A recent Small Craft Advisory article has prompted dialog about boating safety in Dealer Outlook -- a blog by Norman A. Schultz published on the Soundings Trade Only website.
Schultz discusses the September-October Small Craft Advisory article, Reality Check: Women & Boating Education, by Jo Calkin with the U.S. Coast Guard's Division of Boating Safety. Calkin suggests many women are not prepared to operate a boat by their self, because captaining is viewed as a man's role.
In his blog, Schultz adds to the conversation with a suggestion for dealers:
It makes a lot of sense that women boaters should have a chance to acquire the basic skills and knowledge to operate the family boat, if only for an emergency situation. I know of a few dealers who encourage their customers, husband and wife, to take a boating course. Some of those dealers hold the course right in their showroom. I also know one or two dealers that annually hold an on-the-water women-only boating class at their dealership including hands-on boat operating instruction using a new demo boats, of course.
It’s a fact that boating education efforts are an excellent vehicle not only to help your customers become more confident and safer on the water, but to bring them into the store more often. I call that a win-win.
Be sure to read the comments on the blog. One commenter is compiling a list of women-focused boating education courses. She indicates that Texas has such a course. Do you know of other states or organizations offering classes for women?
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