This Technical Support Document has been developed to assist education providers, course developers, instructors, students, operator evaluators, and operators in using the skills-based American National Standards (ANSs) for entry level Power, Sail, and Human-propelled recreational boat operation instruction and assessment.

The information contained in this document enhances understanding and guides the application of ANSs in the design and implementation of instructional programs, courses, and curriculum for entry-level recreational boat operation. The standards have been developed and agreed to by recreational boating experts from around the United States and validated through national surveys and field-testing programs. The objective is to help raise, on a national level, the overall quality and availability of skills-based instruction for entry-level recreational boat operation, with the primary goal being an increase in the level of safety and enjoyment boaters experience on the nation’s waterways.

This Technical Support Document (TSD) is one of four such TSDs developed by the United States Sailing Association, through funding provided in part by the United States Coast Guard’s Recreational Boating Safety Grant Program for non-profit organizations.