Becoming a Boater

It is hard to live at the Bayshore + not dream about having a boat. We see boats in the Keyport harbor cruising along the Bay everyday. For a young family, owning a boat is a big investment of both money + time. It turns out we can enjoy life on the water, leaving behind the chores + costs associated with owning a boat. We did just that by partnering + becoming Boating Club Members with Bridge Marina in the Highlands, making our boating dreams a reality.

I had all the questions you probably have. How do you become a boater? Do you need a license to boat in New Jersey? Is there boat training? Boating life is completely new to me, I knew nothing about boating + I never drove a boat in my life. Thanks to Bridge Marina, my questions were answered + they have made becoming a boater a breeze in a few simple steps.

Step 1 Get Your New Jersey Boating Safety Certificate

My husband + I took an all day Boating Safety Certificate course right in the Highlands. The course was about 8 hours long where we learned boating terminology, boat safety + more. At the end of the course we took a proctor exam, passed + now we officially have our Boating Safety Certificate!

Step 2 On-Water Boat Lessons

Technically, right after you pass your Boating Safety Certificate course you can drive a boat. Crazy, right? I never drove a boat in my life + I could not imagine going out on the water without any hands on training. As a Boating Club Member, Bridge Marina provides on-water training with a professional instructor on one of their boats from their fleet. We scheduled our on-water training with Ray. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. A boat is intimidating especially if you have never driven one before. But my nerves went out the cabin window after being on the boat with Ray. He was absolutely fabulous, a wealth of information + super patient with us newbie boaters.

We learned how to get in + out of the slip, navigate the tide + wind, read the charts, plane the boat + more. The training was about 4 hours + within those 4 hours I gained confidence out on the water + left feeling excited about our new boating adventure we are embarking on.

We still have more to learn, but I cannot wait to share with you all our boating adventures around the Bayshore - stay tuned!