Affordable 3-hour on-water training courses at the Norwalk Boat Show

Learn boat-handling basics during three-hour on-water training courses at the Norwalk Boat Show, Sept. 19–22 © Scott Croft

Want to learn the basics of powerboating or brush up on your skills? The nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water together with Norwalk Boat Show and Freedom Boat Club Connecticut offer a choice of two fun on-water boat training courses taught aboard single-engine powerboats: Intro to Boating and Women Making Waves, from Thursday, September 19, through Sunday, September 22, at the show's waterfront location at the Norwalk Cove Marina at 48 Calf Pasture Beach Road, East Norwalk.

Both the Intro to Boating and Women Making Waves courses are three hours long and affordably priced at $149 per person - student's admission to the boat show is included. Intro to Boating covers shifting and steering, basic docking, open-water handling and basic navigation. It's offered Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The ladies-only course, Women Making Waves, offers the same curriculum and is the perfect opportunity to spend half a day learning boat-handling techniques in a supportive environment. It's also offered Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Class size is limited to four students per vessel, ensuring each student gets sufficient time at the helm under the watchful eye of a U.S. Coast Guard-certified instructor.

The goal of the BoatUS Foundation, Norwalk Boat Show and Freedom Boat Club courses is to address the high costs typically associated with at-the-helm training, making hands-on boating education more accessible. The courses also offer area residents the chance to try out recreational boating and give boaters the opportunity to brush up on their boat-handling skills.

Space is limited. Must be 21 years or older. To sign up for a course or seek out others, go to BoatUS.org/On-Water.