BoatUS launched two new boating safety microcourses focused on safe navigation. Aids to Navigation Basics helps boaters understand the meaning of basic buoys and markers, and reinforces the importance of maintaining a proper lookout and consulting up-to-date charts for safe navigation. Nighttime Boating Basics teaches boaters how to operate after dark when navigation is more challenging. Students will learn how to prepare for evening outings, comply with boating regulations for reduced visibility and recognize the proper use of navigation lights on recreational vessels.
“Annual U.S. Coast Guard statistics have shown that understanding AToNs and the challenges of nighttime boating are perennial issues for boat operators,” says Ted Sensenbrenner, director of boating safety at BoatUS Foundation. “We’re excited to bridge the gap to help address operator inattention and improper lookout, which are some of the leading causes of boating accidents.”
Both courses are free to the public and available at BoatUS.org/courses. Each interactive course can be completed in less than 30 minutes, and includes engaging video quizzes, simulations and modules to help learn navigational basics. The courses were produced under a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, and provide additional in-depth learning opportunities that complement the information in the BoatUS Foundation’s NASBLA-approved free online boating safety course, which satisfies boating safety education requirements in 37 states.
