Have you ever wanted to teach others how to handle boat? If you’re a U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Captain, you could earn $250 to $350 a day doing just that. The BoatUS Foundation is looking for instructors to teach on-water powerboat handling and navigation skills.
Courses are taught in groups of three to four students on single and twin-engine powerboats between 21 and 26 feet long, which are provided by marinas, boat dealers, and some Freedom Boat Club locations. Captains use a National Safe Boating Council or Freedom Boat Club-approved course curriculum, for a day or weekend-long course.
The Foundation says its on-water training courses “are designed to address the high costs typically associated with at-the-helm training, making hands-on boating education more affordable, and offer the chance to try out recreational boating or give boaters the opportunity to brush up on their skills.”
More than 600 students nationwide have taken the BoatUS Foundation’s on-water courses, and the foundation is expanding for 2019, with more course dates and additional locations.
The most common course is the basic “Powerboat I” or “Intro to Boating,” which teaches students how to prepare a boat for departure, steer straight at idle speed, center the wheel, shift gears and throttle control, stop the boat in an emergency, and other crucial skills.
A “Powerboat II” course covers pivot turns, docking alongside a pier and departing, and how to maintain a proper lookout. Some classes are themed to ladies-only or parents and teenagers.
Any U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain interested in applying should take the foundation’s short survey by clicking here.
To see a current list of course dates and locations, including Annapolis, Maryland and Woodbridge, Virginia, click here.
