Chart Smart

This Course is open to the general public.

Chart Smart is a 9-hour course, taught over 3 weeks intended for all USPS Boat Smart or America's Boating Course (ABC) graduates who are interested in information on compasses, charts, and plotting courses. Also, the course introduces and includes written instructions on the use of digital charts. To assist you, the course materials include a CD-ROM, which contains the Maptech Chart Navigator software, and a sampling of digital charts and maps from across the country.

The course includes the following main sections:

• Mariner's Compass
• Charts
• Aids to Navigation
• Plotting a Course
• Distance, Speed, Time
• Determining Position
• Digital Charts and Waypoint Navigation

The purpose of Chart Smart is to teach the techniques to determine position when you are within the sight or near proximity of land. This course is designed to give the student an introduction to the subject known as Piloting. As such, it may also appeal to squadron members as a refresher prior to taking the Advanced Grade course of Piloting.
Qualified, enthusiastic, and experienced USPS instructors provide instruction as a civic service. There is never a charge for instruction; the only costs are those for materials, plus overhead costs such as classroom rental, shipping and handling, sales tax, etc.

While the content of this student manual serves as the basis for this course, it will also serve as a reference book in basic boating long after the course work is completed. USPS believes that the more educated a boater becomes, the more likely that boater will be a safe boater. Chart Smart is a continuation of boating education, and hopefully will encourage students to join USPS to follow this brief and basic course with additional boating education such as the courses offered to members of the United States Power Squadrons. Your instructor can give you information about these advanced courses.

COURSE OUTLINE

1. Session One
   
   Lecture
   • Nautical charts
   • Aids to navigation (Chart No. 1)
   • Plotting a course
   
   Chart work
   • Locating aids to navigation
   • Determining latitude and longitude
   • Connecting the course legs & labeling distance
   
   
2. Session Two
   
   Lecture
   • The mariner's compass
   • Distance, speed, and time calculations
   
   Chart work
   • Determining true, magnetic, and compass courses
   • Calculating time to travel
   • Course labeling
   
   
3. Session Three
   
   Lecture
   • Dtermining position in plotting
   
   Chart work
   • Beam and bow bearings
   
   Review
   
   Exam
   • Plotting on a Delta chart
   • Multiple answer questions as in the homework