St. Petersburg Sail & Power Squadron

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?

Go to our web site: http://www.boating-stpete.org

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.

Seamanship
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.
Piloting
Piloting is the first course in the sequence of USPS courses on navigation, covering the basics of coastal and inland navigation. This 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.

Advanced Piloting
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.

Junior Navigation
Junior Navigation is the first in a two-part program of study in offshore navigation, followed by the Navigation course. It is designed as a practical “how to” course. Subject matter includes:
Precise time determination

Use of the Nautical Almanac

Taking sextant sights of the sun

Reducing sights to establish lines of position

Special charts and plotting sheets for offshore navigation

Offshore navigational routines for recreational craft

Navigation
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.

Boat Operator Certification Program
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:

Inland Navigator (IN): Inland & protected waters, fair weather & daylight, < 23’ outboard power boat. 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. Cruise Planning 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. Engine Maintenance 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. Instructor Development Instructor Development provides you with practical techniques and training in making effective presentations - whether as a teacher, meeting chair, public speaker, or everyday conversationalist. Leadership Development 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. Marine Electronics 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.

And much more.

Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month (except July and August) upstairs at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club starting at 1900 (7:00 PM). The address is 11 Central Avenue, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Yacht Club Phone: 727-822-3873. Click here for a map and driving directions