Advanced Grade classes are taken after completing the ABC3 course. They are offered to members and non-members alike, and may be taken in any order, although certain courses build on what you have already learned in previous courses, so it is to your advantage to take Seamanship, Piloting, Advanced Piloting, Junior Navigation and Navigation in that order. Course pricing (which includes books) is subject to change; the current course prices as of Jan 1, 2016 are:
Seamanship - members - $67, non-members $98
Piloting - members - $79, non-members $116
Advanced Piloting - members -$59, non-members - $87
Junior Navigation – members - $101, non-members - $148
Navigation – members $185, non-members - $294
Marine Electrical Systems – members $55, non-members - $81
Marine Communication Systems – members $51, non-members - $77
Weather – members $69, non-members - $106
Sail– members $55, non-members - $81
Engine Maintenance – members $55, non-members - $81
Cruise Planning – members $64, non-members - $96
Seamanship
A natural first/next step in building a foundation of confidence and competence for safe and enjoyable boating. It extends the knowledge and skills of the boater in handling and maneuvering a vessel, either sail or power. The course provides a better understanding of how boats behave under various conditions including close quarters and open water operations. Knowledge and skills are increased in the areas of anchoring, emergencies, rules of the road, and marlinspike/basic knots.
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. This course includes many in-class exercise, developing the student’s skills through hands-on practice and learning.
Advanced Piloting
The second in the sequence of USPS courses on navigation. It continues to build upon coastal and inland navigation skills, allowing the student to take on more challenging conditions—unfamiliar waters, limited visibility, and extended cruises. GPS is embraced as the 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.
Junior Navigation
In this course the student leaves the familiar coastal waters he learned to navigate in Advanced Piloting and ventures into waters out of sight of land where the primary means of navigation is GPS with celestial navigation as a backup. The use and care of the marine sextant is taught. Celestial sights are taken on the upper and lower limbs of the sun. Use of the Nautical Almanac to determine the position of the body is taught. The sights are then reduced and plotted as a running fix. Instruction is given in route planning, including the use of various charts, planning for electronics and other navigational tasks, wind and current, and navigation while underway, in preparation for an extended offshore cruise. The last chapter is a practice cruise taken to prepare the student for the final exam.
Senior Navigation
This course deals with global navigation, celestial and electronic. An introduction to Navigational Astronomy is taught as well as determining the time of sunrise and sunset. This is in preparation for the taking of sights which include lines of position of the sun, moon, a planet, a star, a two body fix, and a meridian transit of the sun. The sights are reduced and plotted by the Law of Cosines method and also the Nautical Sight Reduction method, a tabular method which requires only addition and subtraction. Sight planning is covered with a new computer tool called Celestial tools. Route planning is covered using a downloaded program called Visual Passage Planner 2. Also included is a complete suite of Cap’n software, 10 CD’s displaying charts of every area in the United States. The final chapter is a practice cruise that prepares the student for the final exam.
Engine Maintenance
This course stresses the diagnosis of modern systems, while also teaching the basics of engine layout and operation. Gasoline inboards, outboards, and diesel engines are taught in a way that reinforces the common aspects of how engines work. Modern engines offer high reliability and good performance through the use of computerized systems for fuel delivery and engine timing. Most of these systems are “black boxes” that can no longer be serviced by weekend mechanics with ordinary tools. The engine maintenance course covers those repairs that do-it-yourselfers can still perform, teaches how to diagnose problems that might be beyond one’s ability to fix, and how to share information with your mechanic so the right repairs get performed. Also covered in this course are basic mechanical systems such as drive systems (propellers), steering systems and engine controls.
Marine Electrical Systems
Starts with an explanation of what electricity is, followed by discussions on boat electrical wiring, DC and DC electrical systems, galvanic and stray current corrosion, lightning protection, and troubleshooting of boat electrical problems. This course includes detailed instructions on how to use a multimeter, how to solder and crimp electrical wiring circuits, and how to read electrical wiring diagrams. This course can be used as a reference guide for anyone interested in properly maintaining their boat’s electrical system.
Sail
Serves the needs of the novice and experienced sailor, as well as the non-sailor, for basic skills and knowledge. The course starts with basic sailboat designs and nomenclature, rigging, safety, and sail processes and then tackles the physical aspects of sailing forces and techniques, sail applications, marlinespike, helmsmanship and handling of more difficult sailing conditions, navigation rules, and an introduction to heavy weather sailing.
Weather
The safety and comfort of those who venture out on the water have always been weather dependent. In this course students will become keener observers of the weather, but weather observations only have meaning in the context of the basic principles of meteorology—the science of the atmosphere. The course focuses on how weather systems form, behave, move, and interact with one another and reflects the availability of all sorts of weather reports and forecasts on the Internet.
Cruise Planning
Planning and financing a long-term cruise. All aspects of the cruise will be discussed including required and suggested equipment, tools, spare parts, supplies, food, and crew selection. An overview of other USPS courses shows how each relates to your voyage.