Born after Jan. 1, 1978, and planning to drive a boat or personal watercraft this summer? Seriously consider getting your certificate of boat safety education first.
For one thing, it’s mandatory. Per Delaware law, anyone 28 years old or younger who is caught operating a vessel without that certificate in hand could face some hefty fines — even jail time, after repeat offenses.
For another thing, it’s just good training. According to Tom Burns, a member of the local U.S Coast Guard Auxiliary, many people born before 1978 take the course to see if they can pick up a few pointers, some new information — and insurance companies typically smile on that.
You only have to take the course once – certification is good for a lifetime.
And it’s cheap. Burns and his colleagues from the Auxiliary offer course every spring for just $10 per person.
There’s still one more opportunity for hands-on instruction and test preparation, on Saturday, May 27, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. (at the latest), at Millville Fire Hall.
Eight hours — pretty intensive. But as Burns assured potential attendees, the instructors will offer a couple of short “stretch” breaks, and 45 minutes for lunch.
And he said they typically finish in less than eight hours — a recent course wrapped it up about an hour early. “We had a good class – very attentive,” Burns noted. “They had a lot of questions, but they were satisfied with the answers so it didn’t take so long.
“But it is a lot for them to observe and absorb,” he added. “It’s quite a course to jam in to one day.”
However, he said the instructors try to focus on the materials most relevant to the 50-question test, sending students home with literature to study in greater detail, at their leisure.
There’s also an online test, sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), at www.boat-ed.com/de. It costs $15 to take the certification exam online, pass or fail. So it couldn’t hurt to take the free practice exam, first.
(Attention child prodigies — you can’t take the exam until you turn 12.)
Burns said he’d seen people from 12 to 74 years old come in to take the course.
It takes a score of 80 percent or better to earn certification. Would-be skippers might want to set aside seven or eight hours to study the materials, even if they’re planning to do it themselves.
May 27 may be local boater’s last opportunity to receive the hands-on instruction — Burns said the Auxiliary members typically take a break over summer, when vacationers are less willing to give up a Saturday.
For those who go, or plan to take the online course, here are some of the topics they can expect to see:
• How to choose the boat that’s right for you — hull designs, motors;
• Legal requirements — where to get your boat registered, and what safety equipment you must carry on board;
• Rules of the road and basic safety. “Buoys and markers are very important to boating,” Burns pointed out. “If you don’t understand what they’re saying, you can get into a lot of trouble.”
• Trailering;
• Getting under way — how to load the boat, always leave a “float plan” with friends or relatives; and
• Accidents — communications in case of an accident, day/night visual aids, fire on board. Burns emphasized the importance of preparing for fires especially. “That’s the most dreaded,” he said. “It’s not like a car fire — you can’t just get out.”
Instructors, or the online materials, also cover personal watercraft (PWC), sailing and weather-related conditions on the water.
For more information about the May 27 class at the Millville Fire Hall, or to register, call (302) 539-9326 or 537-7845.