Neptune Sail and Power Squadron

A Unit of District 3 of the United States Power Squadrons

From the Educational Officer, Philip Quarles, N

August 2011 - Boat Operator Certification

I enjoyed the SUNY Maritime College Safe Powerboat Handling Class in May that I previously wrote to you about. It was a combination of classroom lectures and on-the-water sessions which included:

The certified US Power Boating instructor was knowledgeable and patient. Everyone enjoyed themselves!

I also enjoyed the USPS Basic Powerboat Handling Course which I took on June 25th at the USPS Northeast Region training center at Barnegat Bay, New Jersey.

Each student demonstrated his ability to leave a dock, return to a dock, anchoring, a slow speed slalom run forward, a slow speed slalom run in reverse, a high speed (on plane) slalom run forward, and an emergency stop from planning speed.

Each student also demonstrated his ability to hold station against the wind and tight quarters turning. P/D/C Robert Holub and the other USPS instructors made everyone feel comfortable and relaxed as we headed down the boats. I was very fortunate to have a USPS Advanced Certifier Trainer on my boat who provided expert guidance during the training/testing demonstrations.

The lessons learned from both these classes is that you can and should include on-the-water training as a core component of your boating education. You will be a better skipper for it! I plan to return to USPS Training Center in Barnegat Bay for more on-the-water training. I hope you will take advantage of this USPS benefit. Call the Neptune at 631-824-7128 for more information.