The course will begin on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, and will continue for six Tuesday evening 2-hour classes followed by an exam on the Tuesday following the last class.
The course will be presented at St. Luke’s Parish Hall, 1864 Post Road, Darien
CT, starting at 7:00pm. See directions below.
The cost of the course is $100 and includes the textbook, a full-size nautical
chart of western Long Island Sound and selected harbors, and plotting tools for
use with the chart (dividers and parallel rulers).
Here are the details.
The Boating Course (qualifying for the CT Boating License) - meets six Tuesday evenings, for a total of 12 hours, plus an examination
Covers basic boating topics: rules of the road, CT regulations, and essentials of good seamanship, plus:
- The use of marine charts,
plotting courses and distances – to supplement the GPS
- Hands-on time with Marine VHF Radios
- Detailed discussion of Anchoring tips and techniques
- Practice with ropes (“Lines” when on a boat) and
several useful knots
- “Local Knowledge” of nearby destinations and
anchorages
This is the traditional course that has been presented by
the Darien Sail & Power Squadron for many years. Rather than a one-day "cram course," DSPS students will go into some depth on the above topics, experience
hands-on exercises with training aids, and generally “learn something about
boating” in addition to the CT regulations.
Prospective students need to do the following 2 things before the first class:
1. Register for the course here: https://tinyurl.com/DSPS-Boating-2026
Important note: Registration requires that you have a Connecticut Conservation ID number. If you already have a Connecticut Hunting or Fishing License, your Conservation ID Number will be the same ID Number that was assigned with the Hunting or Fishing license. Otherwise, you will have to obtain your FREE Conservation ID before registring. For detailed instructions, see https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/Boating/directionsonhowtoobtainaconservationidnumber.pdf
Although it is not one of the “required” fields, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS when creating your Conservation ID.
2. Pay for the course using the PayPal “Buy Now” button below. You can use any credit card; you do not need to have or create a PayPal account.
There is a discount for multiple students from a single
family (each student gets a textbook; one set of chart and plotting tools per
family). To obtain the discount, select the number of students using the
drop-down list, and be sure each student is registered via Step 1, above.
When you get to the “Pay with PayPal” page, if you do not have, and do not
want to have, a PayPal account, simply click the "Pay With Credit or Debit
Card" button.
