WASHINGTON ALASKA IDAHO
AMERICA'S BOATING COURSE (ABC3)
Our basic boating class. The class will cover the basics of boat handling, PWCs, required equipment, navigation aids and rules, and dealing with emergencies. It will provide instruction and examination for laws and regulations of the State of Washington. Read a detailed description of the course by clicking on "America's Boating Course 3rd Edition".
ABC3 is recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard and has been approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).
Completing this course meets the requirements for a Washington State Boater Education Card
America’s Boating Course 3rd Edition is the latest public boating course offered by USPS to the general boating community. ABC3 is all new with an updated manual, outstanding graphics, and two bonus computer disks.
The course manual is divided into five chapters. The first four cover required topics like rules of the road, types of boats, required equipment, navigation aids, lights & sounds, anchoring, communications, adverse conditions, water sports safety, trailering, personal water craft safety, and knots & lines. The fifth chapter provides an introduction to digital charts and GPS waypoint navigation, a key skill for boating on larger lakes, rivers and coastal waters, which is great background for more advanced piloting courses.
Participating squadrons offer an On-The-Water component where students are taken to a marina, shown the different boat types, anchor types, tie-ups, etc., and then go out on the water to experience what they learned in class on USPS volunteer boats or their own boat.
