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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 12 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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Seamanship 101:
Building on the basics taught in the USPS public boating
courses, Seamanship101
is the recommended first course for new members, both
power boaters and sailors. The student learns practical
marlinespike, the use of various safety equipment, navigation
rules, responsibilities of the skipper, boat care and basic
operation, weather basics, and nautical customs and boating
etiquette.
Seamanship 102: This course explores the art of boat
handling and operation over a wide variety of wind and water
conditions. It covers hull design and care; boat maneuvering
to include docking, undocking and towing procedures;
trailering, anchoring, rafting, and mooring operations; and
emergency procedures. This course provides an introduction to
the USPS educational program and a strong foundation for the
other Advanced Grades courses. |
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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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^^ TOP |
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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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^^ TOP |
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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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^^ TOP |
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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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^^ TOP |
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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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^^ TOP |
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GPS |
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This hands-on, two-lesson seminar is designed to familiarize
each participant with his/her GPS and how to use it for basic
navigation with waypoints and routes. Emphasis is on handheld
GPS units such as the Garmin 76, although the lessons learned
also apply to other handhelds and chart plotters. |
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^^ TOP |
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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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^^ TOP |
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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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^^ TOP |
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Marine Electronics |
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Marine Electronics offers you essential information about boat
electrical and electronic systems in terms understandable by
non-engineers and non-technicians. Learn about proper
wiring and power systems, corrosion and electrolysis, and
electronic navigation and safety systems. |
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^^ TOP |
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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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^^ TOP |
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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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^^ TOP |
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