Victoria Tinney
coordinates boat
safety courses at
MarineMax in
Wrightsville
Beach. One
very popu-lar
course,
Women on
Water, is
offered free
and encourages
women to take the
helm. The roughly
three-hour class includes
classroom and on-the-water work.
“We cover boat terminology, safety, equipment, rules
of the road and basic knots,” Tinney says. “We provide
hands-on practical application on one of our boats. Each
participant pulls away from the dock, operates the boat
and then docks it.”
Captain Tim Hicks, who instructs the MarineMax
courses, says docking is a crucial skill in boat safety.
“When docking, don’t come in any faster than you’re
willing to hit the dock,” Hicks advises. “Slow down and
try to always think ahead three or four steps.”
Docking is largely a matter of feel. With experience,
boaters learn to read winds,
currents, wave action,
and their vessel’s
own behavior
and with
practice
attain pro-ficiency
in
virtually
any set of
circum-stances.
Becoming
a skilled oper-ator
can mini-mize
the potential
for damaging a vessel, but
experts advise investing in towing insurance. Powerboats
have mechanical parts that fail. There’s an old saying that
there are three types of boaters: those who have been
towed, those who will be towed, and those who will be
towed again.
33
NOW OPEN!
ATLANTICMARINE.COM
2035 EASTWOOD RD
(910) 256-9911
Organic Roast Chickens,
Fresh Casseroles, Crisp Salads,
Chef-made Sauces and Dressings
FOR PICKUP OR DELIVERY CALL
(910) 679-4216
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
30-45°
Epic has your dinner covered!
Epic Food Co. @ The Forum
1113 Military Cutoff Road
www.epicfood.co