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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 for Women
Discover a warm, welcoming, and supportive environment in Sailing & Boating Basics for Women, a course designed by Captain Deb Marlor with you in mind.
This course is for women who want to dive into the world of sailing and boating confidently, safely, and with the right foundation. Whether you’re completely new or have some experience, Captain Deb has crafted this program to ensure that every woman feels at home on the water.
With years of experience and a passion for empowering women in boating, Captain Deb prioritizes a safe, respectful learning space where no question is too small. She knows that life is busy and demanding, so she’s created a flexible structure with live, interactive sessions and a comprehensive On-Demand Portal that you can access anytime, giving you the freedom to learn at your own pace.
Why Choose This Course?
- Women-Only Space: This course was created by Captain Deb based on women’s requests for a safe, inclusive space to learn. Many of us didn’t have the opportunity to learn about sailing and boating, but now, you do. Knowledge is power, and Deb is here to support you every step of the way.
- Safety First: Boating safety isn’t just a lesson; it’s a mindset. You’ll learn the essentials of water safety, protecting yourself, your passengers, and your vessel. By building a strong foundation in safety, you’ll feel more at ease and prepared to handle situations with confidence.
Course Structure and Resources
This course includes three, live one-hour sessions alongside a rich On-Demand Portal packed with all the essentials. You’ll have access to:
- Detailed Glossary of sailing and boating terms
- Video Tutorials demonstrating fundamental skills
- Checklists for marina etiquette, VHF radio usage, and best practices
- Special Tips for those sailing with kids Captain Deb also covers essential but often overlooked topics in traditional sailing schools, like boat equipment care and maintenance, that can save you time, money, and help you keep your boat in top shape.
Complete the course and earn a Certificate of Completion, knowing you’re ready for safe, enjoyable time on the water. With Captain Deb’s supportive guidance, you’ll gain confidence, skills, and a trusted resource for your boating journey.
Sailing and Boating Basics – Women
$199.00 $99.00
Monthly Q & A with Captain Deb
First Monday of each Month
Time: 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time Zone)
Sailing and Boating Basics CoEd (Couples/Partners)
Discover a warm, welcoming, and supportive environment in Sailing & Boating Basics for Couples, a course designed by Captain Deb Marlor with you in mind.
This course is for Couples/Partners who want to dive into the world of sailing and boating confidently, safely, and with the right foundation. Whether you’re completely new or have some experience, Captain Deb has crafted this program to ensure that every person feels at home on the water.
With years of experience and a passion for empowering men and women in boating, Captain Deb prioritizes a safe, respectful learning space where no question is too small. She knows that life is busy and demanding, so she’s created a flexible structure with live, interactive sessions and a comprehensive On-Demand Portal that you can access anytime, giving you the freedom to learn at your own pace.
Why Choose This Course?
- Couples/Partners Space: This course was created by Captain Deb based on requests for a safe, inclusive space to learn. Many of us didn’t have the opportunity to learn about sailing and boating, but now, you do. Knowledge is power, and Deb is here to support you every step of the way.
- Safety First: Boating safety isn’t just a lesson; it’s a mindset. You’ll learn the essentials of water safety, protecting yourself, your passengers, and your vessel. By building a strong foundation in safety, you’ll feel more at ease and prepared to handle situations with confidence.
Course Structure and Resources
This course includes three, live one-hour sessions alongside a rich On-Demand Portal packed with all the essentials. You’ll have access to:
- Detailed Glossary of sailing and boating terms
- Video Tutorials demonstrating fundamental skills
- Checklists for marina etiquette, VHF radio usage, and best practices
- Special Tips for those sailing with kids, grandchildren, Captain Deb also covers essential but often overlooked topics in traditional sailing schools, like boat equipment care and maintenance, that can save you time, money, and help you keep your boat in top shape.
Complete the course and earn a Certificate of Completion, knowing you’re ready for safe, enjoyable time on the water. With Captain Deb’s supportive guidance, you’ll gain confidence, skills, and a trusted resource for your boating journey.
Sailing & Boating Basics – CoEd
$199.00 $99.00
Monthly Q & A with Captain Deb
Third Monday each Month
Time: 7:00p.m. Eastern Time Zone
Staying Safe Underway
(Captain Deb Marlor brings you the ColRegs Rules of the Road.)
Navigation Rules, or “Rules of the Road,” are essential for boat owners to achieve a safe boating experience.
These rules are the traffic laws of the water, designed to prevent collisions and dangerous situations between vessels.
Governed by The United States Coast Guard – ColRegs who define the rules that keep boaters safe.
By understanding these rules, boaters can anticipate the actions of other vessels and take appropriate
measures to avoid accidents. This course is two – ninety minute sessions,.
Why you need to know the Rules:
- Collision Prevention: The rules establish guidelines for which vessel has the right-of-way in various situations, like crossing, meeting head-on, or overtaking, helping to prevent collisions.
- Safe Navigation: The rules help boaters navigate safely in a variety of conditions, including different weather and water conditions, and the presence of obstacle
- Responsibility and Liability: While the rules are designed to help avoid accidents, they don’t guarantee it. You can still be held liable for an accident even if you followed the rules
- Awareness and Preparedness: Understanding the rules allows boaters to be more aware of their surroundings and anticipate potential hazards or other vessels, leading to more informed and safer boating decisions
- Legal Compliance: Following the rules of the road is a legal requirement for boat operators, and ignoring them can result in penalties or fines, says the US Coast Guard
In essence, the Rules of the Road are the backbone of safe boating , providing structure and a predictable system for navigation and preventing accidents on the water.
This course with teach you:
- The Rules as defined by USCG Col-Regs
- Will show you vessel types and how the vessel meets definition
- Will clearly define situations such as head-on, overtaking, crossing and who has the right of way.
- Flags – day flags placed on commercial and large vessel so clearly indicate their status
- Sounds – the specific sounds by horn, whistle, or gong and what stated sound code describes
- Lights – it is imperative that anyone operating a vessel at night understands their lights as required in Maritime Law to avoid collision. Knowledge of the Light definitions is paramount to safe boating at night.
And more…
- Understand who has the right of way
- Hierarchy of vessels on the water
- How and what to do when passing another vessel
- Best Practices of 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
This course prepares you for boating and sailing safely. Having a knowledge and understanding will assist each Captain in providing the safest conditions and situations for passengers and crew. This course is designed to provide practical, confidence-boosting knowledge for those aiming to cruise safely and independently.
3 Hours
All materials are provided and include:
- USCG ATON (PDF) Reference Manual (PDF) Color Flashcards (Lights, Day Flags, Sounds)
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, manage situations and conditions that occur which you are mentally prepared to execute what is required to do.
Where: Virtual (Zoom)
- Understand who has the right of way
- Hierarchy of vessels on the water
- How and what to do when passing another vessel
- Best Practices of 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)
Rules of the Road – Staying Safe Underway
(March 3rd & 10th 2026 7:00 p.m. ET)
$69.95
Intro to Chart & Chart Plotters
Navigate with confidence! In this immersive three-part course, Captain Deb will teach you to harness the power of charts and chart plotters for safe, precise navigation.
You’ll learn to interpret latitudes and longitudes, read underwater topography, and use tools like compasses, GPS, and AIS to plan each leg of your journey with ease.
Course highlights include:
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Basics of reading and understanding nautical charts and plotters.
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Plotting and measuring courses using latitudes, longitudes, and distance calculations
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Using compass, currents, tides, and a compass rose for navigation
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Hands-on practice with chart plotters, GPS, and navigation apps.
Who should take this course? Perfect for sailors at all levels who want to become skilled navigators, this course will give you the tools to plot courses safely, manage weather and currents, and confidently explore your favorite destinations. Whether you’re new to charts or looking to refine your navigation skills, this course opens up a world of adventure!
REQUIRED Materials (Not Included):
NOAA Training Chart: 13205TR Map – January 1, 2012
Weems & Plath #176 Marine Navigation Ultralight Divider
Weems & Plath Marine Navigation Parallel Ruler (Aluminum Arms, 15-Inch)
Intro to Charts and Chart Plotters
(April 1st, 8th &15th, 202 6 :30 pm ET – 9:00 pm ET)
$99.95
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)
Flash Cards – United States Coast Guard Study Aid for Rules of the Road
$24.95
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
What Clients Say
"Describing our 1-week experience aboard a 43-foot Bali catamaran with Captain Deb Marlor as mere "training" would not do justice to the profound impact it had on us. It was, in fact, a transformative "life experience" – one of safely and comfortably sailing the beautiful waters of Grenada and the Grenadines.
Captain Deb's unwavering passion for sailing and her exceptional ability to share this passion made the training engaging and thoroughly enjoyable. From the outset, it was clear that she possessed a remarkable gift – the ability to impart the appropriate amount of information to my wife and I, despite our vastly different levels of experience. Her friendly, supportive, and approachable manner created a positive learning environment that I have rarely encountered.
Captain Deb's patience and thorough instruction ensured that each day presented a new challenge, yet the experience remained truly enjoyable. She took the time to explain everything in a way that was easy to understand, regardless of one's level of experience or gender. Her extraordinary communication skills will undoubtedly enable you to get the most out of whatever sailing skills you are trying to attain.
The skills we gained – from comfort at the helm in 28-knot winds to sail handling, safe passages, rules of the road, navigation, and docking – were tailored to our individual levels of experience. Captain Deb was always encouraging and made us feel comfortable asking questions, even if they seemed basic. Thanks to her guidance, we now feel confident in our abilities or know the next steps needed to grow our comfort and experience.
I wholeheartedly recommend Captain Deb Marlor to anyone looking for a sophisticated and experienced captain who can expand their sailing experience and comfort level. Her exceptional teaching abilities and unwavering dedication to her craft are truly unparalleled."