Showing all 5 results

Sarasota Power & Sail Squadron Boating Courses
Select options

Boat Handling

$ 75.00 – $ 110.00

Boat Handling

NOTE: Please register 2 weeks before the start of the class if you wish a paper textbook.

Build boating confidence and competence for safe and fun on-the-water adventures. Boat Handling provides a foundation of knowledge and skills in boat handling and maneuvering, boat operation, skipper’s responsibilities, and boating techniques that will advance your boating enjoyment.

Learn the types of boats, knots, and boat handling in varying sea conditions. Prerequisite: ABC Boat Safety class. This course is normally completed in 7 two-hour sessions: six sessions of study, one session of review and exam.

NOTE: Please register 2 weeks before the start of the class if you wish a paper textbook.

Instructor: Mike Wedge, captwedge1@gmail.com, 941-951-6806

2023
October 31, 2023, 1820-2030 Tuesdays and Thursdays for 7 classes
2024
January 30, 2024 1830-2030 Tuesdays and Thursdays for 7 classes
April 30, 2024  1830-2030 Tuesdays and Thursdays for 7 classes
Sarasota Power & Sail Squadron Boating Courses
Select options

Marine Navigation

$ 100.00 – $ 150.00

Marine Navigation

Learn the essentials of safe coastal and inland navigation using basic GPS in conjunction with charts and other marine data.  The Marine Navigation course teaches you how to use the GPS along with traditional dead reckoning techniques for planning and laying out safe routes, as well as ensuring that you are on-course while underway.

 

2023: September 18, 2023, 1830-2100  Mondays, 10 Sessions

2024: January 15, 2024, 1830-2100  Mondays, 10 Sessions
Sarasota Power & Sail Squadron Boating Courses
Select options

Advanced Marine Navigation

$ 100.00 – $ 150.00

Advanced Marine Navigation

You are invited to attend the 2022 Advanced Marine Navigation class.

Advanced Marine Navigation is the second in the sequence of USPS courses on navigation. It continues to build coastal and inland navigation skill, allowing you 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 Marine Navigation, the course includes many in-class exercises, advancing your skill through hands-on practice and learning.

Topics covered include:

•      Review of skills learned in Marine Navigation

•      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

Advanced registration is required so that adequate materials may be ordered.  Cost of the course for USPS members is $100.00 or $150 for nonmembers

To register, contact me at 941-400-6467 or albur103a@gmail.com.  You may also register on-line at Sarasota-boating.org but please call or email me if you do.

Al Burmeister

September 7, 2023, 1830-2030 Thursdays, 11 Sessions

11 Sessions.  Successful completion of Marine Navigation is a prerequisite.

 

Sarasota Power & Sail Squadron Boating Courses
Select options

Offshore Navigation

$ 100.00 – $ 150.00

Offshore Navigation

What happens when your GPS fails? Have fun and satisfy your curiosity about boating in the days before electronics in the Offshore Navigation course.  Learn to use a marine sextant to take sights on celestial objects such as the sun.  Even if you are not traveling long distances offshore, remember that GPS is not infallible, nor always available.  Be confident when no aids to navigation or land objects are in sight.

In Offshore Navigation, you will continue to use GPS as the primary position sensor as you learned in Marine Navigation and Advanced Marine Navigation, but with celestial navigation as your backup technique. Because terrestrial landmarks are no longer visible to the offshore navigator, you will learn to use a marine sextant and the sun as your reference point, derive a line of position, and develop a running fix. You will also learn to calculate your latitude from a noon sight on the sun.

This interesting and challenging course emphasizes the practical aspects of daytime celestial navigation. You will also learn to prepare a sight folder that documents your positioning skills using sights taken on the sun. The course will take approximately 13 weeks to complete and you will have two additional weeks to complete an open book exam.

Course Requirements- Prior Completion of Marine Navigation and Advanced Marine Navigation

Instructor: Ed Fisch 941-923-5277 edcar2@aol.com

2023

September 13, 2023 900-1100 Wed 13 Sessions

13 sessions

 

Sarasota Power & Sail Squadron Boating Courses
Select options

Celestial Navigation

$ 100.00 – $ 150.00

Celestial Navigation

Learn navigation using all the celestial bodies! Use navigational software tools to plan and execute an offshore voyage. In the event of a loss of electronics on board, you’ll be glad you took this course and developed the necessary backup skills for an offshore voyage. Even if you have no plans to travel offshore, you will be able to impress your boating friends with your depth of celestial knowledge.

The Celestial Navigation course will teach you how to use the moon, planets, and stars to determine your position at morning and evening twilight to supplement daytime sights on the sun, moon, and bright planets. You will also get access to and use navigational software tools that can be used to plan and execute any voyage.

Course Requirements- Prior Completion of Marine Navigation, Advanced Marine Navigation & Coastal Navigation

Advanced Registration Required

Instructor: TBD

No class scheduled at this time