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Member Education
Are you ready to expand your
boating knowledge and skills?
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Congratulations on your interest in furthering your Boating
Education!
The public boating safety course that you just completed
provided you a wealth of information to make your boating
safer and more fun. But it is surely obvious to you that
this course just scratched the surface of boating knowledge. What's your next step?
As
your instructors mentioned throughout the course you just
took, SPSPS offers a wide spectrum of advanced and
specialty courses for members only. If you choose to
become a member of SPSPS, these outstanding educational
opportunities all become available to you.
SPSPS currently offers 14 courses for its members. Most
run 10 to 12 weeks, one evening per week - a few are shorter,
a few are longer. All are now being restructured into
modules of about 6 weeks each to give squadrons and members
maximum scheduling flexibility. Only a few of the
advanced topics have any prerequisite courses. All of
the rest will be available to you as soon as you join SPSPS
and whenever they are offered by your local squadron or
another squadron nearby.
The first five courses described below comprise a series
called "Advanced Grades." They should be taken in the
order listed. The remainder are "Elective Courses"
and may be taken in any order. |
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Seamanship |
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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 |
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Piloting introduces you to the critical study of marine
charts, aids to navigation, adjustment and use of the
mariner's compass, dead reckoning, planning and plotting
courses, and taking bearings to determine your on-the-water
position. |
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Advanced Piloting |
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Advanced Piloting builds on the knowledge gained in Piloting
to teach you how to navigate in coastal waters, predict tides
and tidal currents, navigate safely with radar, and
GPS, and optimize course planning. |
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Junior Navigation |
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Junior Navigation begins your study of offshore navigation. Learn to use integrated electronic positioning systems, sight
taking on celestial bodies with a mariner's sextant, and
positioning & passage planning with special open-ocean charts. |
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Navigation |
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Navigation further develops your understanding of celestial
navigation theory and your skills in sight taking and
reduction. Also learn to navigate with only minimal
survival gear in the event of a disabling boat accident. |
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Boat Operator Certification Program |
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The Boat Operator's Certification (BOC) Program certifies
USPS members at various levels of recreational boating
proficiency. We expect that these certifications will be
recognized across the boating community, both domestically
and internationally.
Certification at each level requires successful completion
of all prescribed elements including several USPS courses,
several USPS seminars and skill demonstrations on the water
and ashore which must be signed-off by a USPS trained
certifier.
USPS currently has two levels of Boat Operator
Certification:
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Inland Navigator (IN): Inland & protected waters,
fair weather & daylight, < 23’ outboard power boat.
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Coastal Navigator (CN): Local coastal water <
20nm offshore, fair weather & daylight, <39’ sail or
power boat with compass & GPS. You must complete IN
before participation in CN.
For
detailed requirements, click here to contact the SPSPS
Squadron Education Officer. |
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Cruise Planning |
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Cruise Planning helps you prepare for voyaging afloat -
whether just week-ending or multi-month cruising. Learn
essentials about equipping and provisioning your boat, crew
selection, financing your trip, entering and clearing foreign
ports, emergencies afloat, & boat security. |
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Engine Maintenance |
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Engine Maintenance won't make you an expert mechanic, but it
will enable you to trouble-shoot most common engine problems
and jury-rig many repairs. Covers outboard motors,
inboard gas and diesel engines, power trains, and related
mechanical systems. |
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Instructor
Development |
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Instructor Development provides you with practical
techniques and training in making effective presentations -
whether as a teacher, meeting chair, public speaker, or
everyday conversationalist. |
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Leadership Development |
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This program is designed for members who are, or intend to be,
bridge officers and committee chairs and is intended to help
them in managing and leading the squadron within the
guidelines set forth by national. It includes planning
for the squadron, organizing resources to the squadron’s best
advantage, and communication and motivation techniques. |
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Marine Electronics |
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A new series of courses for
Marine Electronics consists of three standalone courses:
Electrical Systems, Communications Systems, and Navigation
Systems.
Marine Electrical
Systems - This course starts with an explanation of
what electricity is, followed by discussions on boat
electrical wiring, DC and AC electrical systems,
galvanic and stray current corrosion, lightning
protection, and ends with troubleshooting of boat
electrical problems. It also includes detailed
instructions on how to use a multimeter, how to solder
and crimp electrical wiring circuits, and how to read
electrical wiring diagrams.
Marine Communications Systems - This course is an
in-depth review of those systems available to the
recreational boater, including radio history, spectrum
definitions, definitions of radio circuits, discussions
of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS),
FCC Rules and regulations, radiotelephone operating
procedures (both voice and digital messaging), High Seas
radio (MF/HF and satellite communications), Family Radio
Service transceivers and troubleshooting of radio
installations.
Electronic Navigation Systems - This course
consists of discussions about electronic navigation
instruments (depth sounders, radar, GPS, and LORAN),
display systems including chart plotters and personal
computers and the interfacing of these systems (bridge
integration).
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Operations Training |
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This program is the USPS “bible”
and
contains detailed
guidelines and information for all members concerning the
history, organization, policies, procedures etc. employed
within USPS. |
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Sail |
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Sail guides you through the special terminology and dynamics
of sailing, hulls and rigging, wind and water forces and
balance, points of sail, sail handling, and navigation rules
unique to sailing. |
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Vessel Examiner |
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This
four-hour training session covers the federal safety
equipment requirements for the award of the Vessel Safety
Check (VSC) decal, the additional equipment recommended to
be carried aboard recreational boats, and the requirements
for qualification as a Vessel Safety Examiner (VSE). Upon
completion of the session and a short examination, you will
be qualified as a VSE. |
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Weather |
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Weather teaches you the basic structure and characteristics of
our atmosphere, how to interpret weather maps and reports, and
how to make your own skilled observations - all keyed to
helping you predict and anticipate weather developments
affecting your boating. |
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