Milwaukee BoatClass® - 3-hour, On-water Training

Milwaukee River

Schedule a BoatClass® today to gain the skills and confidence to safely operate a boat with ease! Now booking at Milwaukee River.

Basic BoatClass

4 seats per class / boat
$149 per seat, $75 per additional seat – Weekend

Perfect for new boaters, this 3 hour on-water experience will provide you the skills and confidence to safely operate a boat with ease.

CLASS DETAILS

Our Women's Only Basic BoatClass teaches introductory boating skills including boat engine control, boat operation and handling, rules of the road, docking, etc.

Leaving the Dock: Boat Engine Controls and Operation

Shifting and throttle control, Turning drills, Stopping drills, Backing into open water

Initial Operation of the Boat

360 Degree – 720 degree turning in open water, Pivot turn in open water, both directions, Intermittent power vs idle power speed, Managing momentum with cadence, Docking drills

Rules of the Road

Use of channel markers, Crossing wakes and waves, Right of way applications, Speed zone adjustments

Return to the Marina

Additional docking, Docking bow first in a slip, Pivot turn in close quarters, Approaching a gas dock, Return to slip

Intermediate BoatClass teaches more advanced boating techniques to include close quarter handling, urgency stops, beaching, anchoring, advanced docking, etc.

Maneuvering in Close Quarters

Turning, stopping, backing, tracking and close quarter maneuvering review

Urgency Stop Procedure

Stopping the boat quickly in a controlled manner

Item Pick-Up Procedure

Techniques for approaching and recovering items outside the boat

Beaching the Boat

Instruction on how to beach the boat at a proper sandbar, and depart

Anchoring

Preparing, setting and retrieving the anchor

Mooring Ball Use

Approaching, securing and releasing the mooring ball

Trimming the Boat

Steps to properly trim a boat, and the reasons why

Advanced Docking

Complex docking with wind and current, Docking between boats bow and stern, Docking at a "T" Dock on Face, Docking in different slip configurations, Bow Spring (Forward and Reverse Actions), Backing into a slip, Use of pivot turns to aid in docking

Basic BoatClass teaches introductory boating skills including boat engine control, boat operation and handling, rules of the road, docking, etc.

Leaving the Dock: Boat Engine Controls and Operation

Shifting and throttle control, Turning drills, Stopping drills, Backing into open water

Initial Operation of the Boat

360 Degree – 720 degree turning in open water, Pivot turn in open water, both directions, Intermittent power vs idle power speed, Managing momentum with cadence, Docking drills

Rules of the Road

Use of channel markers, Crossing wakes and waves, Right of way applications, Speed zone adjustments

Return to the Marina

Additional docking, Docking bow first in a slip, Pivot turn in close quarters, Approaching a gas dock, Return to slip

About Our Location

Whether you’re looking to cast a reel with friends, pleasure cruise with the family, or enjoy wake sports – the Freedom Boat Club Milwaukee River location provides a great hub for enjoying the summer days of Wisconsin. Located along the Milwaukee River in Westown, this location is the perfect setting for enjoying a few hours on the water with BoatClass and Freedom Boat Club before keeping the fun going with a variety of unique, freshly brewed beers and great eats at Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant’s outdoor patio. Nothing beats a day on the water with chill vibes, good food, and great views.

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What Our Customers Are Saying

DL Burley

2021-09-03

Bravo for really thinking about first time boaters! I feel more confident than ever to say the least when it comes to navigating the water ways. I’m so happy we had the opportunity to sign up and get a true hands on experience from an amazing professional! Captain Mike gets the award for best instructor ever! Thanks again for dropping the knowledge we so desperately needed!

Michael Burley

2021-09-03

We had a very pleasantly experience! This course is chocked full of knowledge for first time boaters like me and the wife! We never drove a boat before or had any formal knowledge about safety, rules of the road and the general operations needed to handle and park a boat! 5 thumbs up for this class! We feel very equipped and are ready to go to the advance class! I wish they had more sessions available in the Fall! Captain Mike gets an A+ for patience and his willingness to share knowledge to the new boater! It really is a much needed course for boaters at the novice and intermediate levels.

Jackie DaCosta

2021-07-25

Capt . Mike was very knowledgeable and patient. He explained everything perfectly. We will def be taking the next class

Elizabeth Hoag

2021-07-18

This was a wonderful experience. We loved having Captain Mike show us the proper way to maneuver our own boat. He was knowledgeable and easy going. Would recommend this service to anyone wanting more confidence in their boating skills.

Susan DiRanna

2021-07-02

Captain Mike is very informative and very helpful. He didn’t make me feel too nervous and was prompting me that I could do what needed to be done. So in that aspect I gave 5 stars. Things that could be improved but not his doing: website - I needed to reschedule my original class date due to a sick kiddo. There is no way for you to reschedule yourself. The number I called rang to Captain Mike and he doesn’t have the ability to make the changes. That’s handled by corporate in IL. There was no number for me to reach out to them either, after several phone calls to Captain Mike, someone from corporate finally called me to reschedule. There really needs to be a better method. Also I wasn’t sure if I’d be participating with others - men or women, because the Melbourne location doesn’t offer a woman’s only course like FLL. I don’t think I would’ve been as comfortable or even as willing to try to drive the boat if there were men on board I didn’t know. Obviously imo men have more knowledge/skill with boating. Maybe to offer a more immediate class too. While I took the basic course, I felt that was better than the advance course. I did learn a couple of things I wasn’t sure about, but I’ve driven a boat for over a year - I needed more confidence and skill on docking a boat. More knowledge on speed, reading waves, which direction to point the boat in those waves etc. I was hoping more of those things were in a basic class, but that’s probably more an intermediate learning level. But as I said, Captain Mike gave me some pointers, and some basic info I wasn’t 100% knowledgeable in. He’s a patient teacher and I thank him for his help today!

Alex Sadowski

2021-06-27

Captain Mike is a great teacher! I highly recommend his class if you want to become more confident on the water.

Jesse Arias

2021-06-21

I really enjoyed my Boating Class with Captain Mike and would recommend it to anyone else looking to learn the basics on how to boat (this class is not theoretical, they actually provide the boat for you to learn). He was patient, super knowledgeable, really informative and willing to be thorough and take the time to teach me what I needed to know. I decided to take the class because I want to rent a boat in the future with my family and didn't want to be "that guy" out in the water making mistakes so I definitely felt like I got my money's worth. Captain Mike was willing to show me different scenarios as we took the boat out on the water and I was able to learn through trial and error. He taught me how to read the signs out on the water and what they meant like the channel markers, intercoastal highways, no wake zones, approaching overpasses, and red right returning etc. Communication with the Captain was pretty straightforward. You do get a certificate of completion at the end. I am looking to see if I can complete the intermediate course in the future.

Mara McCubbin

2021-06-06

Very informative and knowledgeable. Worth every dollar spent. Captain was great.

Makura Compton

2021-05-27

Captain Mike is the man. I took the basic and intermediate course with him and learned a ton. I don't know why it's taken so long for someone to come up with something like boatclass! Very affordable and convenient. Highly recommend.

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