Dear prospective member,

Greetings, you have sought information about, what I believe, is one of the best squadrons on the Chesapeake Bay. The Sue Island Sail and Power Squadron has called the Baltimore Yacht Club its home since our inception in 1944. It is the location where our meetings and most of our classes are held. We are a Squadron of the United States Power Squadrons ®, America’s largest boating organization dedicated to the education of the boating public. After becoming a member of the Squadron the following courses are available to our members. Not all courses are offered each year and some courses have prerequisites of other courses. Courses are held here at the BYC on Wednesday evenings and most courses are twelve weeks long. I hope that you will be interested in taking some courses and I am sure they will make you a safer and more competent boater as well as making your boating experiences more pleasurable. If interested please call me at 410-527-0015. Thank you.

Joseph A. Revak, SN, Past Commander, Sue Island Sail and Power Squadron

Seamanship

Building on the basics taught in the Boating Course, Seamanship is the recommended first course for new members, both power boaters and sailors. Students learn practical marlinespike, navigational rules, hull design and performance, responsibilities of the skipper, boat care, operating a boat under normal and abnormal weather conditions, nautical customs and common courtesy on the water. This course provides a needed introduction to the USPS Educational Program and a strong foundation for members going on to other Advanced Grades courses.

Piloting

Piloting is the first of a two-part program studying inland and coastal navigation. It focuses on the fundamentals of piloting-keeping track of a boat’s movements, determining your position at any time and laying out courses to a planned destination. Included are such subjects as: charts and their use; aids to navigation; the mariner’s compass; variation and deviation of the compass; piloting and steering courses; dead reckoning; and plotting and labeling charts.

Advanced Piloting

This is the final part of the inland and coastal navigation series. It emphasizes the use of modern electronic navigation systems and other advanced techniques for finding position. Among topics covered: tides and currents and their effect on piloting; finding position using bearings and angles; simple use of the mariner’s sextant; and electronic navigation—radar, loran, GPS, etc.

Junior Navigation

Junior Navigation is the first of a two-part program of study in offshore (open coast) navigation. It is designed as a practical, how-to- course, leaving the theoretical and more advanced techniques for the Navigation Course. Subject matters include basic concepts of celestial navigation. How to use the mariner’s sextant to take sights of the sun, moon, planets and stars. The importance and techniques of accurate time determination. The use of the Nautical Almanac; how to reduce sights to establish a line of position (LOPs); and the use of special charts, plotting sheets and other navigational data for offshore positioning and passage planning.

Navigation

This is the second part of the study of offshore navigation. It further develops the students understanding of the celestial theory. The student is introduced to additional sight reduction techniques and develops greater skill and precision in sight taking, positioning and the orderly methods of carrying on the day’s work of a navigator at sea. Of particular interest and importance is the study of offshore navigation using minimal data and/or equipment, such as when on a disabled vessel or lifeboat.

Elective Courses

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 such topics as: planning voyage; financing a voyage; managing commitments back home; equipping a cruising boat; selecting the crew; provisioning; managing a voyage; entering and clearing foreign ports; emergencies afloat; and security measures.

Engine Maintenance

This course attempts to make students more self-reliant afloat; with trouble-diagnosis and temporary remedies given special emphasis. It covers both marine gasoline and diesel engines, including concepts of operation, maintenance and repair. It covers such topics as; cooling systems electrical systems; fuel systems; lubricating systems; power train components; and ancillary propulsion components.

Instructor Qualification

This course deals with effective communication for speakers and teachers—a quality that benefits the individual in all walks of life. It offers practical instruction in: preparing for teaching assignments; preparing for meeting presentations; effective teaching techniques; conducting efficient meetings; and selecting and using audiovisual aids.

Marine Electronics

This course teaches essential knowledge about a boat’s electrical and electronic systems including; proper wiring; grounding; corrosion and electrolysis control; batteries and their maintenance; depth finders; marine radiotelephones; radar; loran; GPS; and other electronic positioning systems.

Sail

Sa101-Introduction to Sail – This course teaches basic elements of sailing, including terminology; sailboat rigs and sail plans; boat design and hull types; sails, standing and running rigging; boat, true, and apparent wind; leaving and returning to dock; sailing upwind and downwind; marlinespike for sailors and basic sailing rules.

Sa102-Advanced Sail – This course teaches forces, stability and balance; sail trim; tuning a rig; steering and helmsmanship, spinnaker handling; heavy weather sailing; survival in storm conditions; safety procedures; racing and race management and more complete navigation rules for sailing vessels.

Weather

This course is designed to teach a student how to make weather observations and predictions for more enjoyable boating. Topics include; awareness of weather phenomena; how to read the weather map and sky; how to understand and anticipate weather developments; structure and characteristics of the atmosphere; factors considered in weather forecasting; sources and use of weather reports and forecasts; and instruments and visual observations the skipper can make.