Seamanship (S)
Building on the basics learned in Boating, the Seamanship course is an important foundation for other "advanced grade"
courses. The student learns:
· Skipper’s responsibilities
· What to do before leaving the dock
· Electronics for communication, navigation
and fun
· Collision avoidance rules
· Boat handling under normal and adverse conditions
· Docking and anchoring techniques
· Marlinespike
- hands-on experience with knots, bends & hitches
· Boating emergencies, being prepared, basic First Aid
· Nautical customs and
flag etiquette.
Piloting (P)
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
· The importance of “Seaman’s
Eye.”
Advanced Piloting (AP)
This course is the second 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
· Electronic navigation - RADAR, GPS, etc.
Junior Navigation (JN)
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.
Navigation (N)
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.