FLOTILLA 17 BOATING EDUCATION

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary courses provide instruction to boaters at all levels, from the fundamental to the advanced. Our courses are taught by experienced and knowledgeable instructors committed to the highest standards of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Classes are being offered by Flotilla 17 in Anacortes, Washington.  If you have any questions please contact: Greg DeVault at 206-300-3681 or email:  boating.classes@gmail.com

2010 Boating Class Schedule

ABOUT BOATING SAFELY (ABS)

If you are interested in an exciting, in-depth boating safety course, check out the in classroom (seminar) version of our popular online boating course.

This beginner boating class will give you the knowledge needed to obtain a boat license or safety certification in many states. Many boat insurance companies will offer discounts on boating insurance to boaters who successfully complete About Boating Safely.

TOPICS INCLUDE

• Introduction to Boating - Types of power boats; sailboats; outboards; paddle boats; houseboats; different uses of boats; various power boating engines; jet drives; family boating basics.
• Boating Law - Boat registration; boating regulation; hull identification number; required boat safety equipment; operating safely and reporting accidents; protecting the marine environment; Federal boat law; state boating laws; personal watercraft requirements.
• Boat Safety Equipment - Personal flotation devices ("life jackets"); fire extinguishers; sound-producing devices; visual-distress signals; dock lines and rope; first aid kit; anchors and anchor lines; other boating safety equipment.
• Safe Boating - Bow riding; alcohol and drug abuse; entering, loading, and trimming a boat; fueling portable and permanent tanks; steering with a tiller and a wheel; docking, undocking and mooring; knots; filing a float plan; checking equipment, fuel, weather and tides; using charts; choosing and using an anchor; safe PWC handling; general water safety.
• Navigation - The U.S. Aids to Navigation system; types of buoys and beacons; navigation rules (sometimes referred to as right-of-way rules); avoiding collisions; sound signals; PWC "tunnel vision."
• Boating Problems - Hypothermia; boating accidents and rescues; man overboard recovery; capsizing; running aground; river hazards; strainers: emergency radio calls; engine problems; equipment failures; carbon monoxide (CO); other boating and PWC problems.
• Trailering, Storing and Protecting Your Boat - Types of trailers; trailer brakes, lights, hitches, tires, and bearings; loading, balancing, and towing a trailer; towing (and backing) a trailer; boat launching and retrieving; boat storage and theft protection; launching, retrieving and storing a PWC.
• Hunting and Fishing, Water-skiing and River Boating - Carrying hunting gear and weapons in a boat; fishing from a boat; water-skiing safety guidelines and hand signals; water-skiing with a PWC; navigating rivers, and other boating tips.

GPS FOR MARINERS (GPS)

GPS for Mariners is a modern learning experience that focuses on the GPS equipment typically owned by the recreational boater. This course is the result of an exciting synergy between textbook's publisher, the book's author, and the Auxiliary.

The recommended presentation of the course involves inviting course participants who already own hand-held GPS units to bring them to the class, increasing interactivity of the educational experience and getting students more involved.

However, this class is so effective that even those not possessing handheld units will learn how to use a GPS for practical recreational boating.

BOATING SKILLS & SEAMANSHIP (BS&S)

The U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary's Boating Skills and Seamanship (BS&S) course is a comprehensive course designed for both the experienced and the novice boater.  The course, now in its 13^th edition published in 2007, consists of 8 core required two hour lessons plus five elective lessons, providing up-to-date knowledge for handling boats in all conditions.

TOPICS INCLUDE

• Which Boat Is For You? - Boater's language; types of boats; outboard motors and sterndrives; hull design; uses of boats; other power plants; materials for constructing boats; your intended use; the Coast Guard Customer Infoline; marine surveyors; buying a boat.

• Equipment For Your Boat - Requirements for your boat; your boat's equipment; legal considerations; substance abuse; boating accident reports; Courtesy Marine Examinations.

• Trailering Your Boat - Legal considerations; practical considerations; the towing vehicle; balancing the load; handling your trailer; pre-departure checks; preparing to launch; launching; retrieving; storing your boat and trailer; theft prevention; Zebra mussels; float plan.

• Handling Your Boat - Leave with a full tank; fueling your boat; your boat's propellor; cars and boats; twin screws; jet drives; loading your boat; getting started; leaving a pier; "man" overboard; docking; mooring to a permanent anchor; anchoring; towing a skier; heavy weather; small boat safety.

• Your "Highway" Signs - Protection of ATONs; buoyage systems; waterway marks; how waterways are marked; light characteristics; chart symbols; light structures; lights on bridges; electronic aids to navigation; a word to the wise; navigation publications.

• The Rules You Must Follow - Two sets of rules; to whom do the rules apply; what is a vessel; the general responsibility rule; general considerations; conduct in narrow channels; traffic separation schemes; vessel traffic services; stand-on or give-way; rules for special vessels; risk of collision; bend signals; restricted visibility; vessel lights and shapes; vessels at anchor; diving operations; distress signals; drawbridge signals; penalties.

• Inland Boating - Types of inland waters; inland navigation; inland seamanship; river currents; maintaining inland waterways; dams; locks; river charts; commercial traffic; before you go. (This lesson typically will not be taught in coastal courses)

• The Rest Of Our Story - Small boat safety; personal watercraft; hypothermia; motorboats and sailboats; carbon monoxide poisoning; float plan; U.S. Coast Guard District Offices; instructions for using a course plotter; metric conversion system.

• Introduction To Navigation - Piloting tools; maps and charts; chart features; your chart's general information block; other charted information; your magnetic compass; position on the earth's surface; locating a point on a chart; distance on the earth's surface; measuring distance; course plotting; sources of compass error; correcting a compass reading; positioning; speed-time-distance; dead reckoning; practice your art.

• Powering Your Boat - Types of marine engines; marine engines; selecting a propeller; induction systems; ignition systems; flame arresters; cooling systems; gasoline considerations; batteries; maintenance; winterizing your boat; spring fitting-out; troubleshooting.

• Lines & Knots For Your Boat - Line or rope; rope materials; kinds of rope; measuring rope; selecting your ropes; care of rope; making up line; knots, bends, and hitches; splices; securing lines; dipping the eye.

• Weather & Boating - Sources of weather information; wind and boating; wind and waves; understanding weather; weather and heat; fog; non-frontal weather.

• Your Boat's Radio - Radios used on boats; functions of radios; licenses; selecting your VHF-FM radio; installation; operating your VHF-FM; maintain a radio watch; channels have special purposes; some "no no's"; copies of the rules; calling another station; procedure words; phonetic alphabet; routine radio check; distress, urgency, and safety calls; crew training.

Many insurance companies will offer discounts on boat insurance to individuals who successfully complete this course.

Individuals who successfully complete the course and exam are awarded certificates and cards.

WEEKEND NAVIGATOR (NAV)

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary’s Weekend Navigation Course is a comprehensive course designed for both experienced and novice powerboat and sailboat operators. The course is divided into two major parts designed to educate the boating enthusiast in skills required for a safe voyage on a variety of waters and boating conditions. This course can be taught as a whole or as separate modules.

TOPICS INCLUDED IN PART I

• What is navigation – Three steps of navigation and piloting without electronics
• Fundamental of waypoint navigation – Practice using a sample cruise exercise, GPS, avoiding hazards, and using landmarks
• The tools of navigation – Use of nautical charts including scales, chart symbology, ATONs, plotting tools, GPS, compass, and other electronics

TOPICS INCLUDED IN PART II

• Planning with GPS and paper charts – Planning and paper charts, chart plotting, and entering waypoints into your GPS * Planning with digital charts – Using digital charts, cruise planning software, chart planning software, working with digital charts, chart plotters, and PDA’s
• Planning to avoid danger – Defining the area, marking obstacles, and marking landmarks
• Underway with GPS and paper charts – Steps in waypoint navigation, staying on course, navigating a route with GPS, navigating in a region, marking objects, and keeping track
• Underway with digital charts – Using a chart plotter underway, PDA’s and pocket PC’s, and the future of onboard computers
• Double-checking with instruments – Making quick observations and more accurate bearings
• Eye of the mariner – Use of headings, ranges, bearings, collision bearings, and rules of the road
• What to do if the GPS quits – Knowing when to stop and regroup, plan before proceeding, and navigating without GPS
• Planning as you go with GPS – Finding where you are and how to plot a safe path to a new destination
• Tides, winds, and currents – Knowledge of tides and tidal currents, adjusting for tides and tidal currents, and winds, waves, and other unpredictable events
• Navigating with radar – Range settings for recreational boaters, the radar display, collision avoidance, and navigating with radar
• Using depth in navigation – Using depth sounders versus sonars and fish finders, and navigating with depth sounders
• Using the radio in navigation – How to use a radio in an emergency, use of the weather radio, and fixed versus handheld VHF
• Using an electronic compass – Types of electronic compasses and using the electronic compass for navigation
• Using an autopilot in navigation – How to navigate with an autopilot
• Navigating harbors and channels with electronics – Importance of good visibility and operating under limited visibility
• Navigating under adverse conditions – Operating under limited visibility and influence of the wind and seas
• A last word in avoiding danger – Importance and use of electronic alarms and visual observations
• Other instrumentation in navigation – Use of weather instruments
• Connecting it all together – Basic electronic interconnection and high speed connection

Many insurance companies will offer discounts on boat insurance to individuals who successfully complete this course. Individuals who successfully complete the course and exam are awarded certificates and cards.

If you have any questions please contact: Greg DeVault at 206-300-3681 or email: boating.classes@gmail.com