In the fall of 2005, US SAILING’s Keelboat schools approached the organization with a proposal for expansion of the small powerboat handling program, outlining the growing demand and need for quality oversight and standardization. US SAILING volunteers, including Master Instructor Trainer (MIT) David Forbes, retired Navy Captain and MIT Dick Allsopp and naval architect and writer/editor Timmy Larr, spent the winter developing testing and evaluation materials. Eight months later, the first Cruising Powerboat Instructors were certified.

“From the students' point of view, this is the first time that they will have a nationally recognized certification in place to validate not only their book knowledge, but more importantly, their practical skills,” says Instructor Trainer David Forbes, Alameda, Calif. “From the charter companies' perspective we now have a nationally recognized system that offers a way to verify a charterer's practical skills. There is no other system in place, not even the US Coast Guard's licensing system, that tests an individual's practical skills as well as their book knowledge.”

The courses cover hands-on, practical skills such as:
Leaving and returning to a dock with and without a bow thruster
Backing into a slip
Maintaining throttle and speed control
Close-quarters maneuvering
Person-in-water rescues

Click here to see a calendar of upcoming classes and register online