Teach Your Family to Be Better Boaters This Winter
No matter where you live, January can feel like a bit of a bummer. The festive holiday season, with all its twinkling lights and good cheer, is behind us. Our favorite waterways are either iced over or unappealing, depending on your latitude. And with the cold weather and long nights, spring feels far away. Then again, perhaps we can make the most of our time “on the hard,” as the old salts say. January is National Mentoring Month, so it’s the perfect time to put down our phones, gather together, and teach our less experienced family members the skills they need to make the important shift from passive passengers into competent, confident crew.
Why Mentoring Your Crew Matters
Learning is always valuable for its own sake, but actively mentoring your crew has safety benefits as well. If your captain is the only experienced boater aboard, what happens if they get hurt or feel unwell? Who will take charge of the vessel?
In that moment, someone else needs to step up. Can someone stop the boat if it’s underway? Does anyone know how to call for help on the VHF radio and provide an exact location? The crew also needs to know how to execute man-overboard procedures correctly, just in case.
This isn’t about rules. It’s about building skills, confidence, and judgment while enriching onboard relationships in a way that allows everyone (especially young people) to thrive on the boat.
Start with the Basics for National Mentoring Month
This year for National Mentoring Month, you can kick off your mentoring sessions with engaging, interactive activities for the whole family.
Design a Gear Scavenger Hunt
Everyone has to locate their own properly sized U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket and other critical safety gear. Who knows where the Type IV throwable devices are (if the boat is 16 feet or longer?
Who can find the fire extinguishers and the first aid kit or kits? Where are the visual distress signals and sound signaling devices?
Have a Life Jacket Mentoring Moment
Ask each crewmember to demonstrate they know how to put on their life jacket. If they don’t, show them how to do it properly, ensuring it is the correct size for the person’s weight and that the straps are snug. (When you lift at the shoulders, the jacket shouldn’t ride above the wearer’s chin or ears.)
Run Land-Based Emergency Drills
Set up a walkthrough man-overboard drill. Assign roles. Who throws the life ring? Who keeps visual contact? Which crewmember handles the VHF radio? Who needs to take the helm so they can serve as the captain’s backup, if necessary?
This works for fire drills, too. Place the emphasis on putting on life jackets and assigning roles for operating the fire extinguishers, shutting down the engines, and making the emergency VHF call.
Build on What They’ve Learned During National Mentoring Month
The offseason is a great time to create a pre-departure ritual. Together, build a crew briefing you will repeat with every departure from the dock or launch ramp. Rotate leadership, so each crewmember has an opportunity to be responsible for each part of it.
Weather Mentor
One family member checks the marine forecast and shares information about wind, waves, visibility, and possible inclement weather. Take extra time to explain the no-go conditions that would cancel an outing and why.
Safety Officer
Another family member checks the safety gear. They should ensure the life jackets, throwables, fire extinguishers, flares, first-aid kits, and other critical items are easily accessible. This person also is responsible for checking the VHF radio. Is it on and set to channel 16 for hailing and monitoring?
Navigator-in-Training
This is an ideal role for an older child or teenager. They can help plot a simple course or mark waypoints, noting hazards and no-wake zones. Discuss how these zones protect swimmers, paddlers, wildlife, and shorelines.
Another way to honor the spirit of National Mentoring Month is to turn navigation rules into family games. Use resources from the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and BoatU.S. Foundation to come up with a few plausible scenarios that involve meeting, crossing, and overtaking other vessels.
Then you can create flashcards or quizzes for game night, and family members can compete for fun boating-related items as prizes.
Tip: Encourage your kids and teens to explain the navigation rules to you. If they can teach it, they know it.
A third way to take National Mentoring Month to a positive place is to let younger crewmembers own the VHF. Use guidance from the U.S. Coast Guard to explain the different channels. Then practice proper calling etiquette, and walk through a printed Mayday script so everyone knows exactly what to do in an emergency.
What’s Next During National Mentoring Month?
After each learning session or game night, debrief your crew like a mentor, not a critic. Ask each family member about what they learned and what they might like to learn or try next time. Share at least one positive observation about each person’s effort, and jot down major milestones for each person in a crew logbook.
Keep these five easy ideas in mind for National Mentoring Month activities:
- Life jacket fitting day
- Rules-of-the-road card game
- VHF script practice
- Crew of the Day rotating roles
- Family signup for local boating course
Spring will be here before you know it, and your crew will be ready and eager to continue their education on the water.
Heather Steinberger
