Gary,
Before I bought my first big boat, I spent a lot of time on news groups
like this, too. I explored the Internet for info about boats and
boating, bought some books, and after a year and a half of research,
started looking at boats.
When I started out, I thought I wanted a small houseboat. After 2 years
I ended up with a 31' motor cruiser that would handle all the local
waters (NYS Barge Canal, Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River), was big
enough to be comfortable for me (6'2", 200 and too many pounds), and was
small enough to handle and maintain myself.
I was brought up fishing in small 14' aluminum boats on Oneida Lake, and
only had a few hours on my buddies house boat in anything larger. I had
never really needed more weather or maintenance or charting lessons,
because I was intimately knowledgeable of my narrow boating scope. Now,
my boating experience was about to expand exponentially, and I needed
direction. Back in the research days, I had come on the local Power
Squadron web site. The 20 hour "Squadron Boating Course" sounded like
what I needed, and I signed up.
The teacher was an old, loud, opinionated salt, who oft as not wouldn't
let you get a word in, and went on and on talking about his views of the
local cruising conditions, seemingly forgetting we had a course book
half the time.
I loved every minute of it. I got a 100 on the test. Neither was any
accident.
I had spent the time to go to class and do my homework, even though lots
of the course material I had read over and over already in other places
when I was doing my "research".
By the time the course was done, I was scared at how much I didn't know.
Luckily on test day there were two people from the Membership
Committee there to recruit us into the Power Squadron. I didn't know a
damn thing about the Power Squadron, but they had advanced, member only
courses I needed, and even if they were a bunch of snotty yachtty types,
I was going for it.
I should have known from the old, loud mouth salt that wasn't to be the
case. (The other reason I joined was to see if there were any more like
him - there was.) What I found was an organization just like the many
others I have belonged to. Many of the members I still haven't met
after 3 1/2 years. I may never know what their agenda is. The members
I've met are the active ones who give freely, unselfishly of their time
to help others. Our local, like ones all over the nation, graduate
100's of the boating public from safety courses every year.
Are all our local teachers boaters - yes. Are they all Anne Sullivans -
no. But they all know how to pull an often uninterested class along,
and present the required safety material to the people who want to hear.
Uninterested? Yup - NY now has a law that all PWC drivers must have
an 8 hour safety course. There was a 5 year graduated phase in, but
most waited until now, when everybody needs it. Often the class can
move only as fast as the slowest denominator.
Our local Squadron has a solid (though too few) core of teachers who do
an incredible job, going where requested, begging classroom space at
local schools, sometimes teaching 2 or 3 days a week. (just about all
our classes are broken into 2 hour weekly segments). They are all
volunteers, working for free.
The Member only courses are more than I hoped for. Not only do you get
the course information, you get to know the other Squadron students, who
have a vast range of experience to share. We're crossing Lake Ontario
this summer and going up the St. Lawrence the first time. One of my
Squadron buddies is crewing part way to show us some of the ins and outs.
The Power Squadron has been updating all their member-only courses
(Seamanship, Piloting, Cruise Planning, Engine Maintenance, Instructor
Qualification (yeah, a teaching course), Marine Electronics, etc.) to
reflect the new technologies, and help accommodate modern living
schedules. Our weather course is probably about 40 hours long. I
haven't taken it yet, but I have taken 5 other courses, and can attest
to their thoroughness. I can attest to the teachers' credentials. I
know this was the way for me to go.
Gary, you got out of that course just what you put into it, just like I
did on my Squadron public course. You came away wanting more, just like
I did. If you want more, you have to go on to the next step somewhere.
I stepped up to the Squadron member-only courses, you may want to pay
someone to teach you - whatever. The point is, only so much can be
packed into the basic boating safety courses. Anyone who thinks they
need more should move on to more advanced courses somewhere.
By the way, I'm a proctor now for that old, loud, opinionated salt,
helping him out with that 20 hour public course. I have a feeling I'm
making a difference out there. If you really feel strongly enough about
it, maybe you'll be an old, loud, opinionated salt teaching a weather
course some day.

Al


Gary Warner wrote:
When I was looking to buy my first boat I started coming
to this newsgroup and decided to take a boating safety
course. I took, and passed with flying colors, the local
Coast Gurard Power Squardon course. (Or some such
name, don't have the cert handy.)

And yes, it was very useful and the people teaching it are
not to blame for anything that happened to me and I'd
certainly reccomend it.

But there are a few things that I wish they'd covered or
stressed more. I offer these now and ask others to
add to the list in hopes it will help someone else.

WEATHER: Yes, weather was presented. And looking over
the materials I see clear (but short) warnings about knowing
what the weather will be. The thing is, I'm not one normally
to worry much about weather. On land, short of a tornado
or some storm that is ALL OVER the news, one can go
out and do just about anything. The worst that happens is
you have to cancel your plans and drive back home. But
on the water things a TOTALLY different. What seems like
just a little fog that will burn off can be very dangerous. Or
what feels like a little wind on land can be something you
don't want to be out in. ~~ The course tended to be calm
and talk about how to notice weather. There were some
very calm warnings to watch the weather carefully. But it
was not stresses how much different your attitude has to
be when going out on a boat - - especially if it's onto
any large body of water and not just a small lake.

Ok - I've got two or three more to add, but I'll do 'em later.

Gary