Boating Safety & Resources for Boat Owners, Yacht Owners & Captains
Safe boating starts long before the lines are untied. Education, weather awareness, navigation, proper equipment and good decision-making all play a part in getting a vessel and everyone aboard safely from departure to destination.
Atlantic Yacht Delivery has assembled these resources to help owners, operators and captains find reliable information for boating safety, training, marine weather, tides, navigation, regulations and coastal trip planning
Boating Safety & Boater Education
Boating safety education is one of the best investments a boat owner or operator can make. Understanding navigation rules, required safety equipment, emergency procedures, vessel operation and state boating laws builds confidence and helps prevent problems before they happen.
Capt. Tom Ertle spent approximately 10 years teaching boating safety courses through Coast Boating School in New Jersey. That experience, combined with years of professional yacht delivery and hands-on vessel instruction, reinforced something simple: even experienced boaters benefit from continuing education and a solid understanding of the rules of the road.
New Jersey Boating Safety Certificate
Official New Jersey State Police information on boating-safety certificates, approved course providers, and current course requirements.
Coast Boating School
New Jersey boating-safety courses, proctored exams and on-water instruction. Capt. Tom taught boating safety through Coast Boating School for approximately 10 years.
NASBLA Boating Education
State-by-state boating education information and approved-course resources for boaters throughout the United States.
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Courses
Boating safety, navigation, seamanship and skills courses offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary for recreational boaters nationwide.
America’s Boating Club
Boating courses and seminars for beginner through advanced boaters, including boat handling, navigation, rules of the road, marine electronics, weather, maintenance and on-the-water training.
On-Water Instruction & Boat Handling
Classroom education is important, but nothing replaces hands-on experience at the helm. On-water instruction helps boat owners become more comfortable with docking, close-quarters maneuvering, throttle and steering control, anchoring, basic navigation, vessel systems and operating in changing wind, current and traffic conditions.
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Atlantic Yacht Delivery provides hands-on owner instruction aboard the owner’s own vessel, tailored to the boat, the operator’s experience level and the conditions they are likely to encounter.
Atlantic Yacht Delivery Pre-Departure Vessel Checklist
Developed from Capt. Tom’s years of yacht delivery, vessel instruction and boating-safety experience, this checklist gives boat owners a practical way to review the vessel before getting underway. It covers safety equipment, navigation and communications, ground tackle, bilge systems, machinery, steering, electrical systems, route planning and emergency preparation.
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Owners may use this as an owner-preparation guide before a coastal passage or professional yacht delivery.
Marine Weather & Tides
Weather, wind, sea state, tides and currents can change a routine trip into a difficult one very quickly. Reliable marine forecasts and tide/current information are essential when planning coastal passages, inlet transits, bridge timing and daily departure decisions.
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Capt. Tom & Atlantic Yacht Delivery captains use multiple weather and tide sources when planning yacht deliveries and adjust routes, departure times and daily mileage based on actual conditions rather than a fixed schedule.
NOAA / National Weather Service Marine Forecasts
Official coastal, offshore and high-seas marine forecasts, warnings and marine weather information from the National Weather Service.
NOAA Tides & Currents
Official tide predictions, current predictions, real-time water levels, winds and other coastal observations from NOAA stations throughout the United States.
NOAA National Data Buoy Center
Real-time buoy and station observations for wind, wave height, wave period, water temperature, atmospheric pressure and other offshore conditions.
Navigation, Charts & Notices to Mariners
Good navigation starts with current charts, reliable position information and an understanding of local hazards, bridge restrictions, shoaling, aids to navigation and temporary changes along a route. Electronic chart plotters are valuable tools, but they should be used with updated chart data and sound situational awareness.
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For longer coastal deliveries, Capt. Tom & Atlantic Yacht Delivery captains review charted depths, inlets, bridge clearances, restricted areas, fuel stops and current navigation notices before departure and continue checking for changes throughout the trip.
NOAA Nautical Charts
Official NOAA electronic navigational charts, chart locator tools and custom chart products for U.S. coastal waters. NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey maintains the federal charting products used for safe navigation.
U.S. Coast Guard Local Notices to Mariners
Weekly Coast Guard notices covering changes to aids to navigation, hazards, bridge issues, marine construction, safety zones and other information that can affect a planned route.
U.S. Coast Guard Light Lists
Official Coast Guard information on lights, buoys, day beacons, sound signals and other aids to navigation. Weekly updates reflect current Local Notice to Mariners corrections.
U.S. Coast Guard Bridge Program
Official Coast Guard information on bridges over navigable waters, including drawbridge operations, bridge clearances, navigation impacts and bridge-related regulations. The Coast Guard oversees drawbridge operating schedules and works to keep navigable waterways reasonably unobstructed.
U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Rules & Federal Boating Requirements
Recreational boaters and professional captains are responsible for understanding the navigation rules and federal safety requirements that apply to their vessels. The U.S. Coast Guard publishes the official Inland and International Navigation Rules, federal boating requirements and related guidance for vessel operators.​
U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Rules
Official International and U.S. Inland Navigation Rules, including steering and sailing rules, lights and shapes, sound signals, responsibilities between vessels and distress signals.
Federal Navigation Regulations
Selected federal navigation regulations from Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations, including COLREGS demarcation lines, Inland Navigation Rules, drawbridge regulations, vessel traffic management, regulated navigation areas and other rules affecting U.S. navigable waters.
Federal Boating Requirements
Official U.S. Coast Guard recreational-boating requirements covering safety equipment, vessel numbering, personal flotation devices, visual distress signals, fire extinguishers, navigation lights, accident reporting and other federal requirements for recreational boats.
Emergency, Distress & On-Water Assistance
Every boater should know how to call for help before an emergency happens. VHF radio procedures, distress calls, towing assistance and knowing when to contact the U.S. Coast Guard can make a major difference when something goes wrong on the water.
For coastal passages and yacht deliveries, Capt. Tom and Atlantic Yacht Delivery captains plan with emergency communications, towing coverage, safe harbors and alternate destinations in mind so there are options if weather, mechanical problems or other issues develop underway. Capt. Tom holds a USCG Assistance Towing endorsement and knows the real value of having dedicated on-water towing coverage. Atlantic Yacht Delivery does not endorse one towing provider over another, but we strongly recommend that boat owners carry some form of towing coverage. In many cases, it is one of the least expensive annual costs of boat ownership and can prevent a very expensive out-of-pocket bill when assistance is needed.
U.S. Coast Guard VHF Radio & Distress Procedures
Official Coast Guard guidance for marine VHF radio use, including Channel 16, MAYDAY procedures, Digital Selective Calling (DSC), distress information and emergency communications. Channel 16 is the primary VHF distress, safety and calling channel in U.S. waters.
TowBoatUS On-Water Towing
TowBoatUS provides 24/7 on-water assistance for recreational boaters, including towing, soft ungrounding, jump starts, fuel delivery and dock-to-dock towing, depending on the membership plan. Atlantic Yacht Delivery does not endorse one towing provider over another; the important point is having coverage before you need it.
Sea Tow On-Water Assistance
Sea Tow provides 24/7 on-water assistance, including towing, fuel delivery, jump starts, covered un-groundings, disentanglements and other services depending on the membership. Atlantic Yacht Delivery does not endorse one provider over another; the important thing is having reliable towing coverage before you need it.
A note on towing coverage: Some boat-insurance policies offer an inexpensive towing endorsement or rider. Depending on the policy, that coverage may have reimbursement limits, service-area restrictions, or require the owner to arrange assistance and submit a claim afterward. Dedicated national towing memberships such as Sea Tow or TowBoatUS are designed specifically for on-water assistance and generally include direct dispatch, established towing networks and defined service benefits. Boat owners should compare the actual terms, limits and service procedures before assuming an insurance towing endorsement provides the same level of assistance as a dedicated towing membership.
State Boating Laws & Marine Resources
Federal navigation and safety rules apply throughout U.S. waters, but individual states also have their own boating laws, education requirements, registration rules, equipment requirements, speed restrictions and local operating regulations. Boat owners should understand the rules that apply wherever they plan to operate.
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Because Atlantic Yacht Delivery routinely operates from Maine through Florida, Capt. Tom & our Captains recommend checking the applicable state marine agency before operating in unfamiliar waters, particularly for boating-safety certificates, local restrictions, no-wake zones and state-specific equipment requirements.
State-by-State Boating Contacts
Boating education, registration, safety and enforcement requirements vary from state to state. NASBLA maintains a state-by-state directory of boating-law administrators and official boating-safety contacts so boaters can find the agency responsible for the waters where they operate.
New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau
New Jersey’s Marine Services Bureau is the primary state law-enforcement agency on New Jersey waterways and provides boating-safety information, enforcement guidance, station contacts and other resources for recreational boaters.
Planning a longer East Coast delivery? Explore Atlantic Yacht Delivery routes between New England and Florida, New York/New Jersey and Florida, and Chesapeake Bay and Florida — in both northbound and southbound directions.
Need Help Planning a Delivery or Building Confidence at the Helm?
Atlantic Yacht Delivery provides professional yacht and powerboat delivery, charter captain services and hands-on owner instruction throughout the East Coast. Whether you are planning a long-distance relocation or simply want more confidence operating your own vessel, Capt. Tom and the Atlantic Yacht Delivery team can help.
The resources provided on this page are for general informational purposes. Regulations, requirements and service offerings can change, so boaters should verify current information with the appropriate government agency or service provider.