Boating season begins on Lake Hartwell: Affordable 3-hour powerboat training courses

TowBoatUS Lake Hartwell can help boaters get the boat-handling skills they're looking for just in time for summer boating season © Boat Owners Association of The United States

Springtime on Lake Hartwell means recreational boats begin to make their annual migration from winter hibernation on the hard to launching into the lake, bringing to mind the importance for every boat operator to be confident behind the helm this boating season. Whether you're an experienced boater wanting to improve or a beginner who has never driven a boat before, where can you get these on-water skills?

A new partnership between TowBoatUS Lake Hartwell and nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is bringing a series of four powerboat training courses, allowing beginners to learn the ropes and more advanced boaters refresh and refine their skills. The three-hour at-the-helm boating courses are affordably priced at $179 each and run on select weekends through May 19.

All courses are held aboard 18- to 21-foot single engine powerboats under the watchful eye of a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed instructor. Class size is limited to a maximum of four students per vessel, ensuring everyone gets quality time at the helm.

The four courses offered follow a National Safe Boating Council modular curriculum.

"We follow a sequential learning process that allows you to take the courses you need, such as Introduction to Powerboating for beginners, or build upon your skills by continuing with Precision Docking & Boat Handling, Open-Water Boat Handling or Advanced Maneuvers," said Alan Dennison, program supervisor for the BoatUS Foundation.

The minimum age to participate is 16 years old, and there is a two-person minimum per boat for the classes to take place. BoatUS Foundation On-Water Training programs are offered at 15 locations across the U.S. Sign up at BoatUS.org/On-Water.