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Courses
Public Boating Course: Winter 2010
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America's Boating Course is a NASBLA approved course that meets all requirements for the state boat operator certificate. Learn the basics needed to safely and legally operate your boat; including basic boating terminology, right-of-way rules between boats, legally required equipment, navigation aids, lights and sound signals, boat handling, water sports safety, PWCs, knots and lines, boating laws and regulations, and marine radio operation. It also provides an introduction to digital charts, GPS waypoint navigation, and charting. The course is taught by Charles River Sail & Power Squadron.
If you have any questions, please
contact:
Wayne
Lambert at 781-729-7619, email: wjlambert@comcast.net
or
Andy Sumberg, email: crsps.ed@verizon.net
United States Power Squadrons Piloting Course
Course
Start Date
Piloting
Now in session
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Location: Minuteman Regional
High School
758 Marrett Road
Lexington, MA 02421
Fee: $100 for non-USPS Members, $75 for USPS Members
Space is limited, Pre-registration is required
Course Description: Piloting is the first of four levels of navigation courses. It covers chart reading, course plotting, and basic coastal or inland navigation, including basic GPS usage. This course goes into more detail than the charting information covered in the USPS introductory boating course America's Boating Course 3rd Edition.
Classes will run for two hours for each Wednesday night for eight weeks. Ask about the benefits of USPS membership.
Registration/Inquiries - Contact:
Bill Moseley
Phone: 781-862-8411
Email: bandjmose@aol.com
or
Andy Sumberg
617 969-6665
crsps.ed@verizon.net
Public Seminars
Using VHF and VHF/DSC Marine Radio Seminar
Date: Wednesday, 18 November 2009.
Time: 6:30 - 9:00 PM
Location: Watertown Yacht Club
425 Charles River Road, Watertown, MA 02472.
Fee: $45 ($35 for USPS members). Pre-registration required.
Complimentary soup and salad provided.
Seminar Overview: VHF marine radio is the mainstay of coastal communication and essential for emergency communications. Digital Selective Calling (DSC) vastly simplifies and improves rescue and routine calling; however you need to know how to use it.
Seminar covers:
- What is Marine VHF Radio?
- What's needed to operate VHF?
- Using the Marine VHF Radio.
- What's Digital Selective Calling?
- Selecting a Marine VHF Radio.
Deliverables: A CD is included with a DSC Simulator that allows you to practice on your computer at home. A handy waterproof McGraw-Hill Captain's Quick Guide Using VHF is included with essential information that you should have aboard, which will explain to anyone on your crew how to use the radio.
Inquiries
- Contact:
Wayne
Lambert
Phone: 781-729-7619
Email: wjlambert@comcast.net
or
Andy Sumberg
617-969-6665
Email: crsps.ed@verizon.net
Registration:
Name:______________________________
Phone:______________________________
Address_______________________________________
Email: ________________________________________
USPS Certificate # (if a member): __________________
Make out check in the amount of $45 ($35 if a USPS member) to:
Charles River
Sail & Power Squadron
Mail to: Robert Fiorentino, 47 Haven Way, Ashland, MA 01721
Using GPS for Mariners Seminar
Date: Thursday, 19 November
2009. Time: 6:30 - 9:00 PM
Location: Watertown Yacht Club
425 Charles River Road, Watertown, MA 02472.
Fee: $45 ($35 for USPS members). Pre-registration required.
Complimentary soup and salad provided.
Seminar Objective: A brief introduction to GPS as a satellite-based system for marine navigation is presented. The student will learn the basic operation of a GPS and what the displays and menus mean. Specific exercises cover entering data into the GPS, creating Waypoints and building a Route using entered Waypoints. Different models of GPS receivers are taken into consideration. Participants should bring their hand held GPS unit if they have one. The seminar is presented by experienced instructors and proctors from Charles River Sail & Power Squadron. The visual presentation will be accompanied with hands-on practice.
Inquiries
- Contact:
Wayne
Lambert
Phone: 781-729-7619
Email: wjlambert@comcast.net
or
Andy Sumberg
617-969-6665
Email: crsps.ed@verizon.net
Registration:
Name:______________________________
Phone:______________________________
Address_______________________________________
Email: ________________________________________
USPS Certificate # (if a member): __________________
Make out check in the amount of $45 ($35 if a USPS member) to:
Charles River
Sail & Power Squadron
Mail to: Robert Fiorentino, 47 Haven Way, Ashland, MA 01721
America's Boating Course (ABC) can be
delivered as
An Interactive Self-Paced Course
An Interactive Self-Paced Course
America's Boating Course
If you have wanted to take a safe boating course but have not had the time, have not been able to find one that is offered on a suitable evening or at a convenient location, the Charles River Sail and Power Squadron has the course for you. America's Boating Course is an interactive computer program that is a joint product of the United States Power Squadrons® (USPS®) and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGA) and is approved by the National Association of Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). That means that the course is recognized by the official boating administrations in all 50 states as a comprehensive instructional medium that prepares you for safe and enjoyable boating. Taking this course and passing the examination fulfills the requirements for certification in Rhode Island and New Hampshire and for Youth certification in Massachusetts.
America's Boating Course, or ABC for short, is comprised of an instruction manual and a CD-ROM that may be used on either a PC or an Apple Macintosh. The CD-ROM is highly interactive and very instructive. Topics include many aspects of seamanship such as boat terms and types, vessel operation in normal and adverse conditions, aids to navigation, rules of the road, required equipment, proper radio procedure, boating emergencies and Massachusetts Boating Laws, etc. You can take the course at your own pace. When you are ready to take the final examination, you will notify Charles River Sail and Power Squadron who will then arrange for you to take a proctored examination. Successfully passing the exam entitles you to join the Squadron and to take further instructor-taught courses offered by the squadron for its members such as Marine Electronics, Marine Engine Maintenance, Sail, Piloting, Advanced Piloting, Celestial Navigation, Cruise Planning, and Weather. Members may also attend the squadron's social functions and participate in on-the-water activities. Students who pass the examination will also be eligible for reduced boat insurance rates.
For further information
or to order a copy of the ABC,
call:
Wayne Lambert at 781-729-7619.
Advanced & Elective Courses: Fall 2009/Winter 2010
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Advanced and elective courses may be attended if you are a member of United States Power Squadrons®.
The Fall/Winter course offerings will be announced here as soon as the schedule has been set.
To sign up for future courses,
please contact:
Andy Sumberg, email: crsps.ed@verizon.net
Course Descriptions |
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| Boating and Boat Smart | |
| Seamanship | |
| Piloting | |
| Advanced Piloting | |
| Junior Navigation | |
| Navigation | |
| Sail | |
| Engine Maintenance | |
| Marine Electronics | |
| Weather | |
| Cruise Planning | |
| Instructor Development | |
Boating and Boat Smart
The
USPS® Boating Course is a traditional civic service of the
United States Power Squadrons. Learning to boat safely is essential
and the increased knowledge gained by taking one of these courses
will enhance your safety on the water and your enjoyment of the
sport.
There are now two basic courses, the Boating course and the Boat
Smart course, designed for all boaters, from the fisherman in
an outboard to the skipper of a large cruiser or sailboat. These
courses cover such diverse subjects as aids to navigation, rules
of the road and basic concepts of seamanship under normal and
adverse conditions. The courses are meant to be of interest to
the entire family; children over 12 years of age are welcome.
We encourage your family to attend as a group.
The
Boating course contains six chapters and deals with piloting;
The Boat Smart course contains three chapters and does not cover
piloting. There are homework questions at the end of each section
to assist retention of the information presented.
Seamanship (S)
The
Seamanship Course consists of two modules; the first, called
Seamanship, consists of six topics. They are: Marlinspike (knots),
Safety, The Skipper's Responsibilities, What to do before leaving
the dock, Weather and Wave forms, and Nautical Etiquette and
Customs.
The second module is called Boat Handling and covers Hull Design
and Care, Docking, Undocking, Towing and Trailering, Anchoring,
Rafting, Mooring and Dinghy operation, Cruising Considerations
and Boating Emergencies and how to be prepared for them. This
module consists of five chapters.
Piloting (P)
Piloting is the second advanced grade course. It expands on the piloting techniques and concepts introduced in the Basic Boating course. The course teaches the basic methods of piloting and focuses on dead reckoning for position determination as well as on the use of navigational aids to verify positions. The course deals with both the theory and practical aspects of piloting. Thus, different kinds of charts, aids to navigation, the compass, bearings and deviation as well as Time/Speed/Distance calculations are a few of the topics discussed.
Advanced Piloting (AP)
Advanced Piloting teaches piloting methods that are actually practiced on the water. The course objective is to provide a well-rounded background for piloting in open waters as well as on lakes and rivers. Imagine yourself in unfamiliar waters, keeping track of your position when the fog rolls in. The Advanced Piloting course teaches skills that complement the student's experience on the water, that will help get your boat and those aboard to safe harbor. Topics discussed include: bearings, compass and how to deal with deviation, plotting instruments used to determine position, tides and currents, electronic navigation (Loran, GPS, Radar), construction of small area Mercator charts. Among the most intriguing and useful concepts are determination of position using running fixes and adjustment of course for the effect of current.
Junior Navigation (JN)
Junior Navigation provides a comprehensive treatment of all the basics of offshore navigation for the recreational boater. Based on the skills developed in AP, you will learn all you need to know to safely navigate a blue water passage anywhere in the world. The focus of the course is on the practice of celestial navigation as this leads to self-sufficient positioning at sea. Specific topics include: the obtaining and use of LOP's from observations of the stars, moon, sun and planets, how to develop celestial fixes, and how to conduct the navigator's daily routine. You will learn how to plan an offshore passage and how to check your chart work with a calculator. A review of electronic navigation methods applicable to offshore passages, particularly GPS, will be offered as an addendum.
Navigation (N)
The purposes of the Navigation course are to teach a more thorough understanding of the theory behind celestial navigation and provide a more complete repertoire of methods for position information. The course expands on theory of navigational coordinates, solar and lunar phenomena, navigational astronomy, and celestial methods of compass calibration. It teaches other popular methods for sight reduction such as direct trigonometric (law of cosines) calculation for hand calculators, and special methods relating to Polaris, high altitude and meridian transit sights, and unusual refraction at low altitudes.
Sail
Sail introduces the student to the terminology of sailing and deals with all the important aspects of sailing. The course explores the boat itself, including the various sailboat rigs, sail plans, hull types and design, sails, standing rigging, running rigging, Wind, Preparing to Sail, Sailing Upwind, Sailing Downwind, Docking and Anchoring, Marlinspike Seamanship and Navigation Rules in the Basic Sail module of the course.
The Advanced Sail module deals with Wind Forces, Boat Stability, Boat Balance, Sail Shape, Tuning the Rig, Steering and helmsmanship, Spinnaker Handling, Heavy Weather Sailing, Storm Conditions, Sailing Safely, Sailboat Racing, Race management and (more) Navigation Rules.
Engine Maintenance
This course familiarizes the student with today's marine propulsion systems including mechanical details, electrical and electronic features and basic equipment associated with these engines (both gasoline and diesel). This course is also divided into two modules; Basic Engine Maintenance and Advanced Engine Maintenance.
Basic Engine Maintenance deals with Marine Propulsion System types, Marine Engine Principles, Marine Engine Components, Engine Controls, Instruments and Alarms, Marine Engine maintenance, Engine Winter Storage and Spring Service, Steering Systems, and an Engine Maintenance glossary.
The Advanced Engine Maintenance Module deals with Cooling and Exhaust Systems, lubrication, Fuel and Air Induction Systems, Ignition Systems, Electrical and Starting Systems, Powers Trains, Troubleshooting, Emergency Repairs Afloat, and finally another Glossary.
Marine Electronics
This course imparts essential information about the electrical and electronics systems found on modern boats. Topics include: theory of electricity, batteries and their care, depth finders, marine telephones, radar, loran, and GPS. Information on FCC requirements for station licensing (no longer required) and operator permits is provided.
Weather
The Weather course familiarizes the student with the dynamics of weather, the physical forces that cause weather conditions and how to forecast weather based on observations. Both a USPS manual and a commercial text are used. The Weather course is divided into two modules, Basic Weather and Advanced Weather.
The
Basic Weather module deals with the Effects of Heat and Cold,
Wind and Pressure, Storms and Fronts, Rain, Humidity and Fog,
Floods, Droughts and Winter Precipitation. The Advanced Weather
module covers Thunderstorms and Tornadoes, Tropical Weather,
Atmosphere and clouds, Forecasting and Climate. The commercial
text that is used for this course is The Weather Book by Jack
Williams and is published by USA Today.
Cruise Planning
Cruise
Planning covers all aspects of coastal and long distance cruising
in sail and power boats, with emphasis on coastal cruising under
sail. Topics include: planning your voyage, financing your voyage,
equipping your boat for a cruise, crew selection, provisioning,
navigation planning, weather considerations, communications,
entering and clearing foreign ports, anchors and anchoring, voyage
management and emergencies afloat. The instructor shares with
the students the problems and pleasures of almost 30 years of
cruising, and students are encouraged to share their experiences
with the class to enhance the class materials.
Instructor Development
This course deals with effective communications for speakers and teachers - a quality that benefits the individual in all walks of life. It offers practical instruction in: preparing for teaching assignments; conducting efficient meetings; and selecting and using audiovisual aids.
The six subjects covered in this course are: Preparation, Communication, Presentation methods, Questioning techniques, Adult learning strategies, and Teaching aids. The four requirements for completing this course are: making three presentations, preparing a full lesson plan, use of teaching aids, and a final exam. Each student will receive an "Instructor Development" student manual free of charge.
It is expected upon completion of this course that you will become a certified instructor. Starting in 2006, USPS required certification of instructors for the Public Boating courses. USPS also encourages member course instructors to become certified.
Instructor Development is designed for course instructors, assistant instructors, and proctors. Even proctors who may teach in one-on-one situations need to be able to present material so that it can be effectively learned. Even if you are a member not involved directly in teaching you may enroll in the class and learn skills that can be used in your everyday dealings with people. The course will require 4 or 5 sessions, depending on the number of participants.
