COURSES AVAILABLE TO
SHREWSBURY POWER SQUADRON MEMBERS

SHREWSBURY POWER SQUADRON -- EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT

The following list contains all courses that are available from time to time to Squadron Members. Courses to be offered will be announced in this space. Registration instructions and tentative places and times will then be given.

We want to fit our offerings to members' needs. Inquiries, requests, or expressions of interest are welcome at all times, by phone (732-695-2993) to Henry Keller, JN, Squadron Education Officer. Let's hear from you.

Contact the Squadron Education Officer, Lt/C Henry Keller, JN, by e-mail

Information on Advanced Courses can be obtained from P/C Henry Keller, JN, 732-695-2993, email: hankkeller@msn.com.

NOTE THAT THESE COURSES WILL BE OFFERED ONLY IF THERE IS SUFFICIENT DEMAND.
THIS MEANS THAT WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT-NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE ONE OF THESE COURSES, BUT SOME TIME LATER, CALL OR E-MAIL Henry Keller. WE ARE EAGER TO SERVE YOU, BUT WE NEED TO KNOW HOW!!!


ADVANCED GRADES COURSES

Advanced Grades courses make up a sequence consisting of: Seamanship (S), Piloting (P), Advanced Piloting (AP), Junior Navigation (JN), and Navigation (N). Taken in order, these provide full coverage of the information needed for navigating a boat in sight of land (S, P, and AP) and in blue water by celestial navigation and other methods (JN and N). It is recommended that these courses be taken in this sequence, but exceptions can be made. (Note, however, that official certification [letters after your name] for each of these courses can only be granted after all the preceding courses have been passed.)

Contact the course chair for more information. The chairs are:

SEAMANSHIP -- Lt Joseph C. Gravish, N,   Tel. 732-291-1916.

PILOTING -- 1st/Lt Joseph Morse, AP,    Tel. 732-741-8234

ADVANCED PILOTING -- Lt/C Robert Dougherty, AP Tel. 732-936-1418

JUNIOR NAVIGATION -- Lt Robert A. Hofmann, SN,   Tel: 732-671-9308

NAVIGATION -- Lt Robert A. Hofmann, SN, Tel: 732-671-9308
.
ELECTIVE COURSES

Elective courses consist (in alphabetical order) of Cruise Planning (CP), Engine Maintenance (EM),Instructor Qualification (IQ), Marine Electronics (ME), Sail (SA), and Weather (W.). These courses are available to all members whenever they are sufficiently in demand.

Contact the Course Chairmen for further information.

CRUISE PLANNING -- P/N/F/Lt Michael J. Horowitz, JN,   Tel. 732-531-8311

ENGINE MAINTENANCE -- P/C Richard Mohrbutter, P, Tel 732-583-5237

INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT -- P/C Henry Keller, JN   Tel. 732-695-2993

MARINE ELECTRONICS -- Lt John E. Deisler, SN   Tel. 732-842-1784

SAIL and WEATHER -- P/C Barry N. Grabelle, SN   Tel: 732-741-8525
.

Educational Courses

Member Courses
The two categories of these courses are: Elective Courses and Advanced Courses.
Courses must have a certain enrollment to make it worth the time of the instructor and the squadron to offer the class. Members are encouraged to give feedback on what courses they would be interested in taking when the Schedule of Courses is published. Some members may be interested in a particular course while others are open to suggestion. By letting the Education Officer know what course(s) you are interested in taking and what course(s) you would consider taking, it makes it easier to accommodate everyone to the best of our abilities.

Elective Courses
Elective Courses may be taken at any time, and in any order you chose. These course are Cruise Planning, Engine Maintenance, Marine Electronics, Sail, Weather and Instructor Qualification. In addition, there is a discussion group called Operations Training. The only cost for these classes is for the texts, materials and fees charged for classroom use.

Cruise Planning (CP)
CP discusses everything you need to know about planning for a cruise on board your boat, whether it will last hours, days or months. Take CP with your Family Members with who you will cruise; including them will be more fun and informative for all of you. This class is taught by Mike and Lucille Horowitz who regularly do long-distance cruising in their trawler each year. This class is fun and informative and is highly recommended for new members because many of the same principles that apply to long distance cruising apply to near-shore and short-term cruising.

Engine Maintenance (EM)
EM will teach you how to do routine Maintenance on a boat’s engine and related equipment. Equally important, it will teach you how to spot potential problems. You will learn how to diagnose problems so that you can more intelligently assess the work that needs to be done and discuss it more intelligently with those you select to do it. This course is taught by P/C Richard Morhbutter

Marine Electronics (ME)
Today there is more electronic equipment aboard small boats than on large naval ships a half century ago; radios, radar, loran, global positioning systems, weather fax systems, and many others. We need to know a little about how they work and a lot about how to use them. ME is the course that provides this information to you. This class is taught by Jack Deisler.

Sail (Sa)
There’s more to going for a sail than hauling the sails up the mast lines and letting go the dock lines. When you take sail, you’ll learn about different kinds of wind – true, apparent, boat – and different kinds of sailboats – sloops, ketches, yawls etc. You will also learn how to make the wind, sail configuration, and weight of your boat produce the fastest and/or most comfortable ride for you and your passengers. This course is taught by P/C Barry Grabelle.

Weather (Wx)
Here’s your opportunity to become familiar with the problems meteorologists encounter. Learn how they determine what the weather is most likely to be at some time in the future. Boating is really a “know before you go” activity, and knowing what the weather will be can be critical to your fun and safety. This course is This course is taught by P/C Barry Grabelle.

Instructor Development (ID)
You will learn how to make an effective presentation to other people. The course covers preparation of your presentation and use of aids to help you make your point. This course is run by P/C Hank Keller.

Operations Training (OT)
Is not an Educational Class but a participatory program under the Administrative Department where members present a topic on the operation of USPS and our squadron. Afterward, there is an opportunity for discussion of the topic. While Officers are required to take OT, the discussion group is open to all members. No exam. The program runs approximately 6 weeks. This course is organized by P/C Bob Baechle.

When to take elective courses
The Elective Courses may be taken in any order you wish. You can self-study and or all of these courses and challenge any course’s examination to obtain permanent credit, but we encourage you to take them with other student-members. Students always bring their own experiences to the classes and share them, so you will learn things not found in the texts. You will also develop friendships with your fellow students due to the love of boating we all share.


Advanced Grade Courses
Our Advanced Grades Courses present a series of information that is important for you to know to be safe and to get where you’re going with the least trouble. We recommend that you take them in the following order because each class generally builds on the material in the previous class.

Our Advanced grade classes are Seamanship (S), Piloting (P), Advanced Piloting (AP), Junior Navigation (JN) and Navigation (N)

Seamanship (S)
S is our boat-handling course. It covers your responsibility as a skipper. You will learn the basics of anchoring, line handling, and rules of the road. This course is usually taught by P/C Richard Mohrbutter.

Piloting (P)
Your primary course in navigating your boat within sight of land, P will show you how to get from where you are to where you want to go, safely and directly. You will learn how to plot your course and position on a chart, the various types of charts available, the different types of aids to navigation, and how to use a compass effectively. As a sign of having completed Piloting, you may add the grade P after your name. The class runs approximately 8-10 weeks. Various Instructors. Chairman; Joe Morse.

Advanced Piloting (AP)
After completing Seamanship and Piloting, you’ll want to take AP to complete your near-shore cruising education. You will learn sophisticated methods of finding and plotting your position. You’ll also learn to avoid dangerous-water conditions, figure out if there will be enough water to enter your marina, too much to get under a bridge, or if the current is too strong for your boat to get through the pass quickly. You’ll also learn how to determine your compass’ deviation and prepare a deviation table for your boat. If you have the background and skills to do the work, you may study and complete the work before you take Seamanship and/or Piloting. However, if you do, you have not earned the AP grade designator until all three of these courses are successfully completed. The course runs approximately 10-12 weeks. This course is taught by P/C Bob Dougherty.

Members who complete Seamanship, Piloting, Advanced Piloting and any three elective courses have earned the Educational Proficiency Award. Senior Navigator (N, formerly called SN) is an individual who has completed all of the USPS classes offered. Is also referred to as a Full certificate. Our Squadron also recognizes ”Master Mariners”. These members have earned a Full Certificate (completed all of the classes offered) and have also earned 5 Merit Marks through 5 years of Squadron Service.

Junior Navigation (JN)
When you’ve completed your near-shore cruising education, it will be time to learn how the more adventurous seamen travel the high seas. JN is the course that will tell you everything you’ve wanted to know about electronic navigation, and will also introduce you to celestial navigation – finding your way using only stars and planets. Or what to do when the batteries die. As you may have guess by now, when this course is completed you may add the grade JN after your name. Both JN and N are taught by Bob Hofmann. The course runs approximately 24 weeks.

Navigation (N)
And now, the full dose of celestial navigation! In N, you will learn nearly everything there is to know about finding your way using only a sextant and celestial bodies. In fact, you’ll even learn how to find where you are in an emergency, lost –at-sea situations when you don’t even have a sextant. When you take navigation, you will learn not only how to use celestial navigation, but its theory – why it works. When you’ve completed all of the advanced grade courses, you are entitled to put N after your name.

Advanced grade courses may be taken in any order that you wish, but as described above, your grade designator will always depend upon which courses you have completed. As with the elective courses, you can self-study and or all of these courses and challenge any course’s examination to obtain permanent credit, but we encourage you to take them with other student-members and we recommend that you take them in the order because each class generally builds on the material in the previous class.




SPS Home Page


This page last revised June 12, 2007