By William C. Winslow
What does a nautical-minded person do in the winter when your boat is snowed in and your enthusiasm is flagging? There are all kinds of activities that you can do to occupy your time. Some may even enhance the upcoming summer.
States are tightening up boating safety requirements; most states have safe boating laws on the books requiring a certificate. Weather that keeps you inside is the perfect time to hone your knowledge of boating skills. Organizations like the Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Power Squadrons (America’s Boating Club), and BoatUS offer a plethora of public safe boating courses in classroom settings and online. The basic course is also offered by some states.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary’s Boating Skills and Seamanship is a nautical soup-to-nuts offering designed especially for powers boaters. It’s a handy way to brush up on skills or introduce newbies to boating. The course is one of 16 in the Auxiliary’s grab bag.
Winter is a great time to socialize with other boaters. From my perspective, joining a local flotilla of the Auxiliary means you’ll be mingling year-round with a happy group of sailors. You’ll swap stories, find out about new adventures, and have access to specialized courses offered only to members such as advanced navigation, weather, marine communications, air patrol, search and rescue on local waters, even a shipboard cooking gig. Need a bigger bonus for getting out of the house in the winter? Though the Auxiliary is the all-volunteer, non-military arm of the U.S. Coast Guard, for every hour of service a member posts the government credits the Coast Guard with extra financing. What a great way to support an agency that takes your safety at sea seriously!
Boat shows are another way to keep the sailing flame lit. There you can ogle the new models, examine the hottest new products, and even talk about financing if you have a hole in your pocket. Go shopping for new gear at the show and keep shopping at your marine supply store after the show ends.
If your winter blues cannot be dispelled with chatter and knowledge, don’t resist your itch to get out on the water. You can charter your own boat or join the crew of another’s vessel.
When it comes to chartering, Florida and the Caribbean — among other warmer areas — are loaded with companies eager to put you in the skipper’s seat. You can charter a bare boat or add on a paid captain so you can relax. Be wary of answering ads from individuals who’ll rent you a boat for a day or a week, as I believe you should deal with a larger fleet outfit that has the resources to handle any emergency.
Put your back into obtaining your southern sailing high by crewing. There are companies matching crews with boats. If you’re lucky, you might find a bunk just for the cost of chow, usually when an owner has brought his or her boat south for the winter season. (But remember my caveat about dealing with individuals.)
If you are really a hard-core old salt, check out local yacht clubs that offer frostbite racing in dinghies. And the ultimate winter thrill? Ice boating. Though climate change is taking away opportunities, some mariners swear there’s nothing like whipping across solid water at 50 miles per hour when the temperature is 20 degrees.
State boating requirements and resources https://americanboating.org/boateducation.asp
State specific free boating courses https://www.boatus.org/free/
Boat show listings https://www.nmma.org/shows/calendar
The author is the Division 5 – Staff Officer Public Affairs, First District Southern Region, for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the all-volunteer, non-military arm of the Coast Guard, teaching boating safety education and conducting search and rescue operations. Visit http://cgaux.org/ to join the Auxiliary or for class information.
