OCEANSIDE, Calif. — If you've ever dreamed of skippering your own boat, a new safety training program is available in San Diego and Oceanside.
In this Zevely Zone, I got behind the helm with America's Boating Club.
At CBS 8 we are always 'Working for You' and in this story we want to show you how you can enjoy boating safely.
"We are going to teach people how to drive a boat out on the water," said Shawn Goit. He is a volunteer for the non-profit organization called America's Boating Club.
The group bought a 21-foot training boat with money from a Coast Guard grant.
"Nobody wants to sit in a classroom, they want to go out and have fun right?" said Shawn.
He and volunteer Bob Gibbs say you're never alone if you head out on the water with the proper equipment. They told me if a boater's hand radio is set on Channel 16, boaters can contact the Coast Guard if they need help.
"Yes. You go Mayday, Mayday, Mayday," said Bob.
He says boaters should feel more comfortable knowing the Coast Guard is listening.
"Absolutely, to know that if you head out, there is backup," said Bob.
The training starts with the basics. Students learn how to start the boat, dock it and tie it up, but then the course can quickly move up in skill level if needed.
"Here is our slalom course," said Shawn.
Bob added, "This is six buoys 50 feet apart." Shawn raced through the course.
"Wow, that's much harder than it looks," I said.
This course is hands-on training and when I gave it a go, I hit two buoys.
"So, there is room for improvement," I said.
Shawn laughed and said, "There is a little bit of room for improvement."
Bob added, "That's what beginners always do. They have a tendency to oversteer."
The cost of the non-profit organization's five-hour course is $285.
The price includes a year-long membership to America's Boating Club. I spoke to four training course graduates. They ranged in experience from beginners to experts.
"I took the class because I needed to work on my skills," said Kirk Lippert.
For people reading this article thinking maybe they can't drive a boat because they never have tried it before, graduate Russell Schneider said, "That's why you learn, this is a great place to start."
"I was new to boating and I looked everywhere to teach powerboating and that's how I found America's Boating Club because there wasn't any place to go," said Christine Rinne.
"They make it easy to learn, they go out with you and they are right there with you," I told her I learned how to boat from the many boating excursions my father Ed took me on as a child. My dad, to this day, is always saying San Diego is surrounded by beautiful water and wonders why more people are not out on the ocean enjoying it.
"I think that this story could help a lot of our viewers because I think they want to get involved with boating but they are intimidated," I said.
Training course graduate Jennifer Goit told me, "So that was me, in our boat when I first started boating. I was scared all of the time. This skill has raised my confidence level. Now that I know all of that stuff I am not scared anymore."
"It's rewarding for me to see the look on the person's face when they go wow that was fun," said Shawn. "I would say the number one mistake a new boater makes is not taking training. You need some training."
Volunteers showed me how to perform an emergency stop. I then told them, "When I was a kid my parents owned a sailboat. One time during a nighttime voyage one of their passengers mistakenly walked right off the boat."
I told them I was going to walk off the boat into the water and immediately following the splash, Shawn and Bob jumped into action. "Man overboard, man overboard," they yelled.
Students will also learn what to do in a similar situation; how to maneuver the boat, toss a life preserver and save a life. They say the worst day of boat training always beats the best day of work. "That it does, that it does," said Bob with a big smile.
This cost of the five-hour course is $285 and includes a membership to America's Boating Club for one year. For more information on the training course, click here.