Boating courses for learning ocean navigation, crossing the bar, tide, swells...

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 Question: what is an offshore boat ??

 Some guys say a 20' boat, some guys say 24', some guys say 26' and up, but bottom line is bigger is always better. For offshore fishing, a self bailing back deck is the best way to go, and smaller boats arent usually built with self bailing back deck.

 The most important part of going offshore, is being able to get back to port. Flat water on your 20 mile run out, can quickly turn into a bigger swell and 3'-4' wind waves and that 20 mile run back in may take 3+ hours of crashing thru waves. So many things factor into safe boating offshore, but #1 is always know the forecast for swell height, duration of swell, wind waves, and wind speed and direction.

 I've been 40+ miles offshore on washington coast, dozens of times in my 26' north river, and sometimes the weather predictions from NOAA are spot on, but sometimes the big weather comes outta nowhere, and just getting back to the dock is a challenge. Been there, done that, and its no fun. I started 35 years ago with a 16' glass bayliner, then 18' olympic, then 24' bayliner, then the 26 north river I've fished for 20 years. I learned a lot by starting with smaller boat and eventually worked my way up to my 26'.

  Offshore fishing our west coast waters is no walk in the park. Taking a few classes will help, but nothing compares to actually taking your own boat out offshore. Thats where most the lessons are learned

[Keta]

Thanks everyone.  I'm considering signing up for this "Mariner's" course from Charles Loos.  Any feedback on this would be appreciated, as always.

https://www.theoceancoach.com/services-copy

You can not go wrong with Carles.