I was contacted by the new owners of a C-288 Coupe to get some training to meet the requirements of their insurance provider. It may be a little-known fact that at GBA we teach powerboating as well as sailing. The American Sailing Association has created an offshoot organization called the Recreational Powerboating Association. Designed with the express purpose of providing the same quality training materials and standardized testing that they have for years with ASA accreditation.
My training as an RPBA instructor meant that although their insurance company provided a checklist of things to cover I had an outline and textbook already to help them learn the material.
I joined them at the brokerage in Bellingham and was hugely impressed by the knowledge of the gentleman in charge of commissioning the vessel. Now I guess that one would expect this to come with a boat that goes for as much as $339,937.00 (according to the website). The only thing that the boat was missing was its dinghy davit and dinghy. These boats and their pocket cruising cohorts the Ranger Tugs have an innovative dinghy launching system that stores the dink over the engines. Aperantly the parts were delayed due to COVID.
First, we went through everything on the boat and when we were in the chart plotter (This boat has two huge displays) we set a course for Friday Harbor and noted all the hazards on the way. A boat like this that has two 250 hp outboards and will do 45 knots so you had better know where you are going.
Over the following days, we covered everything the insurance company wanted and more. We removed the anchor and rode and marked it off as well as installed a swivel at the anchor. I have never seen the knot that the bitter end was held to the boat with before. Lots of practice docking was done and confidence slowly increased but there is something about something so shiny and pricey that will never quite allow total confidence.. and maybe that’s a good thing. I’ve wondered if the word confidence, which is used so much in the boating education world, is perhaps not that good of an idea. As some of us know tequila produces confidence and is cheaper than boating lessons but doesn’t improve competence. A word that I feel much better working toward with my clients.
There are a few boat builders that meet this design niche. I mentioned the Ranger Tug and there is also the Jeanneau NC series that offers a fast pocket cruising design that miraculously can accommodate two couples.
Going small makes a lot of sense and not just for those who can’t afford a 60-footer.
Tied up and the lovely Jones Island dock 10 minutes away from Friday Harbor and the boats new home.
I wish more insurance companies were doing this or better yet referring schools like GBA to help reduce claims. Not 20 boat lengths from where this boat is berthed there was a 29-foot two-year-old version of this brand up on the hard with a mangled prop and a recked bottom. Totaled. Two big chart plotters are sometimes not enough. Perhaps the best insurance is know-how.