Currently Scheduled Courses
America's Boating Course provides you with basic boating knowledge to decide what type and size boat you need, what to do when meeting another boat in a crowded waterway, and how to recognize and handle hazards.
Many boat insurance companies will offer discounts on boating insurance to boaters who successfully complete America's Boating Course. This course also provides a sound basis for continuing your recreational boating education.
- Trailering, knots and lines, and water sports
- Introduction to electronic navigation using paper charts and chart plotters
- Safety equipment – required and recommended
- Boating laws – federal and state
- Finding your way
- Types of boats and their uses
- Communications
- Dealing with adverse conditions
P/C Tom Geggie, SN
Marine Navigation is the second of the Advanced Grade courses and is the first course in the sequence of USPS courses on navigation, covering the basics of coastal and inland navigation. It is required for the Boat Operator's Certificate at the Coastal Navigation level. It introduces OpenCPN, Marine Navigation software.
This 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 GPS fails. The course includes many in-class exercises, developing the student’s skills through hands-on practice and learning.
- Charts & Their Interpretation
- Navigational Aids
- Plotting Courses and Determining Direction and Distance
- Using a Compass
- Converting between True and Magnetic
- Using GPS
- Preplanning Safe Courses
- Monitoring progress and determining position on the water
- Traditional Techniques such as Bearings and Dead Reckoning
P/R/C Don Fiander, SN