NCHome | Marine Commercial | About

The United States Power Squadrons(r) offers marine education

Find a squadron near you if you are not in the Knoxville, TN area.

Courses offered in classes, on-line or on your own include:

  • SEQUENCED COURSES WITH PREREQUISITES:
    1)America’s Boating Course
    *Types of boats and their uses
    *Boating laws, both federal and state
    *Safety equipment, both required and recommended
    *Finding your way, and adverse conditions
    *Communications
    *Trailering, knots and lines, and water sports topics
    2) or 3) Seamanship
    *Types of boats and how they behave on the water
    *Anchoring in various conditions
    *Docking and line handling
    *Close quarter maneuvering
    *Rules of the road
    *Communication with other boats
    *How to respond to various emergencies
    3) or 2) Piloting
    *Charts and their interpretation
    *Landmarks and navigation aids
    *Plotting courses
    *The mariner's compass
    *Use of GPS - basic GPS displays
    *Pre-planning courses
    *Monitoring progress and determining position
    4) Advanced Piloting
    *Advancing a line of position to obtain a fix
    *Radar, depth sounders, autopilots
    *Chart plotters, laptop computer software
    *Hazard avoidance techniques using electronics
    *Collision avoidance using radar, GPS, and AIS
    *Piloting in various wind and current conditions
    5) Junior Navigation
    *Determining precise time
    *Using the Nautical Almanac
    *Taking sextant sights of the sun
    *Reducing sights to establish lines of position
    *Determining latitude from a noon sight
    *Offshore navigational routines
    6) Navigation
    *How the celestial bodies appear on Earth
    *Local mean time of solar and lunar phenomena
    *Reducing sights of the moon, stars, and
    *Achieving acceptable 2- and 3-body fixes
    *Determining latitude from a sight on Polaris
    *Provisioning an emergency navigation kit

    United States Power Squadrons website
    Knoxville Power Squadron website 1
    Knoxville Power Squadron website 2
    Knoxville Power Squadron Facebook page
  • ELECTIVE COURSES:
    Electronic Navigation (AP helpful at least P suggested)
    *Navigating by establishing waypoints and routes
    *Running the planned courses
    *Electronic charting software for the desktop
    *Tablet/smartphone navigation apps
    *Using charting software and a chart plotter
    *Overview Automatic Identification System (AIS)
    Engine Maintenance
    *Engine layout/operation gasoline and diesels
    *Basic mechanical systems such as drive systems
    *Repairs that do-it-yourselfers can perform
    *Diagnose problems that might be beyond you
    *How to share information with your mechanic
    Marine Electrical Systems
    *Boat electrical wiring practices
    *(DC) and (AC) power
    *Galvanic and stray current corrosion
    *Lightning protection
    *Troubleshooting & *Multimeter
    *How to read electrical wiring diagrams
    Marine Communications Systems
    *Radio history, VHF and *GMDSS
    *FCC rules and radio licenses
    *Radiotelephone operating procedures
    *Long-range radio communications
    Weather
    *How weather systems form, behave, and move
    *Where to get weather reports and forecasts
    *Photographs and drawings of weather in the US
    *Using Daily Weather Maps - learning aids
    *Understanding NOAA’s Sky Watcher Chart
    Sail
    *Types of sailboat rigs and hull shapes
    *Wind and water forces stability and balance
    *Sail shape and tuning the standing rig
    *Sailing upwind, downwind and spinnaker
    *Heavy weather sailing and storm conditions
    Cruise Planning (AP helpful at least P suggested)
    *Boat and equipment & *Anchors and anchoring
    *Security and *Chartering
    *Cruising outside the United States
    *Crew and provisioning
    *Voyage management
    *Communications and *Navigation
    *Weather and *Emergencies

    ONE-DAY SEMINARS are available on many topics like: Boat Handling Under Power, Advanced Power Boat Handling, Boating on Rivers Locks and Lakes, Marine Radar, Sail Trim and Rig Tuning

NTSB REPORT EXCERPTS:

NTSB/MSR-17/01, 83 page report go.usa.gov/x9Mpc references 122 page, A Guide for Multiple Use Waterway Management watersafetycongress.org/Guide

Findings:

1. Harbor safety committees can substantively improve safety between commercial and recreational vessels if risks are regularly identified, practices are developed and implemented to mitigate these risks, and these practices are shared with stakeholders and other harbor safety committees.
2. All recreational vessel operators need to attain a minimum level of boating safety education to mitigate the various risks associated with the type of vessel being operated.
3. The Coast Guard should renew its efforts to seek legislative authority to require recreational boaters on waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to obtain education that meets National Association of State Boating Law Administrators or equivalent standards.
4. A Guide to Multiple Use Waterway Management should be reviewed and updated at regular intervals.

Recommendations:

As a result of this report, the National Transportation Safety Board makes the following safety recommendations:

To the US Coast Guard:
1. Establish a process whereby, at regular intervals, all harbor safety committees identify the safety risks posed by the interaction of commercial and recreational vessels in their respective geographic areas; where necessary, develop and implement practices to mitigate those risks; and share successful practices among all harbor safety committees.
2. Seek statutory authority that requires all recreational boat operators on waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to demonstrate completion of an instructional course or an equivalent that meets the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators standards.
3. Work with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the National Water Safety Congress to review and update A Guide to Multiple Use Waterway Management at regular intervals.

To the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators:
4. Work with the National Water Safety Congress and the US Coast Guard to review and update A Guide to Multiple Use Waterway Management at regular intervals.

To the National Water Safety Congress:
5. Work with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the US Coast Guard to review and update A Guide to Multiple Use Waterway Management at regular intervals.

Please send email to captfarmer@navcal.com.
Mail to NavCal Marine Services,LLC, 8016 Ellisville Lane, Knoxville, TN 37909.
We may be reached by phone at (865) 765-3407.  (c) NavCal Marine Services LLC

Other sites Towboat Tour | CLAMAGORE | Riverboat | Riverboat Museum | Other Sites