercepting and maintaining a position with a moving vessel

• Towing alongside and astern

• Rescuing capsized and turtled sailboats

• Steering a compass course

• Steering inbound and outbound ranges

• Taking bearings and plotting a position

• Use of tide and current tables

Race Support Boat Endorsement

This half-day add-on endorsement to the Safety and Rescue Boat Handling Course is for people who want to be certified as operators of race support boats. This is a hands-on, on-the-water module using actual equipment.

Topics include:

• Race support boat procedures

• Communication procedures

• Use of race support equipment

• Taking wind readings

• Effects of wind and current

• Holding position at marks

• Setting and moving marks using range and bearing, and GPS

• Setting a starting line and gate

• Retrieving marks

Combination Course

 This two day combination of certification courses covers the required practical skills and knowledge for both the Safe Powerboat Handling & Safety and Rescue Boat Handling courses. It is strongly recommended that the combination courses be conducted only for experienced powerboat operators; novice operators would not get full value and many would have difficulty successfully completing the combination course. If all course applicants must have state boating certificates or U.S. Coast Guard licenses. This combination of certification courses covers the materials listed for respective courses.

 It does NOT include NASBLA & State certificates.

Two 8-hour days for combined Safe Powerboat Handling & Safety and Rescue Boat Handling courses Two 10-hour days for combined Safe Powerboat Handling & Safety, Rescue and Race Support Boat courses