CA Boater Card -- good online course?

[N.A.]

I need to get my card, and... signed up for the BoatUS course, since it was BoatUS and free.

Oops -- buggy interface, lost hours of my work (and yes, I pressed 'Save'). I don't recommend the BoatUS course to anyone who values their time -- I would have been far better off paying $35 for the course to... whom? That's the question:

--> Any recommendations for a CA Boater Card online course that has a good interface and works smoothly / does not lose your work?

Many thanks!

 

[Loren Beach]

Does California have its own on-line course and test?
Oregon does, and has been doing this to issue boaters education cards for way over a decade.

(BoatUS was acquired by Geico a few years ago, and things have changed there, and at least insurance-wise, not for the better.)

A quick look at the CA web site seems to show quite a few 'net sources for training. Looks like they do not offer this directly.

https://californiaboatercard.com/courses/

Interesting and a bit off-putting to see how many have a fee attached, tho.
Edit: digging into our (OR) state site, I see that Oregon nowadays also charges for the course. Bummer. When I and the Admiral both did the on-line test there was no fee. Perhaps that's what's mean't by the "good old days".... !

 

[G Kiba]

I have yet to see any enforcement of this but know that ski boat and personal watercraft folks in the Sacramento Delta could really benefit from the education. The state requirement was age based mean older operators had/have longer to get the card. Coast Guard doesn't seem to care about it yet, but that could change. Wish the state would enforce it's traffic laws better as driving to the boat has become a lot more dangerous.

 

[Bepi]

A fool on a boat will be a fool on a boat whether they take an online course or not. I believe the boater card testing will be as effective as online drivers training courses that allow you to lessen the impact of a ticket. But what I do see is now law enforcement has the ability to board any vessel by wondering to themselves if the captain has a boater card, And as the old saying goes once the camel's nose is in the tent , you then get the whole camel. Citations and fines would be more effective in chastening the irresponsable than an online test for a universally available card,
which the state makes money on.

 

[bgary]

^^^ +1

I've probably told this story, not sure... (not enough coffee yet)...

I was sitting in the Rosario Marina listening to the marine forecast, indicating a "100-year storm" event barreling down on the San Juan Islands. Something like 8 inches of rain in the 24-hour forecast, ushered in by 50k+ winds.

Everything on my boat was buttoned up and battened down and I was doing one last check on deck when a man walked up and asked if I knew the area. When I said I did, he asked about the best route to Roche Harbor. I told him about the storm coming in and that there's no way I'd want to be on open water over the next 12-24 hours., let alone in the narrow channels between the various San Juan islands. He said "but we have to be in Roche Harbor tonight. We're meeting family there!!"

(yeah, okay, but I bet they'd rather wait a day to see you than listen to the Coast Guard run a SAR mission...)

Long story short, it turns out he and his wife were traveling in a ~20-foot open runabout and - literally - all he knew how to do was turn the key and spin the steering wheel. No idea how to work the radio, read a chart... nothing. He wasn't sure if he had an anchor, and no idea about flares or sound signals. I got the impression he thought driving a boat was like driving a car, except there are no painted lines to follow.

But he was quite proud of having earned his Washington State Boater Education card!!!

So, yes, they're out there. In Washington, all you have to do to own a boat is be able to pass an online test, and be able to write a check. Absolutely no proficiency required.

 

[Loren Beach]

I suspect that many younger boaters would have trouble relating to the way I and my (now geezer-ish) friends all learned to sail back in the 70's and 80's. When we bought our first Ranger 20, we joined the local *Fleet and almost immediately commenced doing 40 to 50 starts per summer for several years. Plus overnighting on weekends with the group.
When Oregon introduced the "boating education" card, we both took their <then free> on-line test... and quickly realized that the questions were about 70% oriented to young guys on PWC. (sigh) And the questions also referenced drinking and boating.... (bigger sigh).
*around 1980, that local Ranger fleet was 50 strong, and putting 25 boats on a starting line on a good evening.