PUBLIC BOATING COURSES:
America's Boating Course
This course will bring a higher level of safety and enjoyment of boating to both new and experienced boaters. The material includes an extensive text along with a bonus companion CD. A digital chart navigator CD is also included for the second part of the text that covers an introduction to charts, digital charts and plotting skills. This class covers the following topics:

Boating Safety
Required Safety Equipment
Boating Laws
Aids to Navigation
Navigation Rules
Nautical Charts and Electronic Navigation
Communications Afloat
Boats and Trailers
PWC Operation
Knots and Lines

This course meets Texas Parks and Wildlife Boating Certification Requirements. State certification fee is an additional $10.00.

For more information and to register for the course contact:
Robert Weber, 361-758-8964 or
Frank Vogelsang, 361-758-0885 or
Wendy Hoger, 360-280-1204

USPS UNIVERSITY SEMINARS
The seminars are taught in a two hour format and cover a broad range of topics. They are scheduled at different times throughout the year and include valuable take-away guides. If you or your group are interested in presenting any of these seminars at one of your functions please contact Robert Weber, 361-758-8964 or Frank Vogelsang, 361-758-0885, for more information. The seminar topics include:

Advanced Powerboat Handling
Anchoring
Basic Coastal Navigation
Boat Handling under Power
How to Use a Chart
Hurricanes and Boats
Knots, Bends and Hitches
Marine RADAR
Mariner's Compass
Onboard Weather Forecasting
Paddle Smart
Sail Trim and Rig Tuning
Trailering Your Boat
Using GPS
Using VHF & VHF/DSC Marine Radio

ADVANCED GRADE COURSES: (Now being offered to non-members also)
The five Advanced Grade courses are desisgned to be taken in sequence and build on the skills taught in the previous course. For more information and to register for these courses contact: Robert Weber, 361-758-8964 or Frank Vogelsang, 361-758-0885

Seamanship - Next Class will follow America's Boating Course
Building on the basics of recreational boating presented in the public boating courses, Seamanship adds foundational information for continuing boater education. The course contents will 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. Tuition includes USPS Seamanship Manual and the textbook "One Minute Guide to the Nautical Rules of the Road".

Piloting - Next Class will follow Seamanship
Piloting is the first of the navigational classes focusing on techniques for piloting a boat in coastal and inland conditions. The course emphasizes planning and checking along with the use of GPS for determining position, and introduces digital charting along with traditional charting, compass and dead reckoning skills. Plotting, labeling, use of the compass, aids to navigation and a host of related topics are included in this all new approach to coastal and inland piloting.

Advanced Piloting - Next Class will follow Piloting
This course is the final part of the inland and coastal navigation series. The material continues to build on the base developed in Piloting, and includes practical use of additional electronic navigation systems and other advanced techniques for finding position. It is such a change from the previous AP course, it will be worthwhile for those already having taken AP to tune their skills with this new course. Among topics covered are: Finding position using bearings and angles, Collision avoidance using GPS, and RADAR; What to do when the electronics fail; Tides, currents and wind and their effect on piloting; Electronic navigation with - GOS, Chart plotters, RADAR, Autopilots, etc.; Application of course lectures through practical, in class, exercises. The course can ordered with or without the Weekend Navigator but students must have a copy, as this is the course text. The 1210TR chart is included in the Student Kit.

Junior Navigation
Junior Navigation is the first of a two-part program of study in offshore (open coast) navigation. It is designed as a practical, how-to-course. Subject matter includes: basic concepts of celestial navigation; how to use the mariner's sextant to take sights of the sun; the importance and techniques of accurate time determination; use of the Nautical Almanac; how to reduce sights to establish lines of position (LOPs); and the use of special charts, plotting sheets and other navigational data for offshore positioning and passage planning.

Navigation
This is the second part of the study of offshore navigation and is the companion course to JN07. The student is introduced to additional sight reduction techniques for the moon, planets, and stars, and develops greater skill and precision in sight taking, positioning and the orderly methods of carrying on the day's work of a navigator at sea. Of particular interest and importance is the study of electronic offshore navigation planning and execution using PC-based software (included). The Student Kit includes the Student Manual, required PC software (Maptech Captain & Visual Passage Planner), and SR, CLS, and other forms and charts.

ELECTIVE COURSES
The six Elective Courses offered by USPS cover can be taken in any order. Each course covers a specific topic and may be taken as a group class or as a self study. The topics covered are:

Weather includes forecasting and reading weather patterns.

Marine Electronics covers installation and maintenance of both AC and DC boat electrical systems

Engine Maintenance covers the operation and maintenance of both outboard and inboards engines, including diesels.

Sail includes reading the wind, sail trim, rig tuning and racing.

Cruise Planning is for anyone planning a cruise whether it is for a weekend or a year. It includes preparation, anchoring, security, chartering, and cruising outside the US.

Instructor Development teaches effective communication skills. Topics include organizing and presenting information, and making effective use of several types of audiovisual aids.