MEMBER COURSES

One of the main goals of HSPS is “boating safety through education” – we believe that an educated boater is a safer boater. In addition to its public education program, HSPS teaches a series of outstanding members-only courses that cover advanced seamanship, navigational techniques, and boat handling, maintenance, and enhancement topics. Learn how to become a member of HSPS and take any or all of these courses.

Effective January 1, 2010, Houston Sail and Power Squadron, a unit of the United States Power Squadrons (USPS), began preparing to offer the complete range of nationally recognized USPS boating courses (previously available only to USPS members) to the PUBLIC!!! For more information on these courses, including class schedules and any pre-reqs, please contact Rick Fisher at 281-734-4443.

FALL 2010 MEMBER CLASS SCHEDULE

Course	Class Day, and Registration Date	Instructor	Books and Tuition
Piloting	Monday, September 20th	Scott McDonald	$80.00
Engine Maintenance	Tuesday, September 21st	Bill Fussell	$50.00
Junior Navigation	Thursday, September 23rd	Bob Smith & Ozzie Osborne	$85.00

 

Advanced Grade Courses

Five Advanced Grade courses are offered by USPS.  They are designed to be taken in sequence because each builds on skills taught in the previous course.

• Seamanship covers basic deck seamanship, marlinspike (knots and ropes), anchoring and rafting, basic boat care and maintenance, and nautical and USPS customs and etiquette.
• Piloting is the first and most basic navigation course, covering chart reading, course plotting, and basic coastal or inland navigation, including basic GPS usage. This course goes into more detail than the charting information covered in the public courses.
• Advanced Piloting covers more advanced coastal navigation techniques, navigation in tides and currents, and more advanced GPS usage.
• Junior Navigation teaches the basics of offshore navigation, including basic celestial navigation using the sun and offshore course planning.
• Navigation is the most advanced navigation course taught by USPS, covering more advanced celestial navigation techniques, emergency navigation, and additional sight reduction techniques.

Elective Courses

Six Elective Courses are offered by USPS.  They cover separate and independent topics and therefore may be taken in any order according to a member’s interests and time.

• Engine Maintenance covers the operating principles and basic care and maintenance of outboard and inboard engines, including diesels.
• Marine Electronics covers installation and maintenance of both boat electrical systems (AC and DC) and marine electronics (VHF radio, radar, GPS, etc).
• Cruise Planning covers topics of interest for someone planning a cruise – whether for just a weekend or for a year – including preparation and planning, anchoring, security, chartering, and cruising outside the US.
• Weather covers weather forecasting and reading weather patterns on-board.
• Sail covers everything from the basic elements of how a sailboat works to sail trim, rig tuning, and sailboat racing.
• Instructor Development teaches effective communication skills for not only USPS instructors but everyone, covering various methods of presenting information to others, effective use of audiovisual aids (including PowerPoint), etc.

HSPS Four Year Member Course Schedule
	Course	Year 2010 – Spring	Year 2010 – Fall	Year 2011 – Spring	Year 2011 – Fall	Year 2012 – Spring	Year 2012 – Fall	Year 2013 – Spring	Year 2013 – Fall
Advanced Grades	Seamanship	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
	Piloting		X		X		X		X
	Advanced Piloting	X		X		X		X
	Jr. Navigation				X				X
	Navigation			X			X
Electives	Cruise Planning					X			X
	Weather		X				X
	Engine Maintenance				X				X
	Marine Electronics	X	X	X				X
	Sail			X				X
	Marlinspike		X			X
	Instructor Development	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X

 

For more information on member courses, or to sign up, please call Rick Fisher at (281) 734-4443 or email Rick