Basic Courses

Captain Deb’s Sailing / Boating Courses

The purpose of these courses is to teach you the foundational knowledge of safety on the water so you can be comfortable boating and sailing and build your skills to competency. The goal is to have our waterways filled with competent, safe boaters, where we can have more people enjoying recreational watersports safely with fewer accidents and fatalities.

Sailing & Boating Basics
ON DEMAND

Capt. Deb Marlor designed this course for people like “you”!
Your busy, life is demanding, so Capt. Deb just made it a whole lot easier and way more fun to do it on your schedule.
You don’t even know what you don’t know! 

This course is for those who would love to enjoy watersports, power boats, sailing, wave runners but just don’t know the “ropes”, “rules” and want to be a safe informed boater.
Convenient – your schedule.
Flexible – your pace of learning

Safety is First! – what you need to know about being on the water, and keeping your family, your boat safe.

Essential topics that are not taught in conventional boating and sailing schools. You’ll learn them here and it will make your experience a whole lot easier, save you money because you know what to ask, you will have resources at your fingertips.

You will learn terminology, the why, the what, the when. Recreational water sports have rules and regulations not knowing them does not give you a hall pass.

You will learn the purpose of the equipment, and the importance of maintenance to preserve your assets. You will be able to identify situations that can put you in danger and most important if you incorporate this information into your time on the water you will have a safer boating experience. Earn your Certificate of Completion.

Staying Safe Underway

Staying Safe Underway (Rules of the Road) – Keep your family, customers, and other boaters safe!  You will learn the rules, and understand how to apply them, avoid collisions, and manage situations and conditions that occur which you are mentally prepared to execute what is required to do.

This course will teach you:

  • Who has the right of way
  • The hierarchy of vessels on the water
  • How and what to do when passing another vessel
  • Best Practices for communicating on the water
  • Cruising at night – what do the lights on the vessels tell you?
  • What are day flags, where to look and what do they mean?
  • Why stay in marked channels and the importance of channel markers guiding you safely from destination to destination

Knowing and practicing what you learn on the water will make a difference in your safety. This class will prepare you for safe boating and you will be well prepared to step into cruising safely, or that big step of Captain’s School.

3 Hours

All materials are provided and include:

  • USCG ATON (PDF)
  • Reference Manual (PDF)
  • Color Flashcards (Lights, Day Flags, Sounds)

Why and Who should take Captain Deb’s courses:

You bought the boat and every time you go out its crazy, and chaotic, and its really supposed to be a calm, fun time with the family.  Instead, its yelling, nervousness, and it always happens to you.  Why?

Are you new to boating and/or sailing?  You love the water and you have a boat, and never knew there were Rules.  You are wondering how you will ever learn everything.

Want to be sure your kids have great role models when it comes to safety on the water?

You sailed or spent your childhood on the lake with boats, and its been 20 – 30 years, and now you are called to that special place the ocean.  Its time to revisit, see what’s changed and know you have a solid foundation.

You have the watercrafts and never took a class, you are self-taught.

You plan to do the Great Loop and have never been off the Great Lakes.

Captain Deb can be your trusted resource in this vast marine industry!   She is fun, knowledgeable, and has 25,000 nautical miles of time at the helm, great stories, and will make your time on the water more fun, comfortable and safer.   She has sailed the Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and The Great Lakes, in addition to owning Power boats and playing on the rivers in Idaho for 8 years.

 Sailing and Boating’s

  “Rules of the Road Flash Cards”

Contains over 35 cards to make learning and memorization easy.

They are the perfect size of playing cards, colorful and laminated.

The set includes: 

  • 12 Day Flags Cards
  • 12 Light Flags Cards
  • 11 Sound Signal Cards

You will find your Day Flags, Light Signals, and Sound Signals.  Make this the easy part of the Captain’s test.

This is a great tool if you are preparing for your captain’s test or to have aboard your boat when you are sailing at night.

You will be confident and knowledgeable when you encounter vessels with their identifying lights system at night.

Learn the “Rules of the Road” with these easy-to-use flashcards to ensure your safety whether you are passing a dredge or see the lights of a Tugboat towing a barge.

(Our Sailing and Boating Rules of the Road flashcards meet the United States Coast Guard criteria for Navigation rules)

Meet Captain Deb!

Deb began her boating experiences as a child on Lake Chautauqua New York, and Lake Erie. Boating and sailing were safe and fun memories. Sailing began on Lake Erie in the late 70’s where sailing was competitive and fun. Deb sailed with the Tartan team from Mentor, Ohio and learned racing skills, dealing with extraordinary weather conditions and lots of fun. She attended a performance race clinic in Florida that sealed the dream! She was hooked. Her career took her to San Francisco where the sailing/racing in San Francisco bay was amazing.

Testimonials

Past students say

I never knew what  that was, or why I was doing it, now I understand.”  “I have been in so many dangerous situations and I knew it my gut, and had no idea what to do, now I do!

Dr. Bill Kirsch

Deb you really did an impressive job  putting the logic of the courses, the clarity of the descriptions and content together, they are outstanding, great job!

Ron

The Rules of the Road class material was presented very well. It is highly recommended and will help both beginners as well as experienced to be safer sailors. Captain Deborah is a good instructor and her vast experience makes the course very worthwhile.

Diane Silas

Deborah was down to earth and engaging during the seminars that I took. She is personable, and willing to answer questions. I left my series of three seminars, feeling better about learning to sail.

Danielle Rose

Boating Basics tonight was a great start. I’m getting back into sailing and need all the education and inspiration I can get. Thanks so much for this!

Priscilla

Hi Captain Deb,
I really enjoyed taking your seminars and seeing how you gently inspire confidence in the women through your example. Teaching from your boat in a beautiful location is also inspiring!  Thanks for the links. You reminded the women that sometimes they may need a licensed captain to certify their competence aboard for insurance purposes. That's somaething that the Chesapeake Area Professional Captains Association (CAPCA) may be able to help with, particularly for people in the mid-Atlantic states area, as well as in other eastern states. Good luck with your program of inspiration and empowerment!

Lori

Great, thank you.  Nice clear graphics and easy to read.  I have printed a copy for the boat.  This will be handy to use for cruising.

Wanda

Thank you for an Outstanding Class. I am a complete novice when it comes to sailing. After tonight, I Feel more confident about following my dream to sail. And you're a great teacher. I've taught for 40 years, so I know a good one when I see and experience one. Your passion, Knowledge, and delivery of information is off the charts! I look forward to more classes with you!

Claudia Rose

Deb is an absolute delight. I have taken three of her courses…Boating Basics, Rules of the Road and Charts & Chart Plotters.  I learned a great deal from each of her courses and had many laughs with Deb along the way.  I really like the Zoom format.  Deb is engaging and always encourages me to ask questions.  She is a wealth of knowledge.

I have recently completed her Dream Builder program and I’m well on my way to “Living My Ocean Dream.”  I’m extremely grateful for Captain Deb! 

Clara “CJ” Powell

Captain Deb Marlor is the sailboat captain you want to follow. She lives on the water with the real experience of living in the environment. She is a woman of skill, discipline and order on the water to sail with the wind, teach others the ropes...or should I say the sheets of sailing. She has now written the best book I have ever seen that guides one through all the necessary steps to buy any boat. Navigating Buying a Boat by Captain Deb Marlor. I am using it to buy my next sailboat and so should you!

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