The Oyster Bay Power Squadron (OBPS) will be teaching a one-day Safe Boating Course on Saturday, June 27 at the TOB Ice Rink, 1001 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage. It is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in duration so it’s not suitable for children under 14 years of age. The rink is near Exit 9, Route 135.
Pre-registration will be conducted on June 13 at the Ice Rink and June 20 at the Sagamore Yacht Club, in Oyster Bay, from 9 a.m. to noon. This will allow the students to study the material in advance of the class, which will be helpful due to the volume of material to be covered. The fee is $75 – payable at registration, and includes course materials. Further class location info will be available if needed.
Learn the fundamentals of safe boat handling and operation, and basic piloting in one comprehensive classroom course. As an additional feature, this newly revised course includes a digital chart training CD and instructional material on modern navigation techniques as well.
This course meets state specific and National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) requirements for certification; and completion of the course is accepted by most insurance companies. Since 1914, individual squadrons of USPS have provided courses, as a service to the boating public, to over 3 million boaters.
You will learn the basics of what you need to safely and comfortably go on the water with your boat. This newly revised comprehensive course includes lessons on seamanship, boat handling, boat types, rules of the road, navigation aids, regulations, adverse conditions, marine VHF radio, knots, trailering and introductory piloting. The course includes an extensive course book, training charts, and basic navigation tools. As a special feature it also includes an introduction to digital charting on CD-ROM in an appendix, and an overview of electronic navigation. Maptech’s Chart Navigator Training CD includes software and digital charts to gain familiarity with this exciting new technology.
Many of today’s recreational boaters utilize GPS receivers and perform electronic, waypoint navigation. Waypoint navigation using a handheld GPS is somewhat different from traditional dead reckoning. With a GPS you have good information about where you are in terms of latitude and longitude, but the GPS doesn’t tell you what is around you or beneath your boat. Using waypoints, you have precise information about the bearing and distance from your current location to the waypoints, but the GPS doesn’t know what may be in the way. The use of charts is explained in this course as the essential step to provide key information required for safe passage.
It will be a long but worthwhile day, so please bring your own snacks and beverages. Good luck.
Happy boating in safety and good health.
