Southern Connecticut
Bridgeport Harbor | Westport | Harbor Point | New Rochelle, NY | Rye, NY
Member Training
At Carefree Boat Club of Southern Connecticut we make every effort to ensure that our members are confident and capable boaters. At no additional cost to our members, we offer both in class training and on the water training. Our members are required to have a Connecticut Safe Boater Certificate and be trained by one of our staff on the water. To guarantee everyone is safe and happy while on the water, our members have the ability to request additional training whenever they feel that they need it. We also offer our members focused training and seminars covering subjects such as fishing, planning an overnight trip, and how to safely navigate.
Boating Certification
Carefree Boat Club of Southern Connecticut has made a special arrangement for our new members to get their safe boating certification at a discounted rate of $55 by one of the best resources in the area, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 72 of Norwalk. Veterans, first responders, families and seniors are eligible for another $5 per person discount. Pizza lunch and textbook included and the course is also available in Spanish.
To register with the State ahead of time follow these steps
- Go to the Online Sportsman Licensing: CLICK HERE
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and hit START
- Go to the search by personal information- you will need to either put in your social security number or drivers license number to see if you are in the system as having a conservation ID number previously issued to you.
- System says I don’t have one. – Go to “Select here to receive your conservation ID only for an Education Course Registration”
- Complete the registration process. Follow the instructions for “New Customers”.
The course is held at Flotilla 72’s Base at Dominick Lammetta Training Center at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, CT. Make sure you let the gate keeper know you are attending a training at the base. 203-838-1200
Follow this link to see other course offerings in Connecticut and view the CT Boater’s Guide: Find a CT Safe Boater Course and View the CT Boater’s Guide
In Class Basic Seamanship Course
Once you have obtained your CT Safe Boater Certificate, and before your on the water training, you will take part in our Basic Seamanship Course. This presentation will provide you with the information needed to begin planning your next boat voyage. It will cover topics such as:
- Situational Awareness
- Weather
- Tides
- Chart Reading
- Radio and Compass Use
- Anchoring
On the Water
Our on the water training covers all procedures from how to make a reservation, to securing boats to the dock, to fueling a boat, and everything in between. The on the water training is custom tailored to each members past experience with boating. Whether this is your first time on a boat, or if you’ve been a boater your entire life, we will teach you what you need to know in order to make you comfortable with boating and keep you and your passengers safe.
Members will learn:
- The ResNet reservation system, including how to make a reservation and when they can be made, how to get a boat the same day using spur of the moment reservations and how to cancel a reservation.
- The boat check-in and check-out procedure for morning and afternoon reservations.
- How to secure the boat to a dock and how to place fenders.
- Where to find and how to use boating safety equipment, including the fire extinguisher, flares, throw cushion, life vests, etc.
- The different parts of the boat, such as nav lights, bilge, electronics panel, throttle, navigation equipment, etc.
- Radio procedures, what channels to use for what type of calls, such as mayday, weather updates, SeaTow, etc.
- About the local waterways. How to use local charts, where points of interest and hazards are, and the locations of channels and no wake zones.
- How and where to dispose of waste, and the consequences of doing so improperly.
- How to start the boat and how to troubleshoot if problems arise.
- How to launch the boat from the dock and where to stow equipment when underway.
- What to do if the boat breaks down.
- The procedure for fueling the boat.
- How to dock the boat on different types of docks and slips.
- How to make extended hours reservations.