Boating Education instruction is provided free of charge by the
United States Power Squadrons instructors. The retail price for
the ABC3 Student Manual is established by the squadron presenting
the course, reflecting costs as appropriate for squadron
expenses such as student and instructor educational materials,
classroom space, audio visual equipment, advertising, and
staff/instructional administrative expenses.
We go boating for various reasons. For some, boating itself is a
reason. For others, the boat is simply a means of transportation for
our real sport. For whatever reason, using a boat is more enjoyable
when we are confident that we know what to do and when to do it.
When you can utilize your skills consistently, you and your crew
and guests will be safer and have more fun.
This section will give you a quick overview of boats. It will
show there are many types of boats; that they all require similar
skills and knowledge, and most are governed by common regulations.
We will start by learning some of the terminology used by
mariners. The terms Personal Floatation Device (PFD) and Life
Jacket will be used interchangeably throughout this course.
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2
Inside this Chapter:
Boat Terms 2
Powerboat Hulls 6
Types of Boats 12
Life Jackets (PFDs) 19
Fire Extinguishers 27
Visual Distress Signals 28
Operator’s
Responsibilities 33
Check the Boat and
Equipment 34
Fueling 35
Preparing to Cast Off 36
Getting Underway 39
While Underway 42
Boating Courtesy and
Ethics 44
Review 45
Chapter 1
Section 1: Getting Started