Picture this:
It’s a beautiful summer day and your child decides to spend the day on the bay with their friends. One of them happens to have access to a powerboat, so they decide to go to a local sandbar. When they get in the boat, the teens realize that they do not know how to properly back out of the dock, navigate through the channel, or know where to properly lay anchor. This situation is fairly common, especially within a bayside town such a Duxbury, Hingham, Plymouth, or Scituate, MA. This is just one example where being certified to operate a Powerboat Education would be helpful.
Here’s another more serious case:
In 2013, a Hingham teen suffered serious injuries after being run over by a boat in a tubing accident in Hingham harbor. The victim and his two friends, all 13 year-olds, were riding on a tube being pulled by a motorboat. The powerboat was being operated by a fourth 13 year-old whose family owned the boat. One of the teens fell off the float, so the operator circled back to pick him up. Unfortunately, the operator ended up running over one of the teens who suffered serious head and arm injuries. As the case was investigated, it was found that the operator of the boat had NOT completed a Safe Boating Course required for those between the ages of 12-16.
This, too, is a relatively common case, and could be prevented if more powerboat operators were trained.
At DBMS, we offer two main powerboating courses for minors, adults, and families. Our Powerboating Education course (formerly known as Fundamentals of Poweboating) is geared towards novice operators. Advanced Powerboating (formerly known as Comprehensive Powerboating) is geared towards the more experienced boater that wants to hone their skills.
One of the biggest changes we have made in both courses is the student to instructor ratio. Each class will have a 2:1 ratio versus a 4:1 ratio, which means more personalized instruction for each student!
This is the year to finally get that Boating Certification Certificate you’ve been talking about, or for your teen to take their first steps to becoming a safe boater.
Just incase you are STILL not convinced, here are a few more reasons why you, or your minor, should get a Boating Safety Certificate to operate a powerboat:
- It’s legally required for operators under the age of 16
- It will build confidence in boaters who may need to sharpen their skills, or who want to get more comfortable on the water
- You’ll learn about navigation, “rules of the road” on the water, nautical terminology, and drive a boat.
- It can serve as a building block for a credentialed maritime job (for instance, a launch operator)
- You’ll have some peace of mind knowing that you’ve been properly trained and know what to do in an emergence situation
- You’ll be encouraging safe boating practices
- You may qualify for an insurance discount
- IT’S FUN! You’ll be spending your days out on Duxbury Bay with other likeminded boaters and charismatic DBMS staff.
For more information regarding powerboat courses at DBMS, check our website as we will be releasing our 2016 Spring and Summer registration information VERY soon. To be one of the first in the know regarding course registration, sign up for our e-Newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.