"Tis season is upon us and all through the nation, not a sole should complain, not a guy nor a gull, for not partaking, or provisioning, a loved one's, boat'n education."

Trying to determine that ultimate gift for your seafaring loved one? We in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary have the perfect answer. Give them the gift of safety! Encourage them to take one of the many boating educational courses.

For the first time boater, we have Boating Safety.

This National Association of State Boating Law Administrator's (NASBLA) approved course, teaches the basics of boating safety. Lights, emergency procedures, and required equipment, are all covered in this eight hour class. This course normally satisfies state educational requirements (contact your state boating office for exact details).

Boating Skills and Seamanship

Those who are interested in more than just the basics, but don't want to get heavy into navigation, may be interested in the Boating Skills and Seamanship course.

This course tries to answer the question of which boat is best for you, and what equipment do you need (in addition to required equipment). We talk about trailing your boat, and boat handling. After we've left that proverbial dock, we learn about the Rules of the Road and the sign posts (called buoyage).

Along the voyage, you'd like to stop, so we talk about marlinespike (lines and knots), and you'd also like to start again, so we go over powering your boat. Other topics include weather, your VHF radio, and other items of safety.

Basic Coastal Navigation and Advanced Coastal Navigation

For those looking for more education, we have Basic Coastal Navigation and Advanced Coastal Navigation. These courses teach new and seasoned boaters the art of dead reckoning, calculation of tides and currents, how to plot all these items on nautical charts, and more importantly, how to read those nautical charts.

The Basic course covers the nautical chart, charting instruments, the compass, dead reckoning and piloting.

The Advanced course covers such topics as current sailing, tides and tidal currents, radio-navigation, fuel and voyage planning. There are no pre-requisites for either course, though we do suggest understanding all the topics of the Basic course prior to undertaking the Advanced course.

Sailing Fundamentals

For those true sailors out there (the type that enjoy using canvas to harness the energy of the wind), we provide Sailing Fundamentals. This course, which satisfies the classroom portion of the American Sailing Association certification process, covers a diverse set of topics.

In order to sail, you need to understand your energy source, so we talk about the wind, boat trim, sail handling, as well as the responsibilities of skipper and crew. Safety is discussed, as it pertains to your personal safety, the crew and the boat. Part of a safety education includes understanding the Rules of the Road, buoyage and Seamanship skills.

In finishing your introduction to Sailing Fundamentals, we discuss the joys, and pitfalls of coastal cruising. Included are sailing under power and troubleshooting that engine, steering the compass course and what to do when you ground (and in my neck of the woods, that's very easy). What to do when you run into heavy weather, understanding weather, and learning when not to go.

Navigating with GPS

Finally, we offer a course entitled Navigating with GPS. This course discusses how a GPS works. It does not teach you how to use your specific GPS (because there are so many brands and models, it would be impossible). This two-hour course covers basic navigation principles, but a solid background in navigation will increase your understanding of how to navigate with a GPS. Understanding the principles behind GPS navigation is crucial, if you want to avoid hitting that island the lies between your dock and your destination.

So, while your boat is dry dock, stay nautical and increase your awareness of your boating environment. Take a boating course today.

For more information, contact your local Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla by either finding us on http://www.cgaux.org or contacting your local Coast Guard unit (http://www.uscg.mil)