Advanced Classes

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Congratulations to all those members that completed Advanced Classes

ADVANCED GRADE CLASSES ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE

 

e-mail Educational Officer

cindyr@cape.com

Asst Educational Officer

websters@cinci.rr.com

 

or 554-BOAT for a current list of classes.

 

SEAMANSHIP

  

  Building on the basics taught in the USPS Boating courses, Seamanship is the recommended first course for new members, both power boaters and sailors. It is an important foundation for other "advanced grade" courses. 

                   Learn About:

  • Basic marlinespike seamanship

  • Boat care

  • hull design

  • Navigation rues

  • Operation under normal and adverse conditions

  • Responsibilities of the skipper

  • Fire prevention and control

  • Basic first aid

  • Nautical customs and flag etiquette

  • Common courtesies on the water

  • Docking and Undocking, Towing, Trailering

  • Anchoring, Rafting, Mooring and Dinghies

  • Cruising Considerations

Piloting

   The newly updated and totally rewritten Piloting is available  A totally new approach to teaching Piloting is ready for instruction to USPS members. The new approach not only incorporates the latest information on GPS into the piloting process, but uses up-to-date computer graphics to make both teaching and learning easier. The new course, along with its soon to be added companion Advanced Piloting, incorporates the use of GPS while retaining the traditional material on charting, dead reckoning, and a host of other piloting skills. The new course also demonstrates new material on computer navigation and digital charting from the included digital charting CD, and provide a Student Guide with color graphics and anew 2004 text as a supporting reference.  This course is the first of a two part program studying inland and coastal navigation. Its focus is on the fundamentals of piloting - keeping track of a boat's movement, determining one's position at any time and laying out courses to planned destination.

           Course Includes:

  • Navigation with GPS

  • Charts and their use

  • Aids to navigation

  • The mariner's compass

  • Compass Variation and deviation

  • Plotting and steering courses

  • Dead reckoning

  • Plotting and labeling charts

 

Advanced Piloting

    

    The new AP course 2005 remains the final part of the inland and coastal navigation series. This material continues to build on the base developed in Piloting, and includes practical use of additional electronic navigation systems and other advanced techniques for finding position. It is such a change from the previous AP course, it will be worth while for those already having taken AP to tune their skills with this new course.

 

            Obtain Skills In:

  • Finding position using bearings and angles                       

  • Collision avoidance using GPS and Radar

  • What to do when the electronics fail

  • Tides and currents and their effect on piloting

  • Electronic navigation

  • Application through practical exercises.

 

Junior Navigation

     

 

   Junior Navigation is the first in a two-part program of study in offshore (open ocean) navigation. It is designed as a practical "how to" course.

 

 

 

     Subject Matter Includes:

  • Precise time determination                                                    

  • Use of the Nautical Almanac

  • Taking sextant sights on the sun

  • Reducing sights to establish lines of position

  • Special charts and plotting sheets for offshore navigation

  • Offshore navigational routines for recreation craft

 

Navigation

    

 This course in the second part of the study of offshore (open ocean) navigation, further developing the student's understanding of celestial navigation theory.

 

 

             Course Includes:

  • Additional sight-reduction techniques                                                     

  • Honing skills in sight taking and positioning

  • Taking sextant sights of the sun, moon, planets and stars

  • Orderly methods for the navigator's day's work at sea

  • Navigation with minimal resources, as in a lifeboat

®The USPS Ensign (Flag Design), "Wheel-and-Flag Design", "Officer Trident Design", "United States Power Squadrons", "USPS", "The Ensign", "The Squadron w/ Flag Graphic", "Boat Smart", " Jet Smart", and "America's Boating Club" are registered trademarks of the United States Power Squadrons.