Fort Myers Power Squadron
A unit of United States Power Squadrons®
Sail and Power Boating;
in District 22
America's Boating Club
Boating is fun .. We'll show you how
Boating Courses Available to Members
- Advanced Grades
- Seamanship (S)
TBA
This course builds on the basics learned in Boating. Seamanship is an important foundation for continuing boater education. The course contents should facilitate knowledge development for increased safe operation of recreational boats and provide the basis for completion of USCG licensing examination. Emphasis within the course has been placed on higher level boating skills, rules of the road, and marlinspike.
- Piloting (P)
TBA
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; plotting courses and determining direction and distance; the mariner's compass and converting between True and Magnetic; use of GPS; pre-planning safe courses and entering them into the GPS; and Monitoring progress and determining position by both GPS and traditional techniques such as bearings and dead reckoning.
- Advanced Piloting (AP)
TBA
This course continues to build coastal and inland navigation skills, allowing the student to take on more challenging conditions unfamiliar waters, limited visibility, and extended cruises. GPS is embraced as a primary navigation tool while adding radar, chartplotters, and other electronic navigation tools. As with Piloting, the course includes many in-class exercises, advancing the student’s skills through hands-on practice and learning. Among topics covered are: review of skills learned in Piloting; advanced positioning techniques such as advancing a line of position; other electronics such as radar, depth sounders, autopilots, chartplotters, laptop computer software, etc.; hazard avoidance techniques using electronics; Collision avoidance using radar and GPS; working with tides; and Piloting with wind and currents.
- Junior Navigation (JN)
TBA
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; Reducing sights to establish lines of position; special charts and plotting sheets for offshore navigation; and offshore navigational routines for recreational craft.
- Navigation (N)
TBA
Navigation 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; and navigating with minimal resources, such as in a lifeboat.
- Electives
- Cruise Planning (CP)
TBA
This course is designed for members who plan to cruise for a year or just a day - in either a sail or power boat. It includes: voyage preparation and planning; boat and equipment; anchors and anchoring; security measures; chartering; cruising outside the United States; crew and provisioning; voyage management; communications; navigation; weather; and emergencies.
- Engine Maintenance (EM)
TBA
This course stresses the diagnosis of modern systems, while also teaching the basics of engine layout and operation. Gasoline inboards, outboards, and diesel engines are taught in a way that reinforces the common aspects of how engines work.
Modern engines offer high reliability and good performance through the use of computerized systems for fuel delivery and engine timing. Most of these systems are "black boxes" that can no longer be serviced by weekend mechanics with ordinary tools. This course covers those repairs that do-it-yourselfers can still perform. It teaches how to diagnose problems that might be beyond your ability to fix and how to share information with your mechanic so the right repairs get performed. The course covers basic mechanical systems such as drive systems (propellers), steering systems, and engine controls. The student will learn solutions to problems that could occur while afloat and away from a repair facility.
- Marine Electronics (ME)
TBA
The Marine Electronics course consists of three modules. 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.
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).
Marine Electronics for Navigation, presents information on depth sounders, RADAR, LORAN-C, GPS Navigation, Electronic Charting, and Computer-Assisted Navigation (CAN).
This course is being redesigned.
- Sail ( SA)
TBA
This course is taught in two modules.
Basic Sail consists of: sailboat rigs; sail plans; boat design and hull types; sails; standing rigging; running rigging; wind; preparing to sail; sailing upwind & downwind; docking and anchoring; marlinespike seamanship; and navigation rules.
The second module consists of: wind forces; stability; balance; sail shape; tuning the rig; steering and helmsmanship; spinnaker handling; heavy weather sailing; storm conditions; sailing safety; sailboat racing & race management; and navigation rules.
- Weather (W)
TBA
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. This course is taught in two modules.
Basic Weather includes: effects of heat and cold; wind and pressure; storms and fronts; rain, humidity and fog; and floods, droughts, and Winter Precipitation.
Advanced Weather includes: thunderstorms and tornados; tropical weather; atmosphere and clouds; forecasting; and climate.
- Instructor Qualification (IQ)
TBA
Unlike other USPS courses, the Instructor Development course is not designed to enhance boating skills. Rather, its emphasis is on enhancing instructor skills. Upon completion of the course every student will be qualified to teach or proctor at a squadron boating class.
- Operations Training (OT)
TBA
- Other Classes
- GPS
TBA
This course teaches you how to use your GPS to determine your exact position anywhere on earth and plan the next leg of your journey. This seminar is open to the public.
