>>> Bill, I have never done the course,...
so I wouldn't know, but if they teach seamanship, the Rules of the Road and some navigation, you can't go wrong...
The best in your case, is to hire an experienced captain to go along with you for a while, until you feel comfortable... You have to learn it all, including maintenance and it's a broad subject...
Reminds me of this one: I had a Groco marine toilet that kept on destroying its rubber diaphragm, till I run out of spares... I found a heavy duty inner tube, cut 2 identical pieces that formed a section of hemisphere, due to the natural shape of the tube, glued them double thick with contact cement, punch the various screw holes and mounted it back in place...
It worked like a charm for the rest of the cruise, providing a nice solid feel to the pump handle... BTW, prepare to spend more time fixing toilets than anything else on Board...
FG
