California Boating
A Course for Safe Boating
1
Chapter 3
u
Vessel Operation
Hear that? The water is calling you!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
This course will teach you:
Personal safety
Basic boating guidelines
Boating law and rules of
the road
Basic operation of a variety
of vessels
Accident prevention
and rescue
You’ll also develop the skills and
knowledge to make the most of
your adventure on California’s
waterways.
No matter where you boat in California, a water adventure awaits you—each
one as big and unique as the state itself. It can be as majestic as paddling
a kayak around San Francisco Bay within view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Or as heart–thumping as riding the raging flows of the Lower Kern. You can
canoe the quiet might of the lower American River in fall, or fish the mountain
splendor of Lake Almanor. Something wilder? Make waves on a personal
watercraft at Lake Perris. Getting away? Set sail with friends on the crystal
Pacific Ocean out of Mission Bay.
So many adventures—all a lot more fun for you and everyone else when you
learn how to boat safely and confidently, and prevent accidents. This course
will cover the basics to show you how.
Play It Safe
Almost one million pleasure craft are registered in California and more
than four million boaters including paddle craft owners. That’s a lot of
Californians having a lot of adventures.
Unfortunately, many boaters will get hurt. The Coast Guard reports about
4,730 boating accidents each year in the United States—causing approxi-
mately 700 deaths, 3,000 injuries and $36 million in damage. About 86% of
all boating deaths occur on boats where the operator has not completed a
boating safety education course.
The good news—boaters can prevent many of these accidents by learning
safety and using common sense.
Introduction
Photo courtesy of CSU Long Beach Sailing Association