BoatUS Foundation Courses

RobMcClain

RobMcClain

Member
I just learned BoatUS offers a few online boating courses.

https://learn.boatus.org/catalog/

These courses were apparently developed as a joint effort of the BoatUS Foundation and the U.S. Power Squadron. I've taken a variety of boating courses over the years, some offered by the Coast Guard Auxiliary and some offered by the Power Squadron. All were excellent.

What intrigues me is one of the BoatUS courses deals with locks, something courses rarely address - at least ones offered in California. Navigating locks has never been a topic. The BoatUS course is titled, "Boating on Rivers, Locks and Lakes ~ Navigating Inland Waterways and Locks with Confidence." We may be navigating locks later this year so I am considering giving this course a try. Has anyone taken it? If so, what did you think? Has anyone taken any of the online Boat US courses?

Rob
 
I took a boatus course. I had lost my boaters license and couldn't find it (required in WA) and when I called around nobody had a record of it, so I just went ahead and took the course again. the first time I did it, you could just take a test and you were done. the second time I did it you were required to be on each page of the course for a certain amount of time, so it actually took many hours over many days to complete the course. its probably better this way, but it was more time intensive.
 
I'm no lock specialist by any means. Radio ahead usually on channel 13 to see what's up as far as a wait and what your intentions are. It may go like this Vessel Freedom west bound requesting to lock thru or something to that effect. Here are a couple tips, two boat hooks are nice, two pairs of gloves you don't care about, don't dress up, never tie anything off, when lock doors open and you have a green light enter. Keep an eye on the lock master he will usually direct you on what side of the lock where he wants you. Red light hang around until the green lights, once inside and the doors get fully open it's time to leave. Once again the lock master will usually direct the exit. The Erie canal usually has cables or lines you can just hold on to or loop a line around to hold the boat in position while you ride the water elevator, stay away from the canal rental boats if there are any around; go into the lock last. They sometimes inadvertently become bumper boats. It's like a thrill show you can't stop! Leave lockmaster an unopened can of beer on the lock wall. Some folks rig a six or eight foot piece of PVC pipe hung from your roof rails. It should be able to easily span the distance between your two fenders. Put your fenders out and then have the PVC pipe hang mid level on the outside of the fenders to act as fender board. It also keeps your fenders from developing lock rash. (Nasty slimy stuff) If you see a tug boat radio them and ask what side they want you to pass them on. I'm sure others will chime in. Class dismissed.
D.D.
D.D.
 
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