Seamanship
Course
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.
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Piloting Course
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. Topics covered include:
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Charts and their interpretation
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Navigation aids and how they point to safe water
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Plotting courses and determining direction and distance
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The mariner’s compass and converting between True and Magnetic
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Use of GPS – typical GPS displays and information they provide, setting up waypoints and routes, staying on a GPS route.
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Pre-planning safe courses and entering them into the GPS
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Monitoring progress and determining position by both GPS and traditional techniques such as bearings and dead reckoning
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The “Seaman’s Eye” – simple skills for checking that one is on course.
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Advanced Piloting
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. Topics covered include:
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Review of skills learned in Piloting
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Advanced positioning techniques such as advancing a line of position
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Other electronics: radar, depth sounders, autopilots, chartplotters, laptop computer software, etc.
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Hazard avoidance techniques using electronics (e.g., “keep out” zones in GPS)
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Collision avoidance using radar and GPS
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Working with tides: clearances, depth, effects of current
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Piloting with wind and currents
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The “Seaman’s Eye” – simple skills for checking that one is on course
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Junior Navigation Course
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. Subject matter includes:
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Precise time determination
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Use of the Nautical Almanac
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Taking sextant sights of the sun
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Reducing sights to establish lines of position
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Special charts and plotting sheets for offshore navigation
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Offshore navigational routines for recreational craft
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Navigation Course
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. The course covers:
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Additional sight-reduction techniques
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Honing skills in sight taking and positioning
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Orderly methods for the navigator's day's work at sea
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Navigating with minimal resources, as in a lifeboat
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ELECTIVE GRADES
Cruise Planning Course
This 7 week program is designed for members who plan to cruise for just a day or for a year--in either a sail or powerboat--this course covers the following topics:
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Cruise preparation and planning
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Boat and Equipment
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Anchors and Anchoring
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Security
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Chartering
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Cruising Outside the United States
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Crew and Provisioning
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Voyage Management
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Communications
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Navigation
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Weather
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Emergencies
The manual includes a twelve-month cruise planning timeline. The course is non-modular with one final exam.
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Engine Maintenance Course
The new
Engine Maintenance course (EM) 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.
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Marine Electronics Course
The Marine Electronics course consists of three modules: ME 101, Boat Electrical Systems, ME 102, Marine Radio Communications, and ME 103, Marine Electronics for Navigation. There are no prerequisites for any of these modules; however, it is suggested that a member take ME 101 before taking ME 102. All three modules must be successfully completed to receive credit for Marine Electronics.
ME 101, Boat Electrical Systems, provides information about properties of electricity, electrical power requirements and wiring practices, direct current power, alternating current power, galvanic and stray-current corrosion, lightning protection, and electrical interference.
ME 102, Marine Radio Communications, delves into radio waves and transmitters, receivers and transceivers, antennas and transmission lines, FCC Rules and Regulations, FCC Frequency Plan, marine radiotelephone operating procedures, and other communication services (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), Digital Selective Calling (DSC), Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), satellite communications, amateur radio, and more).
ME 103, Marine Electronics for Navigation, presents information on depth sounders, RADAR, LORAN-C, GPS Navigation, and two new chapters: Electronic Charting, and Computer-Assisted Navigation (CAN). Members may take this module independent of any other ME module. |
Sail Modules
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Weather Course
The Weather course will furnish basic weather knowledge for safer and more enjoyable boating. The student will learn to make weather predictions based upon observations of the sky, upon barometer and wind information, as well as weather data provided by maps, satellite images, and radio and TV broadcasts. Wx 101 and Wx 102 use a USPS supplement manual together with The Weather Book from USA Today (second edition, 1997) as the textbook.
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Wx 101 - Basic Weather - topics include:
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Effects of Heat and Cold
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Wind and Pressure
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Storms and Fronts
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Rain, Humidity and Fog
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Floods, Droughts, and Winter Precipitation
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Wx 102 - Advanced Weather - topics include:
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Thunderstorms and Tornados
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Tropical Weather
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Atmosphere and Clouds
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Forecasting
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Climate
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