Elective Courses

Elective courses meet on Wednesday at 1900 at The Sound School. See our calendar for starting dates.

Cruise Planning

Designed for members who plan to cruise for just a day or for a year -- in either a sail or powerboat -- this course covers the following topics:

• Cruise preparation and planning
• Boat and Equipment
• Anchors and Anchoring
• Security
• Chartering
• Cruising Outside the United States
• Crew and Provisioning
• Voyage Management
• Communications
• Navigation
• Weather
• Emergencies

Engine Maintenance

The new Engine Maintenance course 2007 has been put into one ten chapter course that 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. This new course is complete in one book with one exam.

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. The EM course covers those repairs that do-it-yourselfers can still perform, 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 new Engine Maintenance 2007 also covers basic mechanical systems such as drive systems (propellers), steering systems, and engine controls. The last chapter discusses solutions you might use to problems that could occur while afloat and away from a repair facility. Gasoline, diesel, and outboard engines are treated independently in this chapter.

Instructor Development

Unlike other USPS courses, the Instructor Development course is not designed to enhance boating skills.  Rather, its emphasis is on enhancing instructor skills.  The course has been designed to demonstrate interactive teaching methods focused on adult learning.  Students are required to prepare lesson plans and give four presentations to their peers utilizing a variety of teaching aids and presentation skills.  Each presentation is to be given on a topic from one of the public boating classes with the intent that upon completion of the course every student will be qualified to teach or proctor at a squadron boating class.

Marine Electronics

The Marine Electronics course consists of three modules: ME 101, Boat Electrical Systems, ME 102, Marine Radio Communications, and ME 103, Marine Electronics for Navigation. There are no prerequisites for any of these modules; however, it is suggested that a member take ME 101 before taking ME 102. All three modules must be successfully completed to receive credit for Marine Electronics.

ME 101, 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.

ME 102, 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).

ME 103, Marine Electronics for Navigation, presents information on depth sounders, RADAR, LORAN-C, GPS Navigation, and two new chapters: Electronic Charting, and Computer-Assisted Navigation (CAN). Members may take this module independent of any other ME module.

Sail

A two-part course: SA 101 & SA 102; successful completion of both constitutes completion of Sail.

Weather

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. Wx 101 and Wx 102 use a USPS supplement manual together with The Weather Book from USA Today (second edition, 1997) as the textbook.

Wx 101 - Basic Weather - topics include:

• Effects of Heat and Cold
• Wind and Pressure
• Storms and Fronts
• Rain, Humidity and Fog
• Floods, Droughts, and Winter Precipitation

• Thunderstorms and Tornados
• Tropical Weather
• Atmosphere and Clouds
• Forecasting
• Climate

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