America's Boating Education

America's Boating Course - (ABC III)

Dates: Spring 2026

8 weeks program
Time: 06:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: 3106 Kiwanis Lane, Lake Charles, LA  (Live Instruction)
Materials: ABC Boating Course Book
Cost: Free 
Instructor: Darrell Walker, AP

This course is the best introduction or review of boating being offered. Great family course. It covers the basic boating terms, rules of the road, the Maryland laws you need to know and fundamentals of boating. The book is in both EBook and hard copy format.

Remember, if your birthday is after July 01, 1972, a Boating Safety Course Card is required to legally operate a recreation vessel in Maryland waters. America's Boating Clubs offers the America's Boating Course III to fill that requirement. The course is 8 hours of instruction and a test. Passing the test with an 80% or better gets you the Boating Safety Card. Experienced instructors will teach this course.

Course Description: The basic boating knowledge topics include:

• Introduction to Boating: types of boats - power, sail, outboards, paddle boats, and houseboats. Also, different uses of boats, various power boating engines, jet drives, and family boating basics.
• Boating Law: boat registration, boating regulation, hull identification number, required boat safety equipment, operating safely and reporting accident, protecting the marine environment, Federal boat law, state boating law, personal watercraft requirements.
• Boat Safety Equipment: personal flotation devices (life jackets), fire extinguishers, sound-producing devices, visual distress signals, dock lines and rope, first aid kit, anchors and anchor lines, and other boating safety equipment.
• Navigation: the U.S. Aids to Navigation system - types of buoys and beacons, navigation rules (sometimes referred to as right-of-way rules), avoiding collisions, sound signals, PWC "tunnel vision."
• Boating Problems: hypothermia, boating accidents and rescues, man overboard recovery, capsizing, running aground, river hazards, strainers: emergency radio calls, engine problems, equipment failures, carbon monoxide (CO), other boating and PWC problems.
• Trailering, Storing and Protecting Your Boat: types of trailers, trailer brakes, lights, hitches, tires, and bearings, loading, balancing, and towing (and backing) a trailer, boat launching and retrieving, boat storage and theft protection, launching, retrieving and storing a PWC.
• Hunting and Fishing, Water-Skiing and River Boating: carrying hunting gear and weapons in a boat, fishing from a boat, water-skiing safety guidelines and hand signals, water-skiing with a PWC, navigating rivers, and other boating tips.

Rules of the Road

Dates: TBA
Time: 06:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: 3106 Kiwanis Lane, Lake Charles, LA  (Live Instruction)
Materials: N/A
Cost: Free
Instructor: Education Officer, PC Darrell L. Walker, AP

Anchoring with assurance

Dates: TBA
Time: 06:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: 3106 Kiwanis Lane, Lake Charles, LA  (Live Instruction)
Materials: N/A
Cost: Free
Instructor: Education Officer, PC Darrell L. Walker, AP

Confidence in docking and undocking

Dates: TBA
Time: 06:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: 3106 Kiwanis Lane, Lake Charles, LA  (Live Instruction)
Materials: N/A
Cost: Free
Instructor: Education Officer, PC Darrell L. Walker, AP

Emergencies onboard

Dates: TBA
Time: 06:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: 3106 Kiwanis Lane, Lake Charles, LA  (Live Instruction)
Materials: N/A
Cost: Free
Instructor: Education Officer, PC Darrell L. Walker, AP