“Women in Boating” classes: Building confidence at the helm

The goal of the “Women in Boating” class, presented by America’s Boating Club Golden Isles, is to give women the knowledge, hands-on experience and confidence to become capable boat operators and that includes the intimidating feat of docking a boat by herself.

The next “Women in Boating” class is scheduled for Saturday, September 12 from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. (including classroom and on-the-water time) and will be held at the University of Georgia Marine Extension Center, 715 Bay Street in Brunswick. The cost is $115 for non-members; $75 for members. For information call 860-908-5148 or https://bit.ly/3T7z7if

The program is led by Commander Cynthia Lamb who is a certified on-the-water instructor with the United States Power Squadrons/America’s Boating Club and a 2025 recipient of the organization’s Charles F. Chapman Award for Excellence in Teaching. Lamb said “docking is a challenge here in the coastal waters with the combination of currents, tides and winds. The first time I tried to dock, it was such a bad experience I swore I would never do it again.” Laughing, she added, “we want to make certain this is not our students’ first-time experience. They are able to learn in a controlled and less threatening setting.”

Typically, on many family boats, everyone develops a role early on. The individual with more boating experience becomes the person at the helm. Over time, the others may become comfortable on the water but never gain much experience and confidence in actually operating the boat.

That was the experience of ‘Women in Boating’ participant Terri Taylor of St. Simons Island.

“I grew up around boats. My dad and my husband always handled maneuvering the boat, especially docking and undocking,” she said. “I would get the lines and watch out for other boats, but that was about it.” Docking was what made her most nervous when she enrolled in the program. But after instruction and hands-on practice, her perspective changed.

“I quickly realized, I can do this,” Terri said. With experience and new knowledge, her confidence has continued after class. Recently, she helped someone else dock their boat at a local marina. “I am much more confident taking command now and being on the water is more fun.”

Before getting behind the wheel, students of “Women in Boating” attend a two-hour orientation covering boating safety, basic rules of the water ways, chart plotters and other information they will need on the water. Then they take the helm for active learning.

With a limited number of hands-on students per class, instructors are able to provide individual coaching and give students time to repeat their newly learned skills. Students begin by first learning to handle the boat at slow speeds, moving in and out of gear and practicing away from docks and other boats.

Then they move to simulation docking by using points of land as reference points for a “faux” dock. From there, the students progress to gentle “touch-and-go” dockings at an open dock. Mistakes are part of the learning process and the instructor’s role is to help students understand what the boat is doing, make necessary corrections and try again. Gradually, a maneuver that once seemed intimidating becomes manageable and the skills come through instruction, repetition and practice.

For the boating family, there is an important safety benefit to having more than one capable operator aboard.

Should the regular operator become ill, injured or fall overboard, someone else needs to know how to take control, communicate by radio, use the navigation equipment and get everyone safely home. For the class participants, many find the experience changes their role aboard the boat. Instead of always being the passenger or first mate, they become another person capable of making decisions at the helm.

Class attendees quickly notice a change in their confidence. For students, instructors and fellow classmates, the change is obvious on the dock after class. When a student brings the boat safely alongside the dock and realizes that she – not her husband, partner or instructor – guided it there, her feeling of accomplishment shows.

There has been tremendous interest in the club’s “Women in Boating” program as recent classes have been filled to capacity. Currently, people and resources are being expanded with additional sessions being planned. There are a few openings in the upcoming class.

America’s Boating Club Golden Isles is a nonprofit boating organization serving the Golden Isles and surrounding area. The club offers boating education, seminars, hands-on training, on-the-water activities and opportunities for boaters to learn from one another. For information about the “Women in Boating” classes or to learn more about the America’s Boating Club Golden Isles, visit gisps.org.