Members Classes

MEMBERS CLASSES

ADVANCED GRADES

Seamanship
Building on the basics taught in the USPS Boating courses, Seamanship is the recommended first course for new members, both power boaters and sailors. The student learns practical marlinespike, navigation rules, hull design and performance, responsibilities of the skipper, boat care, operating a boat under normal and abnormal conditions, what to do in various emergencies and weather conditions, nautical customs and common courtesy on the water. This course provides an introduction to the USPS educational program and a strong foundation for the other Advanced Grades courses, and the Elective Courses Cruise Planning and Basic Sail.

Piloting

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:

Charts and their interpretation
Navigation aids and how they point to safe water
Plotting courses and determining direction and distance
The mariner’s compass and converting between True and Magnetic
Use of GPS – typical GPS displays and information they provide, setting up waypoints and routes, staying on a GPS route.
Pre-planning safe courses and entering them into the GPS
Monitoring progress and determining position by both GPS and traditional techniques such as bearings and dead reckoning.
The “Seaman’s Eye” – simple skills for checking that one is on course.

Advanced Piloting

This course advances your piloting skills to include coastal piloting which involves considerations of tide and currents and the impact of drift when traveling on the water. This course begins with a detailed study of plotting and labeling techniques and expands upon the use of lines of position, and the related piloting techniques first learned in the Piloting course. Includes information on the use of GPS and LORAN C. It is recommended that the student first take the Piloting Course before taking Advanced Piloting. Approx 11 weeks

Junior Navigation

Students learn about current offshore navigation electronic tools and software as well as conventional route planning techniques. Students also learn traditional celestial navigational skills to determine position, using these techniques to check their electronics and as the backup navigation technique in the event electronics fail.

In the offshore environment, accurate determination of position is just as important as when one is navigating in coastal waters. While offshore, visible terrestrial landmarks are no longer available to the navigator as reference points. In the Junior Navigation course, the student will learn to substitute celestial objects such as the sun as reference points. The course begins with the study of celestial navigation, teaching the student to take sights on the sun with a marine sextant and derive a line of position from that observation. The sun represents but a single reference point, so the student will apply the principles of the running fix and be able to plot a running fix of one’s position from the sun sights. Once the student has learned the basics of celestial sight reduction, the course continues with planning, positioning, and checking one’s position in the offshore environment, using both electronic and celestial tools.

Navigation

This course is the culmination of the advanced grade courses which began with Seamanship. The course centers on a more thorough knowledge of celestial navigation and the repertoire of methods for determining position are expanded. Altitude corrections are factored into positioning calculations and methods of sight reductions are expanded. Navigational astronomy is studied in depth including the mean sun, and apparent sun, sidereal time, solar and lunar phenomena, the identification of celestial bodies and celestial mechanics. The course includes a study of great circle sailing and emergency navigation as it applies to lifeboat positioning estimating. Junior Navigation should be completed before taking this course. Approximately 26 weeks.

ELECTIVE COURSES

ENGINE MAINTENANCE

INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATION

MARINE ELECTRONICS
September 19, 2007
Detroit Yacht Club

Marine Electronics Course Description

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

WEATHER

CRUISE PLANNING

VESSEL INSPECTION

If you would like to take any of these classes contact Bob Zaleski at dps_education@comcast.net