The Squadron Boating Course is our primary civic efforts toward public instruction in the fundamentals of safe boating.  The course is designed to familiarize the student with the fundamentals of safe boating and qualify for certification in most states that require boating education before operating a watercraft.  Subjects include:

• Boat handling under normal conditions

• Adverse conditions and emergencies

• Required and recommended equipment

• Boating regulations and navigation rules

• Charts and aids to navigation

• Marine Radio

• Trailer boating

• PWC
   

schedule

In addition to The Squadron Boating Course and Boat Smart course, the Chart Smart course is also provided as a civic program.   Chart Smart is a course for all USPS Boat Smart course graduates who are interested in information on compasses, charts, and plotting courses.  Chart Smart subjects extracted from The Squadron Boating Course include:

• Mariner's Compass

• Charts

• Aids to Navigation

• Plotting a Course

• Distance, Speed, Time

• Determining Position

America's Boating Course (ABC) is a joint effort between the United States Power Squadrons and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.  This course is predominantly a home study course for individuals who cannot attend any of the above traditional courses.  ABC includes an interactive computer CD-ROM which serves as a "virtual" instructor with audio and video clips.  Most states recognize ABC as meeting their education requirements.  The course material covers seven chapters, which touch on:

• General Information about Boats and Maintenance

• Information to Make Your Boating Experience Safer and More Comfortable

• Tips on Being a More Courteous Boat Operator

• Laws and Regulations to Which You Must Adhere

Building on the basics learned in Boating, Seamanship is an important foundation for other "advanced grade" courses.  The student learns -
 

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 movements, determining one's position at any time and laying out courses to a planned destination.   Included are subjects such as -

• Charts and their use

• Aids to navigation

• The mariner's compass

• Variation and deviation of the compass

• Plotting and steering courses

• Dead reckoning

• Plotting and labeling charts
   

This course is the final part of the inland and coastal navigation series.  Its emphasis is on the use of modern electronic navigation systems and other advanced techniques for finding position.   Among topics covered are -

• Tides and currents and their effect on piloting

• Finding position using bearings and angles

• Simple use of the mariner's sextant

• Electronic navigation - RADAR, LORAN, GPS, etc
   

Junior Navigation is the first in a two-part program of study in offshore navigation.  It is designed as a practical "how to" course.  Subject matter includes -

• Precise time determination

• Use of the Nautical Almanac

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

• Reducing sights to establish lines of position

• Special charts and plotting sheets for offshore navigation

• Offshore navigational routines for recreational craft

This course is the second part of the study of offshore navigation, further developing the student's understanding of celestial navigation theory.  The course covers -

• Additional sight-reduction techniques

• Honing skills in sight taking and positioning

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

• Navigating with minimal resources, as in a lifeboat

This course is designed for members who plan to cruise for a year or just a weekend - in either a sail or power boat.  It covers such topics as -

• Planning a voyage

• Financing a voyage

• Managing commitments back home

• How to equip a cruising boat

• Crew selection

• Provisioning

• Voyage management

• Entering and clearing foreign ports

• Emergencies afloat

• Security measures
   

The new modular, more in depth Engine Maintenance courses are now available.  Both of these courses are intended to help the recreational boater.  Both courses discuss inboards, stern drives, and outboard engines.  Even if you've completed EM before, these courses are well worth taking as they introduce new material and provide greater information on all subjects. Completion of both of these modules is required for credit for Engine Maintenance.

EM 101, Basic Engine Maintenance, provides information about marine propulsion systems, basic engine principles, engine components; controls, instruments and alarms, marine engine maintenance, and steering systems. There is a chapter on winter storage and spring servicing that includes a 25 step winterizing checklist.

EM 102, Advanced Engine Maintenance, delves into cooling and exhaust systems, lubrication, fuel and air induction systems, ignition systems, electrical and starting systems, power trains, and trouble shooting.  It concludes with a chapter on emergency repairs afloat.

Unlike other USPS courses, the Instructor Development course is not designed to enhance boating skills.  Rather, its emphasis is on enhancing instructor skills.  The course has been designed to demonstrate interactive teaching methods focused on adult learning.  Students are required to prepare lesson plans and give four presentations to their peers utilizing a variety of teaching aids and presentation skills.  Each presentation is to be given on a topic from one of the public boating classes with the intent that upon completion of the course every student will be qualified to teach or proctor at a squadron boating class.

Fully developed suggested lesson plans for each chapter are contained in the instructor manual and PowerPoint presentations are available, as well as overhead transparency masters.

The Marine Electronics course consists of three modules:  ME 101, Boat Electrical Systems, ME 102, Marine Radio Communications, and ME 103, Marine Electronics for Navigation.  There are no prerequisites for any of these modules: however, it is suggested that a member take ME 101 before taking ME 102.  All three modules must be successfully completed to receive credit for Marine Electronics.

ME 101, Boat Electrical Systems, provides information about properties of electricity, electrical power requirements and wiring practices, direct current power, alternating current power, galvanic and stray-current corrosion, lightning protection, and electrical interference.

ME 102, Marine Radio Communications, delves into radio waves and transmitters, receivers and transceivers, antennas and transmission lines, FCC Rules and Regulations, FCC Frequency Plan, marine radiotelephone operating procedures, and other communication services (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), Digital Selective Calling (DSC), Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), satellite communications, amateur radio, and more).

ME 103, Marine Electronics for Navigation, presents information on depth sounders, RADAR, LORAN-C, GPS Navigation, and two new chapters:  Electronic Charting, and Computer-Assisted Navigation (CAN).  Members may take this module independent of any other ME module.
 

This weather course will furnish basic weather knowledge for safer and more enjoyable boating. The student will learn to make weather predictions based upon observations of the sky, upon barometer and wind information, as well as weather data provided by maps, satellite images, and radio and TV broadcasts. Wx 101 and Wx 102 use a USPS supplement manual together with The Weather Book from USA Today (second edition, 1997) as the textbook.

Wx 101 - Basic Weather - topics include:

• Effects of Heat and Cold

• Wind and Pressure

• Storms and Fronts

• Rain, Humidity and Fog

• Floods, Droughts, and Winter Precipitation

Wx 102 - Advanced Weather - topics include:

• Thunderstorms and Tornados

• Tropical Weather

• Atmosphere and Clouds

• Forecasting

• Climate