Canadian Yachting February 2021 - 76

LIVING THE BOATING LIFESTYLE - BEGINNER TO ADVANCED

SO YOU WANT TO BE
A BETTER BOATER?

BOATING SKILLS FOR NOVICE
TO ADVANCED BOATERS.
By | Amy Hogue

he COVID-19 pandemic has created unexpected changes in our
lives, impacting everything from
boating to vacations and these trends look
to continue into the future.
In summer 2020, those trends were seen
in the unprecedented numbers of boaters
flocking to marinas and boat launches
seeking a COVID-friendly vacation on
the water. While the waterways were
more crowded than ever before, the boaters you were likely to encounter weren't
necessarily in the know for boating etiquette, or marine know-how.
For new boaters, a Pleasure Craft
Operator Card may seem like the entry
into the world of boating, but this card
doesn't mean your education is over. In
fact, some experienced boaters would
argue it's just beginning.
Breaking into the world of boating can
feel a bit like breaking into the cool kids'
group in high school - this world is filled
with unspoken traditions and etiquette,
and a complex range of resources and
skill-building that can be challenging for
newcomers to navigate.
Let this article be your primer to living
the boating lifestyle with education for
Beginner to Advanced.

WHO'S WHO
If you're not sure who to turn to for
information related to getting started on
the water, there are a few organizations
that come to mind. For the basics in getting started on the water and information about operating or owning a boat,
Discover Boating (discoverboating.ca)
and Start Boating (startboating.ca) are
resources that can form the foundation of
your boating knowledge.
Discover Boating will help you with
everything you need to know from purchasing a boat to the ins and outs of the
boating lifestyle. Start Boating covers
what you need to know before heading
out on the water for all smaller watercraft,
including kayaks, canoes, and stand-up
paddleboards, (SUPs), in addition to
power-boating.
When you're ready to expand your
experience with hands-on, or virtual programming, Sail Canada (sailing.ca) and
the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons
(cps-ecp.ca) are your most valuable
resources. Sail Canada is a national sport
organization and provides the national and
Olympic level training and team sports
training for sailors going to the Olympics.

CANADIAN YACHTING | FEBRUARY 2021

On the training side, Sail Canada has
always placed a big focus on practical
and in-person training to ensure people
are prepared to go out on the water confidently. Sail Canada courses are delivered
at schools and sailing clubs across the
country by certified instructors. Don't be
fooled by their name - Sail Canada offers
information and courses for sailors and
also, for power boaters.
The Canadian Power and Sail
Squadrons (CPS-ECP) is another organization with important information to
share with new boaters. CPS-ECP is now
one of Canada's best-established Pleasure
Craft Operator Card educators and testing
services, but then they take it to the next
level with more in-depth education that
will take you confidently onto any body
of water. CPS-ECP has been delivering
courses in boating long before they were
mandatory.
SO, YOU BOUGHT A BOAT -
NOW WHAT?
So, you bought a boat? Congratulations
on your new purchase. You are now ready
to head out onto the open water and sail,
or cruise to wherever your heart takes
you. Or are you?

http://www.discoverboating.ca http://www.startboating.ca http://www.sailing.ca http://www.cps-ecp.ca

Canadian Yachting February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting February 2021