I've had this idea for a long time that I'd own a boat. Every time I've been on the water, I've loved it. Sail boats, power boats, launches, big cruise ships, I've enjoyed all of it. I like all the special tricks and the little doodads and the different way you have to think when you're on the water. And it's like a little hotel that you can take with you. Hell, I've even had a fun time when it's just staying on board and never leaving the slip.

The trouble is that I've never really known anyone with a boat, so I've never been able to get familiar with it through practice. There's a lot to learn adn I never knew where to start. I've bought a few books, but it gets geting boring when it's so esoteric. But you can't just get in a boat and head out, like with an RV or whatever. So that's been an issue.

I recently came across Club Nautique, and that looks like a perfect way to solve my maritime ignorance issues. In particular, I had my eye on their Basic Cruising Trawler Course.

They take you out for two days in the bay and teach you everything you need to know to skipper a 30 foot yacht. You learn knots, navigation, rules of the road, and a hundred other little conventions that would probably never occur to you. Afterwards, they will let you rent boats from them without having to also rent the captain. That makes it a private trip, and therefore 1200% more fun.

One trip I'd like to take is a weekend cruise up the river to Napa. They also offer a similar trip, but on a bigger boat. I think I'd like to go out on my own for a bit and then when I get good enough, make a 3 day weekend out of it. The idea is that I'll get the course under my belt, charter a bare boat a few times and get to know the bay. Then I'll go on more adventerous cruises. But first, I'll be happy enough just to not get in the way of some big-ass boat loaded with cargo containers or something.

Another course I want to take is the Coastal Navigation Certification one. Take that, get my cert. I'm pretty good with maps from back when I had to make them in school, and the geometry isn't that foreign, so I think it'll be pretty straightforward. Besides, you get to spend 3 days out on the water. Talk about having a fun time learning!

Anyway, Tess and I both signed up for the basic course. Come early August, we'll both be skippers. If we decide that cruising is the thing we like, craigslist has some pretty nice deals on boats...