Courses

BOATING COURSES

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Courses

Course	Date	Cost
Boating Course	September 9, 2008	$235
Marine Radio Telephone	December 16, 2008	$50
Celestial Navigation	TBA	TBA
Piloting	TBA	$125

Courses are subject to availability and subject to change without notice

Boating, Piloting and Marine Radio classes will be held at Parkland School at 10640 McDonald Park Rd, in Sidney, from 7:00 to 10:00 on Tuesday evenings. Registration should be done ahead of time if possible using our online registration form or by contacting the registrar by email at registrar@sppss.org or telephone 483-6844. Payment and distribution of texts starts at 6:30 PM on the first night of class.

Boating, Piloting and Celestial Navigation courses are a duration of 12 weeks.

For more information or to register for courses, contact the Course Registrar.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

The Boating Course

VHF

Piloting

Marine Maintenance

Fundamentals of Weather

The Boating Course

Read about the 2006 Spring Boating Course (pdf)

Read about the October 2005 Student Cruise to Otter Bay.

Read about the 2004 Boating Course (pdf)

The subjects taught in the basic Boating Course include:

Characteristics of Boats - Licensing, Registration, and Other Requirements

Mandatory Equipment - Optional Equipment - The Magnetic Compass

Preparing To Launch - Ropes, Lines and Knots - Handling a Boat Under Power

Handling a Boat Under Sail - Weather - Collision Regulations

Skipper's Responsibilities Before Setting Out - Skipper's Responsibilities When Under Way

Canadian Aids to Navigation - Emergencies - Navigation

Global Positioning and Charts - An Exercise in Conning

Introduction to Plotting - Plotting and Labeling

Cruising Single-handed - Anchors and Anchoring

Supplementary Topics - Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons

North Saanich Middle School (maximum class 30)

Marine Radio Telephone (VHF )

Learn the phonetic alphabet, as well as correct radiotelephone operating procedures.

Piloting

Prerequisite: Boating Course and current membership with CPS. A graduate of the Piloting Course will have the theoretical knowledge to be able to handle a boat in rough weather, and to deal with emergency situations.

Course content: Boating Course subjects are expanded to include Relative Bearings and the Running Fix; effects of current and leeway and new skills in marlinspike and coastal navigation are learned.

Advanced Piloting

Prerequisite: Piloting Course. You will learn advanced coastal navigation principles to enable you to know, at all times, where you are. The vessel's position can be determined by using landmarks and aids to navigation - allowing for current, leeway, tides and tidal currents.
Course content: Become familiar with charts; the compass; steering and timing a course; tides and tidal currents; effects of current and leeway; methods of determining position; Running Fixes; aids to navigation; electronic navigational aids, and the sextant.

Marine Maintenance

Read about the 2005 Marine Maintenance Course

The Maintenance Course will expand the average boat-owner's an knowledge of vessel maintenance.

Course content: Seasonal maintenance and repairs to wooden, fiberglass, and metal hulls are stressed. Sections are devoted to engines; electrical and mechanical systems; spars, rigging, and ground tackle; fire and safety protection; moorings and berths; trailers; tools and fittings.

Fundamentals of Weather

This course will enable a boater to anticipate adverse forecasts by gathering pertinent information and interpreting weather signs.

Course content: Atmosphere; clouds; pressure; wind; temperature and moisture; stability and instability; air masses; frontal weather; precipitation and fog; general circulation; tropical hurricanes and wave theory; forecasting the weather

Check out our list of books and videos that have been donated over the years by members