Looking to Take Boat Lessons? What to Expect
Did you know that about 12% of US households have their own boat?
If you’re interested in being part of that number, you’re clearly not alone. Buying a boat is a huge deal, but you need to be prepared for the responsibility.
If you’re looking into “boat lessons near me” online because you plan to buy a boat, you’re making a smart choice. Being a good boater means knowing all of the laws and expectations that you have when driving your boat on the water.
Keep reading to learn about what you may learn during your boat lessons.
Learn Basic Knots
If you’re completely new to boating, you should learn how to create basic knots to help secure your boat. These are important to know so that you’re able to tie and untie knots that hold your boat in specific spots.
Some of the knots that you may learn include:
- Bowline
- Figure eight
- Clove hitch
- Half-hitch
- Cleat hitch
Different knots are used in different situations and knowing which one to use when is going to help you immensely as you start to boat more often.
Find Out About Boat Handling
Boat lessons are great to figure out how to handle the boat in all situations, which is especially important for a larger vessel. This is something you’ll need in emergencies.
You should check it out if you want to learn how to drive a boat. Additionally, it’s important to know what to do if steering mechanisms or other components aren’t working correctly as you drive the boat, so keep this in mind during your course as well.
Get Used to Docking
Being able to dock your boat isn’t quite as simple as it may look. Docking the boat specifically refers to pulling it up parallel to the dock and then using your dock lines to secure the boat to that dock.
This is an important skill because you have to be docked correctly to safely get yourself and anyone else safely on or off the boat.
Learn General Safety Tips
As a boater, you have to understand how your boat works and how you can stay safe regardless of any unexpected events. For instance, you need to know what to do if another boat is coming toward your boat or who has the right of way when you’re passing by someone in a marina.
Learning these things is part of all boat driving lessons because you’re still operating something large (like a vehicle) that can cause a lot of harm if it isn’t under control.
Take Boat Lessons Today
As you can see, boat lessons are going to teach you several valuable skills that you’ll need to be a safe boater. It’s a good idea to take these as soon as, if not before, you get your boat in order to get all of the practice you need.
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