PEWAUKEE, Wisconsin. — This week marks National Safe Boating Week, and a local boating company is trying to get more boaters formal training on best practices while out on the water.
Freedom Boat Club and BoatClass team up for a three-hour-long class out on the water with a U.S. Coast Guard certified captain. The classes are available on weekdays for $200 and weekends for $250. They are available on Pewaukee Lake and the Milwaukee River.
“We want to see people have a safe day on the water,” said Rob Sheets with Freedom Boat Club. “We want you to enjoy it. But the way to enjoy boating is to be the safest one on the water. It’s important to know the rules of the road and how to operate your vessel safely, and to make sure that everyone on your boat and in the surrounding area around you is going to have a great day and be safe.”
The boating course they offer goes through everything from leaving the dock to boat engine controls and operation/maneuvers. It also includes a review of boating rules and regulations, and how to use all the necessary safety equipment.
Sheets said this type of hands-on experience is invaluable for young people just starting out, and as a refresher for boaters who’ve been doing this for a long time.
“There is no substitute for being on the water, hands-on working the throttle, shifting in and out of gear,” he said.
