You may not be able to sail — but you can always prepare! This winter in California, Long Beach Yacht Club(LBYC) is being proactive in preparing members for the upcoming sailing season with a variety of programs.

Safety at Sea

Many yacht club races require crew members to be certified in this Safety at Sea course. This course contains many topics that can help cruisers and racers increase their awareness and learn how to prepare for emergent issues that may occur on the water.

Safety at Sea courses are for everyone: cruisers, powerboaters, sailors & racers will all benefit from the knowledge and skills covered in this course. This US Sailing Sanctioned Offshore Safety at Sea Course teaches valuable skills that could save your life or the lives of your crewmates. Moderated by Bruce Brown, this two-day course includes hands-on training and complies with World Sailing Offshore Personal Survival Course guidelines. The content covers:

• Safety Equipment Requirement (SER) Categories: 4.3.1 and 4.3.2
• World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) Categories: 0, 1, 2
• Certification valid for 5 years from the date of the course.
• The LBYC opens this course for members of other yacht clubs in the area.

Safe Powerboat Handling Course

The Safe Powerboat Handling Course is a hands-on course for anyone who wants to improve their boat handling skills. This 16-hour hands-on, on-the-water course sanctioned by US Powerboating is for anyone who wants to learn how to safely operate a small motorboat and improve their boat handling skills. This course hosted by LBYC will be split over two Sundays in March, and no previous experience is required!

In the classroom, participants learn:

• Safety, preparation & weather
• Maneuvering concepts
• Registration & capacities
• Equipment requirements
• Preparation & fueling procedures
• Navigation rules of the road
• Aids to navigation
• Environment regulations

On the water, participants learn:

• Engine & electrical systems
• Starting procedures
• Docking
• Leaving & returning to a slip
• Close-quarters maneuvers
• Anchoring
• Steering a range
• Proceeding to a destination
• Person in Water rescue

No previous experience is required!

The US Coast Guard and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) have approved this course and California has recognized it as meeting their requirements for the State Boating Education Certificate, which will be required by law for all powerboat operators in the coming years.