Marine Navigation Course (Piloting)

Marine Navigation (Piloting) is the first course in the sequence of USPS courses on navigation, covering the basics of coastal and inland navigation.

Marine Navigation – (P)

Advanced Marine Navigation – (AP)

Offshore Navigation – (JN)

Celestial Navigation – (N)

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. The course includes many in-class exercises, developing the student’s skills through hands-on practice and learning. Ten classes of two hours each normally are scheduled for presentation of this course. In addition the students have seven days to complete the open book exam. 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.

The Marine Navigation (Piloting) course instructors are Hugh Blair-Smith and Nick Vandemoer.  The sessions will be taught via ZOOM weekly on Tuesday evenings from 1900 to 2100 hours.  There will be 10 class sessions followed by a 1 week take home open book exam.  The first session will be on October 26th.  No class on December 21 or 28.  The exams will be distributed on January 11 and returned on January 18, 2022.

In-person sessions may be scheduled if necessary to assist with hands-on plotting exercises.

Member price is $120, non-member price is $180.

Register for this class using the ABClub/USPS website class registration system at this link:

https://americasboatingclub.org/find-a-course-near-you