America's Boating Course "ABC"

Boating Safety Topics

• Introduction to Boating: types
  of power boats; sailboats; outboards; paddle boats; houseboats;
  different uses of boats; various power boating engines; jet drives;
  family boating basics.


• Boating Law: boat registration; boating
  regulation; hull identification number; required boat safety equipment;
  operating safely and reporting accidents; protecting the marine
  environment; Federal boat law; state boating laws; personal watercraft
  requirements.


• Boat Safety Equipment:
  personal flotation devices ("life jackets"); fire extinguishers;
  sound-producing devices; visual-distress signals; dock lines and rope;
  first aid kit; anchors and anchor lines; other boating safety equipment.
  


• Safe Boating: bow riding;
  alcohol and drug abuse; entering, loading, and trimming a boat; fueling
  portable and permanent tanks; steering with a tiller and a wheel;
  docking, undocking and mooring; knots; filing a float plan; checking
  equipment, fuel, weather and tides; using charts; choosing and using an
  anchor; safe PWC handling; general water safety.


• Navigation: the U.S. Aids to
  Navigation system; types of buoys and beacons; navigation rules
  (sometimes referred to as right-of-way rules); avoiding collisions;
  sound signals; PWC "tunnel vision."


• Boating Problems: hypothermia;
  boating accidents and rescues; man overboard recovery; capsizing;
  running aground; river hazards; strainers: emergency radio calls;
  engine problems; equipment failures; carbon monoxide (CO); other
  boating and PWC problems.


• Trailering, Storing and Protecting Your Boat:
  types of trailers; trailer brakes, lights, hitches, tires, and
  bearings; loading, balancing, and towing (and backing) a trailer; boat
  launching and retrieving; boat storage and theft protection; launching,
  retrieving and storing a PWC.


• Hunting and Fishing, Water-skiing and River Boating:
  carrying hunting gear and weapons in a boat; fishing from a boat;
  water-skiing safety guidelines and hand signals; water-skiing with a
  PWC; navigating rivers, and other boating tips.