Seminars
Helping to make boating safer and more fun
In-Person Seminars – 2026
All in-person seminars will be held at the North Palm Beach Anchorage Park Building,
603 Anchorage Drive, North Palm Beach, FL, unless otherwise noted
All in-person seminars: $25/person
Note: we are currently unable to process credit cards.
Introduction to Marine Batteries
Sooner or later, you will need to replace the 12-volt batteries used to start your boat engine and run your onboard electronic systems. This seminar is intended to help you get longer, more reliable service from your current boat battery and to familiarize you with the options available when it comes time for an upgrade or replacement.
Topics include:
- Battery Specifications
- Batteries for Different Loads
- Battery Chemistries
- Onboard Charging Systems
- Maintenance & Testing
- Battery Replacement
Special attention is given to lithium batteries and the items you need to consider if you are thinking of a lithium upgrade.
Saturday, January 10, 2026: 9AM
$25/Person
For more information, contact us at:
Hurricane Preparation for Boaters
Is your boat secured and ready for hurricanes and severe storms? Learn to develop a plan and take action to protect your boat from a damaging storm.
Hurricanes and severe storms bring extreme weather conditions that can damage or destroy your boat. Learn how you can protect your boat from the ravages of wind, waves, torrential rain, tidal surges and high water.
What’s included?
- Check vessels and gear
- Check your trailer
- Prepare a storm plan
- Lessons learned from storms
- Hurricane anchoring
- Be storm ready
- Your responsibilities
- Post-hurricane efforts of US Coast Guard and law enforcement
- Insurance
Saturday, February 21, 2026: 9AM
$25/Person
For more information, contact us at:
Anchoring with Assurance
Good seamanship demands that all boaters know how to anchor safely. Anchoring topics begin with how to select an anchorage and how to anchor depending on conditions. After learning how anchors should be used, you will know if yours is satisfactory or what kind(s) to buy. The seminar covers useful anchoring tips and tricks and concludes by discussing how to moor and raft safely.
Monday, March 30, 2026: 7PM
This seminar will be held at 7PM
$25/Person
For more information, contact us at:
All About VHF/DSC Marine Radio
Get familiar with your boat’s VHF marine radio in just a couple of hours. An experienced instructor will teach you how to use VHF radio like a pro, including the new digital selective calling (DSC) rescue feature. In this seminar, you’ll also learn how VHF radios work and their controls, using the correct channels, correct radio procedures and terminology, and how the Digital Selective Calling (DSC) works.
Saturday, April 25, 2026: 9AM
$25/Person
For more information, contact us at:
How to Use GPS
Nearly everybody uses GPS in the car or on a smartphone but your marine GPS is a different animal. In this seminar you’ll learn how to choose a suitable GPS chartplotter if your boat doesn’t already have one. More importantly, you’ll learn how to make the best use of it — how to create waypoints, build and execute routes, and monitor your progress along the way. And there’s more! The seminar will explain how modern GPS chartplotters integrate with other electronic systems onboard, including VHF marine radio, radar, and autopilot. Your GPS will tell you where you are and how to find your destination.
Saturday, May 23, 2026: 9AM
$25/Person
For more information, contact us at:
Weather for Boaters
“A veering wind will clear the sky;
A backing wind says storms are night.”
All boaters have heard this mariner’s proverb or similar ones. They have a salty flavor that takes us back to the era of sailing ships. The safety and comfort of those who venture out on the water have always been weather dependent. This seminar is a must for boaters who have never taken a weather course. The complex subject of weather is presented in a way that is both understandable and useful.
Saturday, June 20, 2026: 9AM
$25/Person
For more information, contact us at:
Knots and Line Handling
Do you know which knots to use in every situation? Learn to securely attach your boat and other useful applications.
Learn how to secure your boat to docks, piers, and other boats; handle rescue and repair situations; manage running rigging; anchor securely; and tow other vessels or people. This seminar has been designed to help you to know which lines and knots to use in each situation. You’ll gain knowledge and hands-on experience selecting the appropriate line and tying the 10 most useful knots, bends, and hitches; and you’ll learn how to care for the lines on your boat and on the dock.
Monday, August 24, 2026: 7PM
This seminar will be held at 7PM
$25/Person
For more information, contact us at:
Anchoring with Assurance
Good seamanship demands that all boaters know how to anchor safely. Anchoring topics begin with how to select an anchorage and how to anchor depending on conditions. After learning how anchors should be used, you will know if yours is satisfactory or what kind(s) to buy. The seminar covers useful anchoring tips and tricks and concludes by discussing how to moor and raft safely.
Monday, September 21, 2026: 7PM
This seminar will be held at 7PM
$25/Person
For more information, contact us at:
Fuel and Boating
Discover what every boater needs to know about gasoline and diesel fuel, including computing and evaluating fuel consumption, caring for your fuel system, and fueling a boat safely. Learn how to handle fuel safely and to respect its lethal potential. Learn how to avoid running out of fuel. Each student receives a full color Student Guide for the seminar.
What’s Included?
- Practice environmentally safe fueling
- Control and prevent “oily waste” discharge
- Know the differences between gasoline and diesel engines
- Understanding torque, horsepower, transmissions and propeller issues
- Measure and predict fuel performance
- Employ special “rules of thumb”
- Calculate range and distance
- Recognize fuel problems
Saturday, October 17, 2026: 9AM
$25/Person
For more information, contact us at:
Rules of the Road
Avoid collisions and other hazards! Know the rules of the road.
Navigational rules of the road help you know what to do when you share the water with other boats, how to recognize and signal intentions, and how to avoid a collision. This seminar focuses in a practical way on helping you understand the basic rules encountered by recreational boaters during almost every boating outing and the rules most likely to apply in the local waters where you boat. It covers skipper responsibilities, general rules, and definitions, rules to avoid a collision, lights and shapes, and sound and light signals.
Rules of the Road will help you understand how to recognize local situations, the rules that apply, and the actions you should take. And be sure to read the United States Coast Guard’s Navigational Rules and Regulations Handbook for the authoritative word on all rules of the road, since – as the skipper or designated crew member – you are responsible to know the rules that apply anywhere you boat.
Saturday, November 21, 2026: 9AM
$25/Person
For more information, contact us at:
Online Seminars
Online seminars are available from America’s Boating Club Online Boating Education. https://www.americasboatingclub.org/index.php/learn/available-online
How to Use GPS
Boaters need the most reliable location and position information available, which makes getting the most out of your Global Positioning System pretty important. Learn how to use waypoints, build and execute routes, and monitor progress. Learn to interpret location information and tracking data, and get an overview of how GPS integrates with your boat’s electronic systems. Explore what features you need and how to arrange your display. Also get tips on connecting your GPS to your VHF marine radio, which opens up a new world of digital hailing and distress signaling.
This is an online seminar given by America's Boating Club
Introduction to Navigation
Navigating roadways and waterways is not the same. If you’re comfortable using GPS for car trips, don’t assume you’re automatically ready to use GPS on a boat. This seminar will help you learn some of the differences. You’ll get an overview of how to use electronic (and even paper) charts to plan a safe route with waypoints, how to navigate along the route, and how to check underway that you’re on course. Topics include:
- Understanding nautical charts
- The compass rose and magnetic variation
- Interpreting aids to navigation
- Establishing waypoints and planning routes
- Using chartplotters and multifunction displays
- Planning your voyage electronically
- Electronic navigation while underway
- What to do when the chartplotter quits working
