BOATING
Boating Basics Courses in Orange Beach, Ala., March 20-22
On March 20-22, the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water together with Freedom Boat Club Gulf Coast and the The Wharf Boat & Yacht Show offers affordable at-the-helm on-water training courses for beginners as well as a course designed especially for women.
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. Want to get a taste of the boating life or improve your on-water boat handling skills? The nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Watertogether with Freedom Boat Club Gulf Coast and the The Wharf Boat & Yacht Show, March 20–22, offers two fun and affordable at-the-helm on-water training courses for beginners and women.
Taught aboard single-engine powerboats and offered in morning and afternoon, “Intro to Boating” and “Women Making Waves” are three-hours each, affordably priced at $129 and include show admission. Class size is limited to four students per vessel ensuring each student gets sufficient time at the helm under the watchful eye of a U.S. Coast Guard-certified instructor.
“Intro to Boating” covers shifting and steering, basic docking, open-water handling and basic navigation. The ladies-only course “Women Making Waves” offers the same curriculum and is the perfect opportunity to spend a half day learning boat-handling techniques in a supportive environment.
Both courses are offered Friday, March 20, and Saturday, March 21, at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 22, at 10:30 a.m.
The goal of the courses is to address the high costs typically associated with at-the-helm training, making hands-on boating education more accessible. The courses also offer area residents the chance to try out recreational boating and give current boaters the opportunity to improve their boat-handling skills.
Space is limited. Students for must be 21 years or older. All of the course details and signup can be found at BoatUS.org/OrangeBeach. To see all upcoming on-water training courses from the BoatUS Foundation, go to BoatUS.org/On-Water.
