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https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2022/november/boating-boom-leads-to-more-accidents-and-fatalities

Become A Better Boater Whether you're new to boating or looking to expand your skills, our BoatUS Foundation offers courses and online resources for safe and clean boating: Free boating safety course. The BoatUS Foundation offers the only free online boating safety course developed specifically for your state. They're recognized by the Coast Guard and approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and 36 states. Go to BoatUS.org/Free and click on your state to get started. Advanced courses. Want to brush up or learn a new skill? Our BoatUS Foundation offers 16 courses on various topics, including marine radios, navigation, weather, hurricane prep, sailing, and more. Prices range from free to $40 each.  Hands-on on-water training. Our BoatUS Foundation offers On-Water Training through partners around the country. The three-hour courses range from $179 to $249 depending on location, are taught by Coast Guard-licensed captains, and have three to four students so everyone gets ample time at the helm. Enter your zip code at BoatUS.org/On-Water to find training near you.

https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2024/february/safer-waters

Become a better boater There are many options to obtain a boating certification, either in a classroom or online, but the key stamp of approval to look for is “NASBLA-certified,” which means the course adheres to American National Standards and is universally accepted in all U.S. states and territories. The first stop is NASBLA.org/Education to find approved boating courses by state. The BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water offers a range of online and on-water boating safety training courses — including 36 free state courses — that can be found at BoatUS.org/Courses. More than 171,000 people took the free state boating certification courses last year. Free boating safety course. The Foundation offers the only free online boating safety course developed specifically for your state. They’re recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard and approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and 36 states. Advanced courses. Want to brush up or learn a new skill? The Foundation offers 16 courses on various topics, including marine radios, navigation, weather, hurricane prep, sailing, and more. Prices range from free to $40 each. In-person learning. The Foundation has a database of U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, United States Power Squadrons, and privately offered courses from around the country. Visit BoatUS.org/Courseline and type in your zip code to find courses in your area. On-water training. The burgeoning BoatU.S. Foundation On-Water Training program is offered through partners around the country. The affordable three-hour courses range from $179 to $249 depending on location, are taught by Coast Guard-licensed captains, and have a maximum of four students so everyone gets ample time at the helm. Enter your zip code at BoatUS.org/On-Water to find training near you. — R.A.

https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2020/september/diesel-demystified

Visit BoatUS.org/On-Water to learn more about the BoatUS Foundation's Women Making Waves boat-handling courses.

https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2024/april/marine-hose-clamps

This simple piece of hardware plays a critical role in keeping your boat afloat. Make sure yours are up to the job.

https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2024/july/abandoning-ship

Lydia Mullan, who was on board Alliance when the boat sunk, captured real-time video of the team’s rescue at sea.

https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2023/december/derelict-boats

What’s next? BoatU.S. Foundation received the official grant notification at the end of August 2023, so, at press time, program managers were in the beginning stages of building out the framework. Keating says she expects that grant applications and guidelines will be available in early 2024, and the ADV database reporting system is anticipated to be online by the middle to latter part of next year. The Foundation will release more details as they become available on its website (BoatUS.org/ADVGrant) as well as through press releases and on social platforms.

https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2019/august/registered-epirbs-prevent-false-alerts

After responding to more than 700 false alerts in 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard urges anyone with an EPIRB (emergency position indicating radio beacon) to properly register their devices. EPIRBs transmit a distress signal to a satellite system called Cospas-Sarsat, which relays the signal to a network of ground units and emergency responders, who can pinpoint the beacon location anywhere in the world. The Federal Communications Commission requires all EPIRB owners to register their beacons with NOAA and keep the registration information up to date. If an unregistered beacon activates, the FCC can prosecute the owner and issue warning letters or notices of apparent liability for fines up to $10,000. Coast Guard personnel were only able to contact 163 of the more than 700 EPIRB owners to determine the cause of the false alerts in 2018. The other individuals had not registered their beacons, didn't update their registration information, or hadn't disposed of old units properly. "We handle EPIRB alerts with a bias for action," says Lt. Daniel Dunn, a command duty officer in the 5th Coast Guard District's command center. "We have to treat them as actual distress calls until we can prove otherwise." When Coast Guard watchstanders receive an EPIRB alert and cannot trace it to the owner due to missing or outdated registration info, they launch aircraft and boat crews to search the area for signs of distress. It costs approximately $15,000 per hour to fly an HC-130 Hercules airplane, $10,000 per hour to fly an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, and $5,000 per hour to operate a Coast Guard small boat. "Unregistered EPIRBs result in lost time and money, and misuse resources that could be used to save someone's life," says Dunn. Visit the NOAA website to register your beacon. The BoatUS Foundation Rental Program offers both ACR and McMurdo GPS-enabled 406 MHz Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and EPIRBs for rent for $45 and $65 respectively per week.