Fundamentals
Let’s learn what safe boating is all about - the fundamentals that every skipper should know and practice. If you’re a new boater this information will prove invaluable; if you have been boating for a while maybe it’s time for a review or refresher. Either way, you’ll come away a much more confident skipper or mate.
Local Knowledge
Do you know where the “Parking Lot” is? Many boaters find out when they run aground here. Want to know why we call inlets “ocean nozzles”? What about local tides and currents or afternoon weather patterns? Marinas and storage options, fuel points, towing services, parts & supply dealers - we’ll cover that too.
On-the-Water Cruise
Where better to “pull” everything together than an actual on-the-water outing? We’ll show you the lateral buoy system found on the Intracoastal Waterway and the one found on the river. We’ll address the overlap and explain the difference with the dual purpose buoys. We have a near-perfect teaching boat which acts as our floating classroom. Welcome aboard.
Since 1993
Come for the Boating Education . . . Stay for the Friends"℠
That’s our tagline. We teach boating, and where better to learn how to boat safely on the Cape Fear Waterways than on the water? Whether it’s the Cape Fear River from Wilmington to Southport or the AICW from Wrightsville Beach to Southport, we will show you what you need to know. Our class is approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and recognized by the United States Coast Guard. It satisfies the North Carolina boating education requirement for anyone born on or after January 1, 1988. You do not need to be a member to take our flagship boating course, which we proudly offer to the public which includes a full day of classroom instruction as well as an optional teaching cruise.
We believe that learning to boat safely starts in the classroom discussing boating fundamentals like: required safety equipment, rules of the road, navigational aids, communications afloat, anchoring, trailering, water sports safety, situational awareness, light & sound signals, government regulations, underway responsibilities, finding your way, adverse conditions & emergencies and knots & lines. Once we address these topics, we’ll head out to the water to apply what we learned and to discuss important features of boating on the Cape Fear waterways like: prevailing weather patterns, tides & currents, our geographical area, ocean inlets, fueling and supply points, local marinas, wet & dry storage facilities and places of interests (good & bad) - things we refer to as Local Knowledge.”
Enroll For Our Next Class
The next class is Saturday, February 24, 2024, starting at 8am at GIRLS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY OF WILMINGTON. The On-the-Water Teaching Cruise is February 25, 2024 (Time TBD). $105 per person. $65 each additional family member sharing a book. Enroll now.