USEFUL BOATING-RELATED WEBSITES
AND RESOURCES
Disclaimer Statement
(Last updated on 02/07/2007 )

United States Power Squadrons®, District 14, and Local Power Squadrons
Federal and State Authorities
Weather
Navigation, Education & Safety
Boating Tips and General Interest
Cooperative Charting
Fishing

Other Boating-Related Websites

United States Power Squadrons®, District 14, and Local Squadrons (TOP)

United States Power Squadrons, Inc.® - The USPS National Website
District 14 - Composed of 8 squadrons, located in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.
Attleboro Sail and Power Squadron - Serving southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island
Buzzards Bay Power Squadron - Serving the Upper Cape Cod towns of Bourne, Cotuit, Falmouth, Mashpee, Wareham, Sandwich, and Plymouth
Cape Cod Sail and Power Squadron - Serving Lower Cape Cod
Narragansett Bay Power Squadron - Serving the Narragansett Bay region
Greenwich Bay Sail and Power Squadron - Serving western Narragansett Bay
Newport Sail and Power Squadron - Serving the Newport, Rhode Island Area
Taunton River Power Squadron - Serving southeaster Massachusetts

Federal and State Authorities (TOP)

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries - Responsible for the protection and enhancement of the Commonwealth's marine fishery resources
Massachusetts Environmental Police - The Commonwealth's primary enforcer of all recreational vessel laws and regulations
United States Coast Guard - The USCG Website

Weather (TOP)

AccuWeather - Local weather conditions using virtual maps and satellite images
Intellicast Weather - Local weather conditions using virtual maps and satellite images
Marine Prediction Center  - Forecasts for U. S. oceans and lakes including real-time bouy observations and broadcast information from the NOAA Ocean Prediction Center
National Hurricane Center - Extensive tropical weather reports

National Weather Service - Current Conditions for Southeast New England
National Data Buoy Center - A current database of meteorological and hydrological data, historical data, and written information generated by the National Weather Service
The Weather Channel - Local weather conditions using virtual maps and satellite images

Navigation, Education & Safety (TOP)

America's Boating Course - A unique study program covering the fundamentals of boating
resulting from a cooperative venture between the USPS, USCG and USCG Auxiliary
Boaters Against Drunk Driving - A national non-profit organization dedicated to public awareness for safe, sober and responsible boating
Boating Safety "Sidekicks" - For Kids
BoatSafe.com - This site has loads of information for the boating public such as boating tips, courses, contests, quizzes, calculators and boating simulators. Also available is the first Nationally approved Basic Boating Safety Course. This course is approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and recognized by the US Coast Guard as acceptable to the National Recreational Boating Safety Program. Marine insurance companies, in all states, give discounts to boat owners who have successfully completed such a course. Advanced courses include the Nautical Know How Coastal Navigation Course which is currently available. Other courses such as Celestial Navigation and USCG license prep are under development.
Buoy Weather - A private site presenting buoy and model wind and wave data
Coalition of Parents and Families for Personal Watercraft Safety - An organization advocating Personal Watercraft Safety through awareness, education and legislation
MMA/MIT Sea Grant Fisheries Program - Courses cover topics such as basic chart navigation, GPS navigation and equipment, understanding the inboard/outboard, diesel engines, sonar, and welding.
NIMA Maritime Safety Information Division - Includes the US Notice to Mariners and other selected NIMA Navigation Publications in PDF format; a marine navigation calculator; and corrections to all NIMA, NOS and USCG hydrographic products
Office of Coastal Survey - Known for the useful and necessary navigational products which are required for the safe and efficient maritime commerce
Official U.S. East Coast Time - From the Time and Frequency Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Online Coastal Navigation Course - From sailingissues.com
SeaSources.net - Online Training for Mariners
U.S. Naval Observatory  - The preeminent authority in the areas of time keeping and celestial observing; determining and distributing the timing and astronomical data required for accurate navigation and fundamental astronomy
USCG Navigation Center - This site is maintained for the purpose of disseminating navigational status information for the GPS, DGPS, and LORAN radio navigation systems
USCG Office of Boating Safety - Dedicated to improving the knowledge, skills and abilities of recreational boaters

Boating Tips and General Interest (TOP)

Antique and Classic Boat Society - Information about historic, antique and classic boats
BoatU.S. - USPS has entered in to a Cooperating Group Accord with BoatU.S. offering exclusive benefits to USPS members
International Sailing Federation - Worldwide racing news
KNOT LINKS - The most comprehensive listing of knot and marlinespike links on the Internet
Lines and Knots - Animated instructions on how to tie several useful knots
More Lines and Knots - More Animated instructions from BoatSafeKids.com
Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation - A nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating
Sailing Massachusetts .COM - A resource for sailing and boating in Massachusetts and Rhode Island
SEA\\TOW - USPS® and SEA\\TOW INTERNATIONAL have an established cooperative program to work together to promote boating safety and education
TowBoatU.S. - Boat Towing, Battery Jump Starts, Fuel Delivery, Soft Ungroundings, Prop Disentangling
United States Sailing Association - The major racing organization in the United States

Cooperative Charting (TOP)

Coast Pilot online - Access to NOAA's Coast Pilot
National Geodetic Survey - Source for all NGS DataSheets
Topographic Map Symbols - From the US Geological Survey
USPS® Cooperative Charting Page - Program information from the USPS Website

Fishing (TOP)

Coastal Conservation Association - A national organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of marine resources
CODFISH.COM - Everything you need to know about Codfish and Cod fishing
MSBA - Massachusetts Striped Bass Association
National Marine Fisheries Service - Permit and landing reports for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna


Other Boating Related Links (TOP)

Smart Captain -Prepare your boat and crew. Checklists, and cruise planning.