What America's Boating Club does

America's Boating Club, legally United States Power Squadrons, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1914 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. It serves individual recreational boaters across the United States, organized into more than 300 local squadrons with a membership base reported between roughly 13,000 and 20,000. The organization is governed by its members through an annually elected board and operates with a small paid staff (11-50 employees) supplemented by a large volunteer instructor corps.

The company's core offering is boating safety and skills education, centered on the America's Boating Course - a US Coast Guard-recognized curriculum that satisfies most state boat operator certification requirements and is offered in both English and Spanish. Around this flagship, the organization has built an omnichannel curriculum: a self-paced online catalog of more than 25 courses and seminars (Boat Handling, Cruising Under Power and Sail, Marine Navigation, Weather, Paddle Smart, hurricane preparation, crossing borders, marine electronics) delivered via uspsonline.enrolmart.com; hands-on on-the-water training through local squadrons; an educational video library at americasboatingchannel.com; and an online resource hub at boatlive365.org. Adjacent member services include free Vessel Safety Checks, MMSI number registration for VHF radios, and a member benefits program with discounts through partners such as Sea Tow, McGriff boat insurance, and Danboater.

Revenue mechanics rely primarily on membership dues and course/seminar fees, supplemented by conference sponsorships (e.g., McGriff, Dawn's Travel Deals for the 2026 Annual Meeting); no financial details are publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is a hybrid of inbound digital (website, social channels Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/X, email newsletter, America's Boating Channel) and community-driven acquisition through local squadrons, boating shows, and word-of-mouth within the recreational boating community. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the organization does not advertise a structured enterprise or B2B offering, operating as a consumer mutual-benefit nonprofit rather than a for-profit enterprise.

Name

America's Boating Club

Legal name

United States Power Squadrons

Website

https://americasboatingclub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

America's Boating Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1914 that delivers US Coast Guard-recognized boating safety education to individual recreational boaters through a nationwide network of more than 300 squadrons, an online course catalog, and hands-on water training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Boating Education and Safety

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB)

Keywords

• Boating safety education
• Recreational boating courses
• Boater certification training
• Boating skills instruction
• Vessel safety inspections

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

America's Boating Club (legal name: United States Power Squadrons) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers recreational boating safety education and skills training to individual boaters. Its offerings include a flagship America's Boating Course, online courses (Boat Handling, Marine Navigation, Weather, Cruising), short seminars on anchoring, docking, rules of the road, marine weather, and hands-on on-the-water training, supplemented by free Vessel Safety Checks and MMSI number registration. The organization operates through a national network of 300+ local squadrons and digital course platforms.

Product overview

America's Boating Club offers a comprehensive boating education ecosystem centered around its flagship America's Boating Course, supplemented by America's Boating Channel and Boat Live 365 online platforms. The organization provides an extensive catalog of online courses (Boat Handling, Cruising Under Power and Sail, Marine Navigation, Weather) and specialized seminars covering topics from anchoring to hurricane preparation. Additional services include free Vessel Safety Checks, MMSI number registration, and a member benefits program offering discounts through partner organizations. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with over 300 clubs nationwide, providing boating safety education and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• America's Boating Course: Comprehensive boating safety course offered in both English and Spanish
• America's Boating Channel
• Boat Live 365

Products and services

• America's Boating Course The flagship safety course and state boat operator certificate preparation program offered in English and Spanish. Covers state boating laws, safety equipment, navigation basics, and practical knowledge; meets most states' certification requirements. Intended for novice and experienced individual boaters.
• America's Boating Channel Educational video resource providing boating education content for members and the public.
• Boat Live 365 An online boating education platform offering courses and resources for boaters year-round.
• Online Boating Courses Self-paced online boating courses including Boat Handling, Cruising Under Power and Sail, Marine Navigation, Weather, and numerous specialty seminars, delivered through the USPS online learning platform.
• Boating Seminars Short educational seminars covering specific topics such as Anchoring With Assurance, Boating With Confidence, Docking and Undocking, Rules of the Road, GPS usage, Marine Weather, and Hurricane Preparation.
• Vessel Safety Checks Free safety inspections for boats conducted by certified volunteers to help boaters avoid citations and improve safety.
• MMSI Number Registration Maritime Mobile Service Identifier (MMSI) number assignment for boaters with VHF radios.
• Hands-On Training Program Practical on-the-water training sessions for skill development beyond classroom learning.
• Membership Benefits Program Member discount program providing savings on products and services from partner organizations including Danboater, ODP, McGriff boat insurance, and Sea Tow.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United States Power SquadronscoreOthersAmerica's Boating Club is the brand name of United States Power Squadrons, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to boating safety and education since 1914.
• McGriff (ABC Boat Insurance)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor providing boat insurance benefits to members. Listed as a conference sponsor for the 2026 Annual Meeting.
• Dawn's Travel DealsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor for the 2026 Annual Meeting providing travel-related member benefits.
• US Coast GuardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerica's Boating Course is recognized by the US Coast Guard as an approved boating safety education program meeting national standards.
• Sea TowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember benefit partner offering discounts on Sea Tow services to America's Boating Club members.
• Dan BoaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember benefit partner providing discounts on marine products and services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Boat Ed (Kalkomey Enterprises): Boat Ed, operated by Kalkomey Enterprises, is the largest U.S. provider of state-approved online boating safety courses, offering low-cost self-paced certification that competes with ABC's online America's Boating Course for the same regulatory-driven course-completion demand.
• U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary: The civilian volunteer arm of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Auxiliary delivers free boating safety courses, vessel safety checks, and on-water training—competing directly with ABC for course completions, vessel inspections, and member mindshare in recreational boating safety.
• Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS): BoatUS is the largest U.S. membership-based organization serving recreational boat owners, offering towing services, insurance, safety education, and government advocacy—directly comparable to America's Boating Club's membership, education, and partner-benefits model.
• National Safe Boating Council: A nonprofit coalition that develops and promotes boating safety education standards and the 'Wear It!' campaign, working with ABC, the Coast Guard, and state agencies on the same boating safety mission and often partnering or co-distributing course content.
• Boater Exam (Kalkomey Enterprises): Boater Exam, a sister brand of Boat Ed under Kalkomey Enterprises, provides state-specific online boating safety certification courses for many U.S. states, directly competing with ABC's online America's Boating Course for price-sensitive certification learners.

Others

• Bass Pro Shops: Bass Pro Shops is a major U.S. retailer serving the fishing and boating outdoor recreation market, with in-store education, conservation programs, and events. While not an education provider directly, it competes for recreational boater attention and discretionary spending and represents an adjacent channel for boating safety content.
• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA): NMMA is the leading U.S. trade association representing the recreational boating industry—boat, engine, and accessory manufacturers—and certifies boats and promotes boating participation, often partnering with ABC and BoatUS on industry-wide safety and growth initiatives.
• West Marine: West Marine is the largest U.S. specialty retailer of boating supplies, parts, and safety equipment, serving the same recreational boater customer base as ABC through a national retail footprint, online catalog, and in-house boating education programming.

Emerging players

• Garmin ActiveCaptain: Garmin's ActiveCaptain is a mobile app and community platform that provides boaters with charts, trip planning, and a community for sharing local knowledge—a digital-native, community-driven alternative to ABC's squadron model for engaging recreational boaters.

Broad incumbents

• Sea Tow: Sea Tow is a national marine assistance franchise providing on-water towing, fuel delivery, and ungrounding services, and is a member-benefit partner of ABC. While not primarily an educator, it competes for the same recreational boater wallet and offers overlapping member benefits.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uspsabc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@uspowersquadrons/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/uspowersquadrons
• Instagraminstagram.com/americasboatingclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/americasboatingclub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about America's Boating Club