America's Boating Course
America's
Boating Course is the latest public boating course
offered by USPS to the general boating community. You may be familiar with
our prior courses such as The Squadron Boating Course, Boat
Smart, the original America's Boating Course, or Chart
Smart.
America's Boating Course - 3rd Edition is all new with a
completely updated manual, outstanding graphics, and two bonus CDs. The
course manual is divided into five chapters. The first four cover the
required topics that all recreational boaters must know. In addition to
the rules of the road, the four chapters cover the various types of boats,
required safety equipment, navigation aids, lights and sounds, anchoring,
communications afloat, adverse conditions, water sports safety, trailering,
personal water craft safety, and knots and lines. The fifth chapter
provides an introduction to digital charts and GPS waypoint navigation, a
key skill for boating on larger lakes and rivers and coastal waters. This
optional fifth chapter provides the background for more advanced piloting
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When you take
the course you receive two bonus CDs. The CD utilizes guided instruction and numerous video and
audio clips to provide basic boating safety information. In addition to the
Courseware CD, the second CD, from Maptech, Inc., provides software and sample
digital charts so the techniques involved with waypoint and route planning may
be learned. Up to date, free digital charts are now available from a number of
sources, such as the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. By downloading the latest digital
charts for your area and by using Maptech’s Chart Navigator software,
waypoints and routes may be created at home, then uploaded to your GPS prior to
getting aboard.
To sign up for America's Boating Course call or email either Nick Chronis
(985)674-2687 nicholaschronis@bellsouth.net
or Bill Dietrich (985)626-9730 billd1@bellsouth.net. This course is recognized
by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), and by
the United States Coast Guard. It is accepted by most states as meeting
their requirements for getting a safety certificate, required in most states for
operation of a water craft.
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