Member Boating Courses

ADVANCED GRADES

The SEAMANSHIP course has as its primary purpose to provide basic information of boating to people who have had little or no experience on the water. Knowledgeable boatmen, however, will find this course quite valuable as a refresher course. The material covered in “S” applies to both motorboats and sailboats. The course includes instruction in “marlinspike seamanship” to develop a working knowledge of knots, bends, hitches, and splices.

For information contact Bill Morris @ 314-576-2887 or E-mail him.

The PILOTING course is a broad introductory course which prepares USPS members for further studies in the Advanced Grades program. Topics covered include Safety Afloat, Charting, Piloting, Rules of the Road, Manners and Customs, and Radiotelephone.

For information contact Gus Elia @ 636-462-4655 or E-mail him.

The ADVANCED PILOTING course covers the basic principles and more important practices of pilotage, including modern electronic methods. The lessons are of great interest and practical value to the small boat skipper because much of the knowledge can be applied at once to the use of his or her own boat. “AP” includes a thorough study of the mariner’s compass and its errors. The student is instructed in the use of government publications concerned with piloting. Students learn how to determine the height of the tide at any specified time. Further instruction is given in the use of charts, in the laying of courses, and in the determination of position by bearings, angles, and soundings. The use of GPS is learned and used in this course. The “Educational Proficiency Award” is given for completion of AP and any three elective courses.

For information contact Ed Bialecke @ 314-432-7707 or E-mail him.

JUNIOR NAVIGATION This is the first of a two-course program of Offshore Navigation for the recreational boater in which 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. The subject matter is much the same as that required by a junior officer of the navigation department aboard ship. Here the student leaves the familiar environs of Chart 1210TR and ventures forth onto the trackless oceans where his only aids to navigation are the heavenly bodies. Precise plotting, a major phase of the navigator’s work, is emphasized. The student is taught the “Sailings,” the mathematical counterpart of plotting, developing the concept of the sphericity of the earth. 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 learned in Advanced Piloting, 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.

For information contact Ed Bialecke @ 314-432-7707 or E-mail him.

NAVIGATION After Junior Navigation, this course is the second part of the study of offshore navigation, further developing the student's understanding of celestial navigation theory. The course covers:

Additional sight-reduction techniques
Honing skills in sight taking and positioning
Orderly methods for the navigator's day's work at sea
Navigating with minimal resources, as in a lifeboat

For information contact Ed Bialecke @ 314-432-7707 or E-mail him.

ELECTIVE COURSES

The WEATHER course is concerned with what the weather is all about and how its many variations can be predicted. Throughout the course, the student is encouraged to make observations and predictions on his or her own, so that principles learned in class may be applied to activities on the water.

For information contact Terry Elia @ 636-462-4655 or E-mail her.

The SAIL course is proof that the USPS is not just for the motorboat skipper! It covers sail terminology, types of rigs and hulls, the theory of sailing with emphasis on the balance of hull and sails, stability, and other related topics.

For information contact Gus Elia @ 636-462-4655 or E-mail him.

MARINE ELECTRONICS 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.

For information contact Charlie Jones @ 636-391-8258 or E-mail him.

ENGINE MAINTENANCE familiarizes students with the general construction, operating principles, and simple maintenance of marine gasoline and diesel engines, including outboard motors. Because one of the major objectives of the course is to make the skipper a self-reliant and effective trouble-shooter, the diagnosis of all types of engine troubles is emphasized. “EM” is not intended to produce trained mechanics, only well informed and resourceful users of marine engines.

For information contact Don Campbell @ 636-462-4655 or E-mail him.

CRUISE PLANNING This course was developed by experienced skippers of power and sailboats who have cruised rivers, lakes, coastal areas, and offshore. This material will help all who cruise to be thoroughly prepared for short trips of a few days, or extended voyages of several months. Topics include planning and financing, equipping the vessel, crew selection, and provisioning. Also included are navigational planning, monitoring of weather communications, entering foreign ports, anchoring, and voyage management.
Procedures to handle emergencies afloat, such as dismasting or loss of engine(s), are discussed. Medical emergencies that can be dealt with by the average boater are also covered.

For information contact Bill Morris @ 314-576-2887 or E-mail him.

INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATION COURSE This course can be of great value to members who would like to teach, yet hesitate due to lack of experience; as well as for those who already teach and would like to increase their classroom effectiveness. It is also of value to persons other than instructors, providing guidance in preparing and conducting meetings; as well as in the making of all types of presentations. Also covered is the use of many types of visual aids.

For information contact Ed Bialecke @ 314-432-7707 or E-mail him.