SHIP'S LOG OF District 25 of the United States Power Squadrons

BOATING COURSES OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

Americas Boating Course - Third Edition,

This is a course for all boaters (the personal watercraft operator; the hunter or fisherman operating an outboard utility boat; the skipper of a family cruiser; the sailing enthusiast). The course meets the educational standards of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and features a proctored examination as required by many state licensing authorities and insurance companies. Many insurance companies (not all) will offer a substantial discount for boat insurance if the owner has passed this course.

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THESE ADVANCED COURSES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE TO USPS MEMBERS

Seamanship (S)

Building on the basics of recreational boating presented in the public boating courses, Seamanship adds foundational information for continuing boater education. The course contents should facilitate knowledge development for increased safe operation of recreational boats and provide the basis for completion of USCG licensing examination. Emphasis within the course has been placed on higher level boating skills, rules of the road, and marlinspike.  This course provides an introduction to the USPS educational program.

 

Piloting (P)

The Piloting course is the first in the sequence of USPS courses on navigation, covering the basics of coastal and inland navigation. This all-new course focuses on navigation as it is done on recreational boats today and embraces GPS as a primary navigation tool while covering enough of traditional techniques so the student will be able to find his/her way even if their GPS fails. The course includes many in-class exercises, developing the student’s skills through hands-on practice and learning.

 

Advanced Piloting (AP)

This all-new course continues to build coastal and inland navigation skill, allowing the student to take on more challenging conditions – unfamiliar waters, limited visibility, and extended cruises.  GPS is embraced as a primary navigation tool while adding radar, chartplotters, and other electronic navigation tools.  As with Piloting, the course includes many in-class exercises, advancing the student’s skills through hands-on practice and learning.
 
 

Junior Navigation (JN)

Junior Navigation is the first in a two-part program of study in offshore navigation, followed by the Navigation course.  It is designed as a practical "how to" course.
 
 

Navigation (N)

After Junior Navigation, this course is the second part of the study of offshore navigation, further developing the student's understanding of celestial navigation theory. This Navigation 2009 course deals with learning celestial positioning using other bodies, in addition to positioning using the sun (covered in the Junior Navigation course). This course also deals with electronic software tools that can be used to plan and execute an offshore voyage. You will first learn to reduce these sights by the Law of Cosines method.

Later in the course, you will learn an additional method of sight reduction, the Nautical Almanac Sight Reduction (NASR) method. You will also learn about sight planning techniques. With that knowledge, you will have the tools to take sights and complete your Navigation Sight Folder.

The course includes a chapter on using a software-based voyage planning tool and a navigation program. The final chapter of the course contains a Practice Cruise that ties the separate elements of the course together.

ELECTIVE COURSES AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS ONLY

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:

 

Cruise Planning (CP)

This course is preparation for a cruise, whether the cruise is for a day, a week, a month or longer. Whether you are going to cruise on rivers, lakes, the coasts, or across the oceans, very valuable information is provided by those who have been there. The topics discussed are: planning the voyage, financing the voyage, equipping the boat, crew selection, provisioning, voyage management, navigation planning, weather, communications, entering and clearing foreign and domestic ports, anchors and anchoring, emergencies afloat, medical emergencies and security.
 
 

Engine Maintenance (EM)

The new Engine Maintenance course 2007 has been put into one ten chapter course that stresses the diagnosis of modern systems, while also teaching the basics of engine layout and operation. Gasoline inboards, outboards, and diesel engines are taught in a way that reinforces the common aspects of how engines work. This new course is complete in one book with one exam.

Modern engines offer high reliability and good performance through the use of computerized systems for fuel delivery and engine timing. Most of these systems are “black boxes” that can no longer be serviced by weekend mechanics with ordinary tools. The EM course covers those repairs that do-it-yourselfers can still perform, teaches how to diagnose problems that might be beyond your ability to fix, and how to share information with your mechanic so the right repairs get performed. The new Engine Maintenance 2007 also covers basic mechanical systems such as drive systems (propellers), steering systems, and engine controls. The last chapter discusses solutions you might use to problems that could occur while afloat and away from a repair facility. Gasoline, diesel, and outboard engines are treated independently in this chapter.

 

 Instructor Development (ID)

This course focusses on adult learning theory and communication technique.  The emphasis is on an organized, interactive approach through the creation, use and modification of lesson plans, teaching aids and multi-media. It is of benefit to all who wish to learn to communicate effectively.

 

Marine Electronics (ME)

Electronic devices for the recreational boater have come a long, long way over the years. With the advent of solid state digital electronics, sophisticated sensors and radios have become commonplace on our vessels. The Electro-Mechanical Systems Committee has split Marine Electronics into three new standalone “systems” courses. Marine Electrical Systems, Marine Communications Systems, and Electronic Systems for Navigation have been updated and expanded.  The first of these courses, Marine Electrical Systems is available now with Marine Communications Systems and Electronics Systems for Navigation coming soon.  The courses that these replace are still available.

 

Sail (Sa) 

Sail 2009, is a complete sail course beginning with basic boat designs, rigging and sail processes for the non-sailor.  The course proceeds into the physical aspects of sailing, sail applications, marlinespike, helmsmanship, and handling of more difficult sailing conditions, navigation rules, and an introduction to heavy weather sailing.

 

Weather (Wx). 

The safety and comfort of those who venture out-on-the water have always been weather dependent. In this course students will become keener observers of the weather, but weather observations only have meaning in the context of the basic principles of meteorology — the science of the atmosphere.

The course focuses on how weather systems form, behave, move, and interact with one another and reflects the availability of all sorts of weather reports and forecasts on the Internet. Wx2008 is a general weather course benefiting those sitting in their living rooms, as much as those standing behind the helm.
 
 

USPS University Seminars.  

USPS University is here with new programs targeted to a range of boaters and types of boating. The hallmark of this concept is the Seminar Series. These short seminars are targeted to specific topics and needs with a two-hour format, and valuable take-away guides. Each seminar provides credits toward the soon to be released Boat Operator Certification program, and credit toward elective courses.
 
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