If you have never tried getting behind the wheel of a boat before, now is your time. Beginning February 12, Georgia Boat Safety & Training together with the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water are offering an easy and affordable way to try out recreational power boating on Lake Allatoona. Three courses, from “Intro to Boating,” “Women Making Waves” and “Precision Docking and Boat Handling” are taught aboard single engine powerboats and offered on select weekends every month through August. All of the course details and signup can be found at BoatUS.org/On-Water.
Each course is three hours and taught at Georgia Boat Safety & Training’s location at 24 Allatoona Landing Road SE. Courses start at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., and 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-licensed instructor. The minimum age to participate is 15 years old, and training follows all COVID safety protocols.
The “Intro to Boating” course covers centering the wheel, shifting gears, predeparture checklist and station holding, or staying in one place while wind or current effect the boat. “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.
“Precision Docking & Boat Handling” covers 180-degree turnarounds, docking on port and starboard, departing from a dock, and how to use S.C.A.N. procedures to avoid distracted boating.
The goal of the Georgia Boat Safety & Training and BoatUS Foundation courses is to address the high costs typically associated with at-the-helm training, making hands-on boating education more accessible. Early registration is encouraged.
