The Squadron Boating Course

Note: For details on both short and long term changes for our public boating courses, please see the "PUBLIC BOATING COURSES – UPDATE & ROADMAP". Also see the additional information in "Updates and Tips - 2007".

The Squadron Boating Course, 2004 edition, is being shipped with a revised Bowditch Bay practice chart, new exam and new instructor manual.  The student manual also includes the Maptech Chart Navigator Training CD.  An instructor update sheet is available.

The 2004 student manual has been recertified by NASBLA with the use of an 18-page supplement.  The 2004 edition includes selected new graphics as well as all addendum topics from the previous edition.  In addition, several new topics have been added: Homeland Security, EPIRBs, environmental tips, and Finding Your Way Digitally. 

The major revision within The Squadron Boating Course 2004 is the introduction of Using Digital Charts.  The 2004 student manuals come with a CD-ROM, which includes the Maptech Chart Navigator software, a sampling of digital charts and maps across the country and digital versions of the Bowditch Bay and 1210Tr practice charts.  This new material is optional and may be taught at the squadron’s discretion.

The Squadron Boating Course 2004 exam has been revised to better address the NASBLA testing standards.

The 2004 Instructor Manual contains references to the The Squadron Boating Course PowerPoint slides contained on the Basic Boating Skills CD shipped to all SEOs and DEOs.  The IM also contains a detailed mapping of all new exam questions to the homework and information about the six exam questions that do not come from the homework.

Topics

News

• Revised Slides for The Squadron Boating Course Presentation. See the Download section for an update to this presentation. (05 Mar08)

• The Squadron Boating Course Plotter. The 8"x10" plotter has been replaced by the standard 4"x15" plotter now used in all USPS member courses. Three new files are available to help facilitate this change: instructor information, revised student manual Section 7, and an animated PowerPoint presentation. Obtain the files from the Download section.  (03 Feb 06)

• PowerPoint Slides Available for Instructors.  Updated slides are available for instructors.  Get corrections to the Basic Boating Skills CD.  (11 Nov 05)

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Downloads

• Revised Slides for The Squadron Boating Course Presentation. This PowerPoint file (535KB) contains a correction for The Squadron Boating Course, Chapter 12, slide #52. Delete slide #52 and #53 and insert slide #2 and #3 from this file. Carefully read the comments on the ppt "Notes Page". That is, click on "View" and then "Notes Page". The revisions on slide #3 are just the animated arrows." (05 Mar 08)
  
  
• New Student Supplement to the 2004 Edition of The Squadron Boating Course. This 18-page supplement (827KB, PDF) to the 2004 Edition covers technological and regulatory changes in boating as well as new information on boating equipment and environmental conditions. The supplement is an important part of the course material because it extends the NASBLA certification of The Squadron Boating Course.
  Instructor information (18KB, PDF) regarding this supplement is also available. (16 Feb 07)
  
  
• The Squadron Boating Course Plotter.  An animated PowerPoint presentation is the key means to introduce students to the 4"x15" plotter.  Demos are included showing the creation of course lines, determining direction, and labeling.  This presentation must be shown either with the free 2003 PowerPoint Viewer (get it here) or the full 2003 PowerPoint program; prior versions of PowerPoint will not display the animation.  Download the ppt file (2894KB).
  
  An optional, multi-page update for Section 7 of the Student Manual is available for download (PDF, 389KB).  It is suggested that only a limited number of hard copies may be needed.  After viewing the animated PowerPoint presentation, all students may not require a copy of this Section 7 update.  New orders being shipped by USPS Headquarters will NOT include this update.  A one page Instructor Information sheet (PDF, 38KB) is also available explaining the change from the 8x10 plotter to the 4x15 plotter.  (03 Feb 06)
  
  
• Boating Class Workbook. The Boating Class Workbook, used to submit student information to Headquarters, is available on the USPS Public Programs Administrative Software web page.
  
  
• The Squadron Boating Course Exam Information.  The exam answer 71b should be corrected to 082° (081° is a typo in the new 2004 exam).  Also, please note that exam questions 73 and 74 utilize a measured distance of 12.5 nm as determined from the paper version of the 2003 Bowditch Bay chart (distance may vary depending upon chart shrinkage).  The 2004 edition of The Squadron Boating Course also has duplicate questions (#10 and #37) in the new exam.  The Squadron Boating Course Instructor Information (below) has guidance on how to handle the duplicate questions. (16 Nov 04)
  
  
• The Squadron Boating Course Instructor Information. Download Instructor Information (PDF, 23KB) for the 2004 Edition of The Squadron Boating Course. This file includes the update to The Squadron Boating Course, Appendix A, “A Day’s Cruise”.
  
  
• Two Page Homework Answer Sheet Form. This form, as a 27 KB PDF file, is available for use in The Squadron Boating Course classes. We recommend that this form be reproduced in double sided format so that students have only one sheet of paper to deal with.
  
  
• The Squadron Boating Course PowerPoint Slides. These are the same files and slides that are available on the USPS Basic Boating Skills CD.  If you prefer, you may order the CD from USPS HQ. You will need Microsoft PowerPoint to view or print the downloaded slides.  See the Educational Department Help page to obtain a free viewer for these slides. Download a printable PDF copy (7KB) of useful tips for these slides. Download the official USPS PowerPoint slides for use in The Squadron Boating Course.

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