When it comes to boating education, nothing beats getting out on the water with an instructor. Whether you are learning about the subtlety of throttle control while docking or decision making based on the rules of the road while underway, having a knowledgeable instructor to guide you is irreplaceable. United States Power Squadrons – America’s Boating Club is a good source for on-the-water boater education. Your local squadron will have a schedule of courses covering topics like boat safety equipment and procedures, basic vessel operation and controls, close quarters maneuvering, operating a boat on plane, docking, anchoring, emergency maneuvers and man overboard recovery, to name a few.
To bolster your on-the-water training, America’s Boating Club has released digital assets designed to enhance boating education with the Digital Media Library and America’s Boating Channel. Funded by grants from the United States Coast Guard, United States Power Squadrons’s Digital Media Library houses multiple formats of digital media focused on boating safety and education. These include videos, slideshows, images, animations, audio presentations and instructor’s manuals. Videos are also available through a YouTube channel, America’s Boating Channel. This allow users to stream video content online.
Videos and animations cover a wide range of topics. They are organized into sections including Planning, Departure, Underway and Arrival. Each video goes into more detail tackling subjects on boating education and safety. Areas covered include life jackets, vessel inspections, steering basics, anchoring, man overboard, docking, mooring and shoreline landings.
Boating Education Content
“In an ongoing effort to make boater education more accessible, we have turned to digital and online resources to disseminate the latest information,” said Gary Cheney, chief commander, United States Power Squadrons. “The mission of the United States Power Squadrons is to promote safe boating through education. By offering video assets through the Digital Media Library and America’s Boating Channel, we give individuals access to vital boating information that they can view at home or on the go. It’s all part of making it easier than ever before to become a safer and more knowledgeable boater.”
The Digital Media library provides the instructors with original multimedia content to use to enhance their classroom offerings. Individuals are then able to view videos at home to reinforce what they learned in class. Videos provide an introduction to a range of boating topics, essential skills and etiquette. Links to “Learn More” at the end of each video promote further education. The program adds new content regularly. A new video series currently in production includes:
- Four videos on various aspects of life jackets.
- Six videos on personal watercraft operation.
- Videos on accident reporting, frequently asked questions about navigation rules, visual distress signals and mobile maritime service identities.
Videos are also available in both English and Spanish. The Digital Media Library can be accessed at uspsdml.org/videos/. America’s Boating Channel can be found at americasboatingchannel.com/.
Knowledge is key to a safe and enjoyable time on the water. United States Power Squadrons – America’s Boating Club, has the materials you need to enhance your boating education. Find your local squadron at www.americasboatingclub.org and sign up for a class today!