Who We Are, What We Do

 

 

The United States Power Squadrons (USPS) is the world’s largest private non-profit boating organization. Our members are boating families who contribute to their communities by promoting safe boating on the water and in the classroom. Somewhat contrary to our name USPS has many sail boaters and non-boat owners as members.

At the heart of the organization and its basic unit is the Squadron. Squadrons have from 20 to 500 members. There are 450 Squadrons organized into 33 districts across the country, in Japan, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. USPS has more than 60,000 members. Squadrons have monthly newsletters and The Ensign magazine is the USPS monthly publication.
 

PURPOSE AND GOALS

The purposes and goals of USPS are:

• To stimulate and increase all boaters’ knowledge and skills through the study of the science and art of navigation, seamanship and boat handling.
• To develop and promote instructional programs to benefit our members and the public.
• To encourage USPS members and other boaters to abide by the rules of the road and recognized yachting traditions and customs.
• To encourage and promote recreational boating, uniting people who have a common love of yachting into a nation-wide fraternity.
• To provide a means to foster social and fraternal relationships among boaters.
• To promote, as a civic service, boating safety through education to the recreational boating community.

You Should Be Involved

Whether you are a boater or a part of the recreational boating industry, you should be involved with The United States Power Squadrons. We Save Lives! USPS volunteers provide education and services that make our waterways safer. The United States Power Squadrons are the "Pro’s" in the sport of recreational boating. We provide the skills and knowledge for the boater to understand the art and science of boating.

We give boaters a voice in the industry through our national organization and offer the only comprehensive education available to the recreational boater. And with it all, we meet others boaters and build lasting friendships. USPS is dedicated to making boating safer and more fun.
 

MEMBERSHIP

Members enjoy friendship and camaraderie on the water and off with fellow members who are skilled in boating. Prospective members should be willing to give of their time and talents and have a desire to improve their boating skills through courses offered by USPS.

Membership in USPS is by invitation. Regular and family memberships are available. Family members take courses and participate in all activities but do not vote or hold office. To learn more take one of our public classes (see below) or talk with a member.
 

EDUCATIONAL COURSES (Offered to the Public)

Boating and Boat Smart are two courses offered to the public. Both courses are designed to familiarize the student with the fundamentals of safe boating and qualify for certification in states that require a boating education course before operating a watercraft. Both courses are presently offered as classroom courses. They are usually taught in four to eight two-hour sessions. Boating is also offered as a video home study course. The courses require passing an exam for a certificate of graduation.

Subjects covered include:

• Boat handling under normal conditions
• Adverse conditions and emergencies
• Types of boats and boat terminology
• Required and recommended equipment
• Boating regulations and navigation rules
• Lines and knots
• Charts and aids to navigation
• Piloting techniques (offered in Boating only)
• Marine radiotelephone usage
• Trailer boating

Boating Safely is a youth course offered jointly by USPS and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. It is designed to teach younger boaters what they need to know for safe, courteous watercraft operation. It is U.S. Coast Guard and NASBLA approved as meeting minimum requirements. It is designed for teenagers and other non-traditional boaters such as hunters and fisherman and covers the basic subjects listed above.
 

EDUCATIONAL COURSES (Offered to Members)

Advanced Grades Program

In keeping with its stated purpose of encouraging the study of the science and art of navigation, USPS offers its members a series of five advanced courses.

The Seamanship Course (S) Building on the basics learned in USPS’s public boating courses, the Seamanship course is an important foundation for other "Advanced Grade" courses. The student learns: basic marlinespike seamanship; hull design; navigation rules; operation under normal and adverse conditions; responsibilities of the skipper; fire prevention and control; common courtesies on the water; boat care; nautical customs; and flag etiquette.

The Piloting Course (P) This course is the first of a two part program studying inland and coastal navigation. Its focus is on 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 mariners compass; variation and deviation of the compass; plotting and steering courses; dead reckoning; and plotting and labeling of charts.

The Advanced Piloting Course (AP) This is the final part of the inland and coastal navigation series. Its emphasis is on the use of modern electronic navigation systems and other advanced techniques. Among topics covered are: tides and currents; finding bearings; using bearings and angles; simple use of the mariners sextant; and electronic navigation, Radar, Loran-C, GPS, etc.

After completing the above three courses and three elective courses (see below), the student earns the Educational Proficiency Award.

The Junior Navigator Course (JN) is the first in a two-part program of the study in offshore navigation. It is designed as a practical "how to" course. Subjects covered include: precise time determination; use of the Nautical Almanac; taking sights of the sun, moon, planets and stars; reducing sights to establish lines of position; special charts and plotting sheets for offshore navigation; and offshore navigation routines for recreational craft.

The Navigator Course (N) is the second part of the study of offshore navigation, further developing the student’s understanding of celestial navigation theory. Subjects covered are: additional sight reduction techniques; honing skills in sight taking and positioning; orderly methods for the navigator’s day’s work at sea; and navigation with minimal resources, as in a lifeboat. The grade of "N" is the highest awarded by USPS in the Advanced Grade program.

The only higher award is The Educational Achievement Award given to those who have completed all Advanced Grades and Elective Courses (described below). Receiving the Educational Achievement Award is USPS’s equivalent to a "Ph.D." in the field of boating studies.
Elective Course Program

USPS offers its members six elective courses in a variety of boating topics that may be taken at any time, in any sequence.

Engine Maintenance (EM) attempts to make students more self-reliant afloat, with trouble-diagnosis and temporary remedies given special emphasis. EM covers both marine gasoline and diesel engines including concepts of operation, maintenance and repair of: cooling systems; electrical systems; fuel systems; lubricating systems; power train components; and ancillary propulsion components.

Marine Electronics (ME) 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 radio telephones; and Radar, Loran, GPS and other electronic positioning systems.

The Sail Course (S) provides a thorough study of the terminology and dynamics of sailing. Subjects include: types of hulls and rigs; types of running and standing rigging and their adjustment; hull and water forces caused by wind and waves; forces vs. balance; the theory of sailing; points of sailing; sail handling; sailing under various wind conditions; and navigation rules unique to sailing vessels.

The Weather Course (W) 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 a weather map and the sky; how to understand and anticipate weather developments; structure and characteristics of the atmosphere; factors considered in weather forecasting; sources and use of weather forecasting; and instruments and visual observations the skipper can make.

The Cruise Planning Course (CP) covers topics that apply particularly to long distance cruising such as provisioning (foods, supplies, spare parts, etc.). It covers such topics as: planning a voyage; managing commitments back home; financing a voyage; crew selection; voyage management; entering and clearing foreign ports; emergencies afloat; and security measures. This course is a must for planning trips several weeks to over a year in length.

Instructor Qualification (IQ) Unlike other USPS courses this one is not designed to enhance boating skills. Rather it deals with effective communications for speaker and teacher - a quality that benefits the individual in all walks of life. It offers instruction in: preparing for teaching assignments; preparing for meeting presentations; effective teaching techniques; conducting efficient meetings; and selection and use of audio-visual aids.
 

LEARNING GUIDES (Offered to Members and the Public)

Learning Guides are books that have been developed to provide in-depth information in many nautical fields. They are available to members and the public. Subjects have been selected in areas about which boaters have expressed interest.

Titles include:

• Amateur Radio
• Boat Design and Construction
• Oceanography
• Hand Tools
• Navigational Astronomy
• Sight Reduction Methods
• Calculators for Navigation
• Compass Adjusting
• Preparation for Coast Guard License
• Boat Insurance
• Water Sports
• Loran-C
• GPS
• Radar
• Skipper Saver
• Predicted Log Contests
• Introduction to Sailing
• Marlinespike
• USPS Glossary

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

It isn't "all work and no play" in USPS. Squadrons hold a wide variety of social activities both afloat and ashore. The friendships built in Squadron are some of the most lasting in many members’ lives.

Local squadrons have on the water activities including cruises, rendezvous, sail races, navigation contests and more. And most have many activities ashore including marine programs for members and guests, parties, dinner dances, picnics, and educational programs. Members of USPS are involved with boating year around.

Local squadrons are organized into districts and ultimately into the national organization. District and national meetings are a combination of business and social activity.

Districts have fall and spring conferences and often a summer cruise. The conferences are usually in a seminar format preceded and followed by social functions.

At the national level USPS has an annual meeting each January and a Governing Board meeting in the spring and fall. These gatherings combine meetings and social events throughout a four-day weekend and are attended by members from across the country and Japan, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
 

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Cooperative Charting Program

USPS has a Cooperative Charting Program in conjunction with the National Ocean Service (NOS). In this effort, the activities of thousands of USPS members are coordinated to report errors, omissions, and changes for nautical charts and geodesic markers. The limited field facilities of NOS are thus supplemented, strengthened and expanded, resulting in more accurate nautical charts for boaters.

The admiral in charge of NOS contends that USPS saves taxpayers 25 million dollars each year through the Cooperative Charting Program.

Vessel Safety Check (VSC)

USPS and The Coast Guard Auxiliary have developed a joint program known as Vessel Safety Check. The VSC program is similar to the Courtesy Marine Exam (CME) program used by the Coast Guard Auxiliary for over 40 years.

VSC’s are voluntary inspections of boaters’ vessels to assure all required and recommended safety equipment is aboard and in proper working order. The two groups expect to do over 300,000 Vessel Safety Checks each year.

Working with the Boating Industry

USPS works with the U. S. Coast Guard, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. We also work with the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the National Marine Retailers of America, and other groups to promote boating education on national, state and local levels.

Many Squadrons work with state law enforcement, local trade associations and other boating groups participating in events such as National Safe Boating Week, waterway clean ups, boat parades, boat shows, etc., to promote boating education and safety.
 

HISTORY OF USPS

Shortly after the turn of the century, sailing yachts were the recreational boats of the era and steam-driven vessels were the commercial ships on America's waterways. Yachtsman, as well as commercial captains and seaman, had little use for the new breed of power-driven boats called "gasoliners" arriving on the scene. Powerboats were growing in numbers and their owners were seeking ways to become accepted in the boating community.

One yachtsman, Roger Upton, became intrigued with powerboats and eventually had his own powerboat built. He became a staunch supporter of the new power boaters and led the way to their acceptance by organizing them, holding boat classes and on-water boat drills similar to the Navy drills of the times.

As Rear Commodore of the Boston Yacht club, Roger Upton convinced the members to form a "club within a club" on a trial basis. This group became known as the "Powerboat Division" of the Boston Yacht Club.

On 14 October 1912, the Powerboat Division was officially established as part of the Boston Yacht club. In January 1913, the name was changed to "Power Squadron" and the club-within-a-club was officially recognized.

Word spread and other yachting clubs began powerboat groups in their organizations.. This interest culminated in the chartering of the United States Power Squadrons on 2 February 1914 at the New York Yacht Club, officially creating the organization that has grown to what we know today.