On-Water Courses
2 LOCATIONS: ANNAPOLIS & KENT NARROWS, MARYLAND
3 Hour, 8 Hour and 16 Hour Hands-On Courses for Students Aged 12+
National Safe Boating Council & US Powerboating Curriculums
Licensed, Insured and Accredited National Safe Boating Council and US Powerboating school. We offer courses aboard our training boats in Annapolis or the Kent Narrows or private lessons aboard your boat. Don’t see a course time that fits your schedule? Email us at: training@boatingacademy.net and we will try our best to accommodate you.
Check Course Schedules in BOTH locations (Annapolis & Kent Narrows) to see all available course times.
Private & Group Classes Available Upon Request, Gift Certificates Available
Module 1: Introduction to Powerboating
Single Engine Boat | Skills at Idle Speed | 3 Hour Course | 4:1 Student to Instructor | National Safe Boating Council Curriculum | Students aged 12+
Safety & Pre-departure
Basic Navigation
Centering the wheel
Shifting gears
Stops
Anchoring
Station Holding
This course focuses on the essentials of close-quarters boat control. It is taught by a USCG licensed captain who is also an NSBC Instructor aboard our 21’ training vessel.
$199
Module 2: Precision Docking & Boat Handling
Single Engine Boat | Skills at Idle Speed | 3 Hour Course | 4:1 Student to Instructor | National Safe Boating Council Curriculum | Students aged 12+
Safety & Pre-depature
Basic Navigation
180-degree turnarounds
Docking on port & starboard
Departing and returning to the dock
Using S.C.A.N. procedures
This course builds upon the skills of Module 1 and continues to focus on the essentials of close-quarters boat control with an emphasis on more docking and fine tuned boat handling. It is taught by a USCG licensed captain who is also an NSBC Instructor aboard our 21’ training vessel.
$199
Module 3: Open Water Boat Handling
Single Engine Boat | Skills at Idle & Planing Speed | 3 Hour Course | 4:1 Student to Instructor | National Safe Boating Council Curriculum | Students aged 12+
Safety & Pre-depature
Basic Navigation
Utilizing boat trim
Displacement & Planning
Ferrying
Emergency Stops
This course builds upon the essentials of close-quarters boat control and focuses on open water boat control at idle, displacement and planing speeds. It is taught by a USCG licensed captain who is also an NSBC Instructor aboard our 21’ training vessel.
$199
Module 4: Open Water Advanced Maneuvering
Single Engine Boat | Skills at Idle & Planing Speed | 3 Hour Course | 4:1 Student to Instructor | National Safe Boating Council Curriculum | Students aged 12+
Safety & Pre-depature
Basic Navigation
Crossing waves and wakes
Person overboard retrieval
Sharp turning on plane
Advanced avoidance
This course builds upon the skills learned in Open Water Boat Handling and focuses on advanced maneuvers at idle, displacement and planing speeds. It is taught by a USCG licensed captain who is also an NSBC Instructor aboard our 21’ training vessel.
$199
Women Making Waves
Single Engine Boat | Skills at Idle & Planing Speed | 3 Hour Course | 4:1 Student to Instructor | Women Only Course | Female Captain Instructor | National Safe Boating Council Curriculum | Students aged 12+
This women’s only 3 hour course is offered in all 4 of the 3 hour NSBC modules. You can take Women Making Waves in: Intro to Powerboating, Precision Docking & Boat Handling, Open Water Boat Handling and Advanced Open Water Boat Maneuvering. It is taught by a female USCG licensed captain who is also an NSBC Instructor aboard our 21’ training vessel.
$199
US Powerboating Course: Accelerated Safe Powerboat Handling
Single Engine Boat | Skills at Idle & Planing Speed | 8 Hour Course | 4:1 Student to Instructor | USPowerboating Material, Logbook and Certification Included | Students aged 12 + | $625
Safety, prep & weather briefings
Maneuvering concepts
Challenge test-out
Basic Navigation
Engine & electrical systems
Starting procedures
Docking
Leaving & returning to a slip
Close-quarters maneuvers
Anchoring
Steering a range
Proceeding to a destination
Person in Water rescue
This 8 hour hands-on, on-the-water course is for anyone who has taken a classroom boating course but needs experience to safely operate a small motorboat and improve their boathandling skills. Students will be expected to study the course materials at home to challenge and pass a written exam covering equipment requirements, rules of the road, aids to navigations, preparation, environmental regulations, safety, and emergencies. The US Powerboating, “Start Powerboating Right!” course book will be mailed to you prior to that start of the course. There will be a 1 hour lunch break mid-day. Weather permitting, we will take the training boat down to St. Michaels Harbor to practice our skills on our way, go to lunch at a waterfront restaurant by boat and return back to the marina that evening as we build upon our skillset and navigation for the trip home
US Powerboating: Safe Powerboat Handling NASBLA Course
Single Engine Boat | Skills at Idle & Planing Speed | 16 Hour Course 4:1 Student to Instructor | Students aged 12+ | $950
Safety, preparation & weather
Maneuvering concepts
Registration & capacities
Equipment requirements
Preparation & fueling procedures
Navigation rules of the road
Aids to navigation
Environment regulations
Engine & electrical systems
Starting procedures
Docking
Leaving & returning to a slip
Close-quarters maneuvers
Anchoring
Steering a range
Proceeding to a destination
Person in Water rescue
This 16-hour hands-on, on-the-water course is for anyone who wants to learn how to safely operate a small motorboat and improve their boathandling skills. No previous experience is required! The US Coast Guard and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) have approved this course and an increasing number of states have recognized it as meeting their requirements for a State Boating Education Certificate. The US Powerboating, “Start Powerboating Right!” course book will be mailed to you prior to that start of the course.The first day will be a mixture of classroom and on-water training and the second day will be all on-water training. There will be a 1 hour lunch break mid-day on both days. Weather permitting, we will take the training boat down to St. Michaels Harbor to practice our skills on our way, go to lunch at a waterfront restaurant by boat and return back to the marina that evening as we build upon our skillset and navigation for the trip home.
Private Lessons On Your Boat
Customized on-water training available aboard your vessel. Instructor comes to your location and works with you aboard your boat to build on-water confidence focusing on close-quarters maneuvering & open water maneuvering. Instructor will bring auto-inflatable lifejackets, chart and more. $499
3 hour minimum
Please call for scheduling & pricing: (410) 829-5057 or email: training@boatingacademy.net
Courses for everyone
Whether you are new to powerboating or would like to increase your confidence in docking and maneuvering in close quarters or open water, these courses are for you. Chesapeake Boating Academy’s On-Water Training Course Modules are designed to teach boat handling skills to recreational boaters or personnel hired to operate a vessel used in marine patrol. Taught by a NSBC (National Safe Boating Council) Certified Instructor and USPowerboating Instructor with a USCG Captains License, the course will progress from safety gear and the pre-launch checklist to docking and operating in close quarters to operating in open water with advanced maneuvers; each maneuver is repeated advancing from idle speed to displacement mode, then planing mode. The content of this course conforms to the American National Standard for on-water power skills as verified through an independent third-party assessment process.
We recommend students to start with Module 1 before advancing to Modules 2, 3 and 4.
Free online safe boater course
Because students will be aboard a training vessel with a USCG licensed captain, they are not required to show their state Boating Safety Certificate, however we do strongly encourage all boaters who have not yet completed this, to do so. The BoatUS Foundation offers a FREE online safe boater course that is approved by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to satisfy the mandatory education requirements for boaters and PWC operators born on or after 7/1/1972.
General Cancellation Policy
BoatU.S. Foundation and Chesapeake Boating Academy have the highest commitment to quality courses with small instructor to student ratios. Due to the specialized nature of these courses we book our certified instructors and licensed captains in advance and are unable to issue refunds for cancellations made less than 14 days prior to the scheduled course. Our rescheduling and refund policy is set forth below.
More than 14 days notice: BoatU.S Foundation/Chesapeake Boating Academy will reschedule you for another course or will issue you a coupon code for use in the future. BoatU.S. Foundation/Chesapeake Boating Academy may also issue you a full refund to your credit card if desired.
Less than 14 days notice: BoatU.S. Foundation/Chesapeake Boating Academy will issue you a coupon code for the full value of the purchased course for another course in your area.
Less than 7 days notice or no notice: BoatU.S. Foundation/Chesapeake Boating Academy not be able to offer any refund or credit.
BoatU.S. Foundation/Chesapeake Boating Academy will do everything possible to avoid having to cancel or postpone courses. There may be times when this will be unavoidable; student safety is paramount and is at the forefront of any decision made.
Weather postponements: If a course date needs to be cancelled or postponed due to unsafe weather or due to another event outside of BoatU.S. Foundation’s or Chesapeake Boating Academy’s control, a full refund or transfer to another course at the student’s choosing will be offered.
In the unlikely event that courses are cancelled on the day they are scheduled to take place the final decision will rest with the BoatU.S. /Chesapeake Boating Academy administrator or other BoatU.S. Foundation designated person in charge. In this scenario the student will be issued with their choice of a full refund or a credit for another course.
No refunds or compensation will be offered to students beyond the full cost of the course. Extraneous expenses incurred by the student such as hotel, travel, parking and other costs are not covered under this cancellation policy.
If you are unable to participate in a course for which you have signed up, or wish to change your registration to another date or location, please get in touch with the BoatU.S. Foundation course administrator/Chesapeake Boating Academy via telephone or email as soon as possible.