Another New Guy!

[captain_wes]

Well after a successful charter trip, the DW has realized how much better our fishing trips would be if we had our OWN boat! So we are currently looking into getting one and trying to learn as much about boats and boating as possible prior to our purchase.

As the "captain", it is up to me to make sure boating is safe and enjoyable for the family so I have been studying all I can to this end.

Right now my studies are concentrated on learning charts and navigation. I have lots of questions on the subject and would welcome any help that you can give.

Any navigators out there that can help?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Another New Guy!

find a US Coast Guard, Auxillary safe boating course, they also have navigation, etc courses if you are planning on off shore fishing.

 

[cribber]

Re: Another New Guy!

Look up your local US Power Squadron... They generally offer up classes for various levels of experience. I'm a newb to boat ownership and the dealer I bought from threw in a Husband/Wife Boater's Safety Course for free. I'll leave it to you to decide who really should go. In my area they offer a separate class called the captain saver. Wives only no husbands allowed!!!

 

[triumphrick]

Re: Another New Guy!

Red-right-returning. This should be sounding pretty familiar to you by now!! I agree with both TD and cribber about the power squadron and cg classes. Also, spend some time with your boating friends and take the helm for a while when you are entering leaving port to get a good feel for the markers, both colors, size and shapes.

I try to keep my wife as involved as I can just in case something happens to me while we are out. Also my fishing buddies need to be able to bring us back in should something happen to me.

The best things we have today are the chartplotters, gps units that will bring you back to your home waypoint.

My current boat has a decal applied some time ago on the center console with basic rules of the road on it, they are readily available.

Welcome aboard and good luck!

 

[captain_wes]

Re: Another New Guy!

Thanks for the welcome everyone. I am a little far away for a USPS course, but I have looked online for boating classes and have taken some of the smaller ones to get a feel for "boat talk". I do know some of the necessary stuff (red-right-returning) and can keep up a generalized conversation about seamanship. But I also know there's a whole ocean of stuff I don't know! (pun intended).

I am still looking around for resources and information that I can access at the local library, online and wherever I can find it. I have found a lot of good info, some that I can use (a lot of which I just shake my head and go uh-huh). But as I spend time in it, some of it sinks in! I am just trying to absorb as much as I can.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Another New Guy!

Coast Guard course is well worth it. Dony know where you are from though. U.S.A. and Canada both have some great courses available.

 

[captain_wes]

Re: Another New Guy!

well kenmyfam, I'm from Fairbanks, Alaska - about 350 miles from salt water! So it's a little hard for me to attend a Coast Guard course unless I specifically went down for one. Which is not entirely out of the question but would require some logistical work.

I am not ruling it out, just trying to find some info a bit closer to home LOL!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Another New Guy!

Contact the Boy Scouts and/or the Coast Guard ..... many classes and courses are given "inland" at schools. You never know until you ask.

 

[triumphrick]

Re: Another New Guy!

Hey there Capt Wes, since you are a little inland and land locked I remembered a course a friend took when he was in a similiar situation. It was a CD he bought for about $30. Here is the link he gave me.

http://www.seadolphin.com/DVDNavigation.html