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Boating 301

You've got the fundamentals. You know the local waters. Now it's time to sharpen the advanced skills that separate casual boaters from true captains.

Boating 301 dives deep into advanced docking and turning techniques, troubleshooting boat systems, maintenance schedules and upkeep, and guidance on purchasing safety gear and handling emergency situations. This is the stuff that keeps your boat running right and keeps you out of trouble.

And for the anglers? We've got you covered. You'll learn how to set up your boat and gear for fishing the back bays, inlets, and offshore locations. We'll cover anchoring, drifting, trolling, and the use of "spot lock" trolling motors, plus tips and tricks for local hot spots, targeting local gamefish, and maximizing your boat's space to handle multiple species.

This course is led by Captain Keith Jacobs — a 100-Ton USCG Master Captain with a lifetime of experience running boats and fishing from the Mid-Atlantic to the Bahamas and beyond. Captain Keith lives full-time in coastal Delaware and spends the majority of his time on the water in Ocean City. If there's a better person to learn from, we haven't found them.

Expectations

Location — This course can be conducted aboard an OC Bay Hopper, on your own boat, or on a rental vessel. We will reach out to you directly to coordinate this particular training — it can be done at different time periods, but we know we have Captain Keith ready to go if you book it through us.

Your Instructor — Captain Keith Jacobs — 100-Ton USCG Master Captain with decades of experience in inshore and offshore fishing, guiding, transportation, and charter operations across the Mid-Atlantic, Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic offshore waters, Florida Keys, Bahamas, Caribbean, and South America.

Bathrooms — If conducted on a Bay Hopper, our Bay Hoppers do not have bathrooms onboard. Plan accordingly.

What to Bring — Sunscreen, water, appropriate clothing for the weather, and any questions you've been saving. If the course is on your own boat, have it fueled and ready to go.

Weather — Unless the weather poses a threat to passenger safety (e.g., lightning, high winds) or would make the trip extremely uncomfortable (e.g., heavy rain), the trip will proceed as scheduled. If the captain cancels due to weather, you will be notified and your money refunded. If the conditions are unpleasant but remain safe, we will run the trip. Sometimes if this situation arises we will offer to cancel/reschedule/refund but as long as the trip is safe then our Captains generally want to make this happen!

Trip Minimum — Please be aware that we cannot run this course if fewer than 2 people book. We will notify you at least one hour before the scheduled start if the minimum has not been reached and offer a full refund or rebook you onto another course.

Trip Details

Date

Location

OC Bay Hopper Kiosk- 118th Street

Food Lion parking lot, 118th Street

Departure

Return/Arrival

Duration

3 hours 30 minutes

Select DEPARTURE

at OC Bay Hopper Kiosk- 118th Street

About the Weather

Aligned with the goal of ensuring all OC Bay Hopper customers have a great experience, we will only run trips that are deemed safe by our Captains. Generally, the weather on the coastal bays of the Ocean City area is very pleasant but sometimes storms and thunderstorms do occur.

In the event that your trip is cancelled, you will receive a full refund. Sometimes, the weather conditions, particularly high winds causing choppy seas, will allow us to run a safe trip that is a bit unpleasant.

Our captains will always strive to let people know when conditions will be less than ideal and if conditions warrant a possible refund you may choose to not take the trip. (But sometimes those rough passages make for the best experiences!)