Wilmington Power Squadron's
Educational Opportunities

Basic Boating      Advanced     Elective     Home Study     Other

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2011 Schedule

 Basic Boating Certification Course  (an introductory course)

This is an introductory course where students learn boating safety, "rules of the road", charting, and other valuable information necessary to safely enjoying pleasure boating.  This course is required for children under 16 in order to operate a personal watercraft (PWC). 

The Boating Certification Course is only the introduction to the wealth of information available to members of WPS.  Upon successfully completing the Boating Certification Course and becoming a member of the WPS, you are eligible to attend the many educational opportunities available outlined as Advanced courses, Elective Courses, and even some Home Study courses.

This course teaches the basics of boating safety in four two-hour sessions ending in a certification exam for states MD, DE, PA, and NJ during the last session. Three dates, times and locations for this Certification class are:

Start Date	Frequency	Times (in Military Time)	Location
March 22,  2012	Four consecutive weeks	1900 - 2100	Kennett Square - TBD
April 3, 2012	Four consecutive weeks	1900 - 2100	A. I. du Pont High School
April 19, 2012	Four consecutive weeks	1900 - 2100	McKean High School

Your pre-registration for all classes and seminars is appreciated, but not mandatory.  Registration may be in advance or on site the first night of class. Click here to download the pre-registration form.
 

 Piloting Course

This 16 hour eight week course is the first in the sequence of USPS courses on navigation cover-ing the basics of coastal and inland navigation. The course is new with principal focus on navigation as it is done on recreational boats today by integrating GPS as a primary tool and covering enough of traditional techniques so the student will be able to fine their way if the GPS fails. Skills are developed by the student through hands on practice and learning. Topics 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 bearing and dead reckoning
• The “Seaman's Eye"- simple skills for checking that one is on course
   

This course starts on 1 February 2011 beginning 1900 at A. I. du Pont High School.
Members wishing to refresh their “P” grade knowledge are invited to audit any and all class sessions.

Your pre-registration for all classes and seminars is appreciated, but not mandatory.  Registration may be in advance or on site the first night of class.

 If you are interested in any of the above courses or the other courses listed below, please contact our Educational Officer, Jim Robinson or at 610-444-5155.

Advanced Courses

The Advanced Courses listed below are for members of the United States Power Squadrons ®. Click here to find out how to join Wilmington Power Squadron.

Seamanship (S) 101 &102

Seamanship builds on the basics taught in the Basic Boating Course provides and is recommended as the 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, among other topics.  This course provides a needed introduction to the USPS® educational program and a strong foundation for the member going on to take other Advanced Grade courses and/or Cruise Planning or Sail.

S101 & S102 are required to achieve the grade of SEAMAN. This is the only Advanced Grade Course that discusses the operation of small boats and provides the foundation for a rewarding educational experience for new and current members. Either module can be taken first, but S101 is recommended.

Piloting (P)

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
• The “Seaman’s Eye” – simple skills for checking that one is on course
• Bearings, dead reckoning, and other traditional navigation techniques
  

Advanced Piloting (AP)

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, chart plotters, 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:

• Review of skills learned in Piloting
• Advanced positioning techniques such as advancing a line of position
• Other electronics: radar, depth sounders, autopilots, chart plotters, laptop computer software, etc.
• Hazard avoidance techniques using electronics (eg, “keep out” zones in GPS)
• Collision avoidance using radar and GPS
• Navigating in tidal waters: clearances, depth, effects of current
• Compensating for wind and current when planning courses
• The “Seaman’s Eye” – simple skills for checking that one is on course
  

Junior Navigation (JN)

This course is the first part of a two part program of study in offshore (open ocean) navigation.   It is designed as a practical "how to" course leaving the theoretical and more advanced techniques for the Navigation course.  The subject matter includes: the basic concepts of celestial navigation, how to use the mariner's sextant to take sights of the sun, moon, planets, and stars; the importance and techniques of accurate time determination; use of the nautical almanac; how to "reduce" sights to establish lines of position (LOPS); and the use of special charts, plotting sheets, and other navigational data for offshore positioning and passage planning.
Prerequisite:   Seamanship, Piloting, and Advanced Piloting

Navigation (N)

This course is the second part of the study of offshore navigation.   It further develops the students understanding of celestial navigation theory, essential to shortcut emergency methods.  The student is introduced to additional sight reduction techniques and develops greater skill and precision work of the navigator at sea.  Of particular interest and importance is the study of offshore navigation using minimal data and/or equipment, such as when on a disabled vessel or lifeboat.
Prerequisite:   Seamanship, Piloting, Advanced Piloting, and Junior Navigation

Home Study or supplemental courses

Supplemental programs have been developed to extend member's knowledge in fields related to boating.  Subjects have been selected in areas about which members have expressed interest such as:

Additionally, Skipper Saver is a program of great benefit to family members in case the skipper is disabled, covering fundamentals of boat operation, radio procedure, how to get home, and how to help in case of medical emergencies. 

These specialized home study guides may be ordered through your Squadron Education Officer or by you directly from he USPS Ships Store at USPS headquarters.   You may take any of these you wish and in any order, there are no prerequisites

Other

We have a safety video, professionally produced, entitled "Seamanship under Adverse Conditions". Here's a MS Word document describing how WPS made this USPS teaching video.

Prior to leaving on a boating trip, whether for a afternoon, day, or longer, file a float plan.