Teaching Neophytes
I have helped more than a few new boaters learn the ropes when it comes handling a boat. I am an experienced "OK" captain, meaning I know what I know, and more importantly, what I don't know. I am not going to list the handling skills I help them learn (the list would be moderately long and tedious), but I will list some of the non-handling skills that can be just as important:
Reading a chart and knowing how to determine position.
How to choose a marine radio and how to use it. (I don't know how many people I have advised about having a marine radio. As I have said more than once, cell phone coverage on the lake is spotty and if you need to call for help it may be the only way to do so.)
How to load and balance the boat (goes back to my flying days), something that can adversely affect the handling of the boat and in turn the safety of the passengers and crew, as well as other boats and boaters.
Selecting the proper size/type anchor(s) and how to set it/them. (I ran across some new boaters this summer having problems with a dragging anchor. It turns out their anchor was undersized. They also had it tied off to the bow eye and not a bow cleat which made it impossible for them to adjust the anchor rode to the depth of the water.)
That's just a few of the many things I try to teach if the need arises.
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