Duluth Power Squadron

Advanced Grades

1. Seamanship covers basic deck seamanship, marlinspike (knots and ropes), anchoring and rafting, basic boat care and maintenance, and nautical and USPS customs and etiquette.
2. Piloting is the first and most basic navigation course, covering 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 public courses.
3. Advanced Piloting covers more advanced coastal navigation techniques, navigation in tides and currents, and more advanced GPS usage.
4. Junior Navigation teaches the basics of offshore navigation, including basic celestial navigation using the sun and offshore course planning.

5. Navigation is the most advanced navigation course taught by USPS, covering more advanced celestial navigation techniques, emergency navigation, and additional sight reduction techniques.

Electives

1. Weather covers weather forecasting and reading weather patterns on-board.
2. Cruise Planning covers topics of interest for someone planning a cruise – whether for just a weekend or for a year – including preparation and planning, anchoring, security, chartering, and cruising outside the US.
3. Marine Electronics covers installation and maintenance of both boat electrical systems (AC and DC) and marine electronics (VHF radio, radar, GPS, etc).
4. Engine Maintenance covers the operating principles and basic care and maintenance of outboard and inboard engines, including diesels.
5. Sail covers everything from the basic elements of how a sailboat works to sail trim, rig tuning, and sailboat racing.
6. Instructor Development teaches effective communication skills for not only USPS instructors but everyone, covering various methods of presenting information to others, effective use of audiovisual aids (including PowerPoint), etc.

Here is a reminder about taking Power Squadron Classes:

You can take Piloting, or any other course, even if you have not had what were previously considered prerequisites. The Grade you attain does require the prerequisites.
You do not have to attend a formal class to take a course. Just request a text, self study at your own speed or partner with a friend or two. When you need quidance or a teacher, call me or another member who has taken the course and confer with them.
Testing is optional. You may study a course without taking the test. We would like members to take a test and get the grade. That helps the squadron, but the first thing is to get the information. Testing can come later. I will arrange to supervise individual testing at a time and place convenient to you and me. Let me know and I will order the test.
Take a course, even if you have taken it before. Especially Piloting and Advance Piloting offer revised up to date information so you can keep your skills sharp using modern methods.
Please let me know what you want for texts and classes. Follow this link to the National Power Squadron list of educational offerings.

Squadron Education Officer Kay Bakke, AP 218-726-1300
                                        Promoting
Safe Boating
                                                            Through Education