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Advanced Classes Advanced Grades courses are designed to be taken in sequence, beginning with Seamanship or Piloting and progressing through Seamanship, Piloting, Advanced Piloting, Junior Navigation and Navigation.Seamanship (10 weeks for 2 modules)
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Piloting (12 weeks)
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 (17 weeks)
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:
Review of skills learned in Piloting
Advanced positioning techniques such as advancing a line of position
Other electronics: radar, depth sounders, autopilots, chartplotters, laptop
computer software, etc.
Hazard avoidance techniques using electronics (e.g., “keep out” zones in GPS)
Collision avoidance using radar and GPS
Working with tides: clearances, depth, effects of current
Piloting with wind and currents
The “Seaman’s Eye” – simple skills for checking that one is on course
Junior Navigation (28 weeks)
This course is the first 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 following: 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 of the techniques of accurate time determination, use of
the nautical almanac, how to "reduce" sights to establish lines of position, use
of special charts, plotting sheets, and other navigational data for offshore
positioning and passage planning.
Navigation (28 weeks)
This is the second part of
the study of offshore navigation. It further develops understanding of celestial
navigation theory and essential shortcut emergency methods. Navigation
introduces additional sight reduction techniques and develops greater skill and
precision in sight taking, positioning, and orderly methods of carrying on the
day's work of navigation 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.
Also see the Elective Classes.
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