Messing about in boats!???????

[Solo2]

Single mum, going away on a UK beach holiday shortly with my twin 10 yr old DSs and have just bought an inflatable dinghy suitable for 4 to use in the local bay.

BUT...HELP.....SHRIEK!!!! This isn't what I'd had in mind when I thought of buying them something to mess about in. I'm not at all familiar with boating and have rowed on a lake - as a child - maybe 4 times about 38 yrs ago!!!

Should we really be going on a boating course and learning all about rules/ regulations and safety and manning a craft - although it's just a 4 person inflatable dinghy?

Or can we play Swallows & Amazons in the bay (THINK it's fairly safe there and little chance of currents taking us out to sea as it's a way off from the actual sea and more a marshland estuary thing where we've often seen people in canoes, sailing craft, dinghies) without me getting too neurotic about things?

Anyone with experience of boating please advise.

Bumping my own thread....

Sailing courses and dinghy courses can be expensive... but here's a good place to start if you're keen

Otherwise, where are you going? Do they have a watersports centre type thing there (the sort of place you can hire dinghys, windsurfers etc) who could do a short course?

Whatever you do, take a mobile phone with you. You can get waterproof bags for them but at least if you do get in to difficulties you can contact someone.