OCPS Education

Public Boating Class

Start Date:      Tuesday March 4 , 2008 at 1830    (10 weeks)

Instructor:       various from Old Colony Power Squadron

Location:         Green Harbor Yacht Club 257 Dyke Road Green Harbor, MA

Register:         contact SEO John Grasso, AP @508-378-4822 or email him @ jg.hatterassed@comcast.net or

                           P/C John Gardner, PBC Chairperson, email @ captnjgard@comcast.net

The Squadron Boating Course is a traditional civic service of the United States Power Squadrons organization. Since 1914 local squadrons have presented the course to anyone who wished to attend. Learning to boat safely is important and the increased knowledge will enhance your safety on the water and your enjoyment of the sport no matter if you are a sail or power boater. The course is for all boaters including skippers of a family cruiser, sailing enthusiasts, personal watercraft (PWC) operators, hunters or fishermen operating an outboard utility boat, canoes and kayak paddlers.   It covers the basics you need to know by not only qualified instructors but also veteran boaters on how to safely and legally operate your boat, such as basic boating terminology, boat handling, water sports safety, PWCs, legally required equipment and other boating laws and regulations, right-of-way rules between boats, and marine radio operation. The course is meant to be of interest to the whole family, and we encourage your family to attend as a group and every course is geared to not only the safety of boating but also concerns that the students may have around boating.   Beyond the basic safety material, additional material covers the fundamentals of reading nautical charts, of using a chart to plot and follow a safe course, and the basics of using a Global Positioning System (GPS) for navigation.   In addition to practice charts and plotting tools, the materials supplied with the course also include a CD-ROM containing Maptech's Chart Navigator computer program, allowing the student to learn about this exciting new electronic technology.   The Squadron Boating Course that the Old Colony Power Squadron offers is taught in (10) weeks, two hours each night. The course with its proctored examination meets the requirements of National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) so that you can get your safety certificate in those states that require one to operate a power driven vessel.

Typical Course Outline includes the following topics:

1.      Introduction, radio use, boat terms, and types.

2.      Aids to navigation, chart work, latitude & longitude

3.      Boat handling, piloting, compass, plotting a course.

4.      Government regulations, calculating distance, speed, & time.

5.      Navigation and navigation rules.

6.      Adverse conditions, techniques of trailering a boat, Massachusetts Environmental Police and Massachusetts Regulations

7.      Review

8.      Final Exam USPS and State Exam (see Special Note).

SPECIAL NOTE: Twelve to sixteen year olds passing the exam with a grade of 80 or better on the overall exam and a grade of 80 or better on the State portion will be eligible to obtain a State Boating Certificate as well as the USPS Certificate

Engine Maintenance

Start Date:     TBD

Instructor:       Henry Clark, S

Location:

Register:         contact SEO John Grasso, AP @508-378-4822 or email him @ jg.hatterassed@comcast.net

The Engine Maintenance course will familiarize you with today's marine propulsion systems based on modern internal combustion engines. You will gain an understanding of engine construction; the fuel, lubrication, and cooling systems for inboard and outboard engines, both gasoline and diesel; steering mechanisms; and shafts and propellers. You will learn the mechanical details, electrical and electronic features, and basic equipment associated with these engines. When you complete the course, you should be able to diagnose troubles afloat, make simple repairs, do preventive maintenance, and discuss major repairs with qualified mechanics.

Topics Include:

Marine Propulsion Systems               Basic Engine Principles

Cooling and Exhaust                            Lubrication

Fuel and Air Induction Systems        Ignition

Electrical and Starting Systems          Power Trains

Steering, Instruments, and Alarms     Maintenance, Adjustments, and Repairs

Trouble Shooting                                 Emergency Repairs Afloat

Winter Storage and Spring Service

Seamanship

Start Date:        Monday, January 7^th, 2008 @ 1900

End Date:

Instructor:            P/C David O'Connell, AP

Prerequisite:         member of USPS

Prerequisite To:    Advanced Piloting

Location:                  Winsor House Inn, 390 Washingston St., Duxbury, MA 02322

Register:                  contact SEO John Grasso, AP @508-378-4822 or email him @ jg.hatterassed@comcast.net

Seamanship examines many new areas of boating knowledge. It expands on most of the material introduced in the USPS Boating Course. This course is your first major stepping stone to a mastery of future courses which concentrate on coastal navigation (Piloting and Advanced Piloting) and offshore navigation (Junior Navigation and Navigation).

Topics Include:

Marline Seamanship                     Hull Design & Performance

Skipper's Responsibilities            Boating under Normal Conditions

Emergencies                                   Marine Environment

Living Aboard a Boat                   How to Care for a Boat

Nautical Etiquette & Customs

Piloting

Start Date:       September 2008

End Date:

Instructor:         John Grasso, AP

Prerequisite:        member of USPS

Prerequisite To:    Advanced Piloting

Location:            Old Hanson Fire House, Rt 27, Hanson, MA (by the Hanson T station)

Register:    contact SEO John Grasso, AP @508-378-4822 or email him @ jg.hatterassed@comcast.net

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

Advanced Piloting

Start Date:       Monday September 24, 2007 (new start date from September 17th)

End Date:

Instructor:           John Gardner

Prerequisite:        Seamanship & Piloting

Prerequisite To:    Junior Navigator

Location:               Old Hanson Fire House, Rt 27, Hanson, MA (by the Hanson T station)

Register:             contact SEO John Grasso, AP @508-378-4822 or email him @ jg.hatterassed@comcast.net

Advanced Piloting is the final USPS inland and coastal navigation course. When you have successfully completed AP, you should have the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate anywhere within near sight of land. The concepts presented in this course involve precise methods in piloting that are standard practice for safe operation of recreational vessels.

Topics Include:

Basic Piloting Review                  Electronic Coastal Navigation

Adv Positioning Techniques     Positioning with Current Effects

Tides & Tidal Currents                Predicting Height of Tide

Predicting Tidal Currents            The 1210 (training chart) Cruise

Weather

Start Date:       TBD

End Date:

Instructor:

Prerequisite:        member of USPS

Prerequisite To:    n/a

Location:

Register:                 contact SEO John Grasso, AP @508-378-4822 or email him @ jg.hatterassed@comcast.net

Weather (Wx) 101 & 102

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; and Floods, Droughts, and Winter Precipitation.

Wx 102- Advanced Weather- topics include: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes; Tropical Weather; Atmosphere and Clouds; Forecasting; and
Climate.