The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries requirements for online boating safety courses changed effective January 1, 2009 and the NEW Boat Virginia Online Course meets those requirements. The old Boat Virginia course and test does not meet those requirements and was discontinued on December 31, 2008.

• Take the NEW Boat Virginia Online Course!
• Or, you can order the Boat Virginia Video Course

The course material below remains as a resource for all who boat on Virginia's waters—particularly experienced boaters who need a refresher, but not a boater education certificate.

Chapter 3: Operating Your Boat—Safely
Contents

• Casting Off
• Docking
• Navigation Rules—Traffic Laws of the Waterways
  • Encountering Other Vessels
    • Meeting Head-On
    • Paths That Cross
    • Overtaking
    • Sailing Vessel Encountering Sailing Vessel
  • Responsibilities Between Vessels
  • Operating in Narrow Channels
  • Operating During Restricted Visibility
• Navigation Lights
• Night Navigation
• Sound Signals
• U.S. Aids to Navigation System (ATON)
  • Lateral Markers
  • Variations on the U.S. Aids To Navigation System
  • Non-Lateral Markers
  • Buoy System on Waterway
  • Navigational Chart for Waterway

• Anchoring
• Dams, Locks, and Bridges
• Changing Water Levels
• Compasses and Charts
• Operating a Personal Watercraft
  • Steering and Stopping a PWC
  • Courtesy on the Water
  • Environmental Considerations
  • Other PWC Considerations
  • Reboarding a Capsized PWC
• Ignition Safety (Engine Shut-Off) Switches
• Avoiding Propeller Strike Injuries
• Chapter 3 Summary
• Review Questions for Chapter 3: Operating Your Boat—Safely