Ever dream of cruising to exotic destinations, chartering in foreign waters, or gunk holing in quiet backwaters? Learn what you need to confidently plan your boat trip and go cruising. Gain the self-reliance and practical skills needed to explore ports and coves for a weekend or weeks at a time.

This course is for anyone who is thinking about what it would be like to explore inland and coastal waterways on a boat, contemplating buying a boat, or chartering a boat at home or in another country. If you’re new to boating and like the idea of traveling by boat, we start with the basics.

There’s a lot to learn to become a comfortable cruiser, and each time you go out on a boat you learn something new. Cruising skills are built over time. For example, we talk about technical matters and procedures in a general sense but not how to do them. Those details are for articles, technical books, engine manuals, and courses and seminars. This is an overview so you can see what’s involved in the various aspects of cruising.

If you have some experience cruising or chartering, this course may be a useful review to help you make good decisions about how, when, and where to cruise. There are many images throughout this guide so you can see what things are and how they work together more easily than with just descriptions. A cruise planning exercise gives you a chance to practice with a real cruise.

Classes will be held on Thursdays, 7 to 9 pm, starting February 5, 2026 at the Jubilee Yacht Club (126 Water St Beverly MA).

Cost is $120 ($100 for U.S. Power Squadron Members)

Instructor: Jack Reed

Online Pre-registration is Required. Please register here.

For further information, please see the course description here.

If you have any questions, please contact Jack Reed at reedjack482@gmail.com.

Please see flyer for additional details.