AP Intro

The United States Power Squadron is a volunteer organization dedicated to improving the skills of its members. Courses are taught by volunteer members of local Squadrons. Akron Sail and Power Squadron offers a variety of courses, including the Advanced Piloting Class. Other class schedules can be found at its web site, www.akronpowersquadron.com.

The USPS Advanced Piloting (AP) Course was developed by volunteer members of USPS. Materials on this web site are copyrighted by USPS.

The AP Course builds on the skills that students developed in the Piloting Course, which is given every spring. If you have not taken Piloting, but are experienced with charting and navigation, contact the instructor to see if you should take AP.

For comparison, the Piloting Course covers:

Local waters

Emphasis on Planning, Plotting, Tools

Electronic Navigation - GPS primary

Compass as key navigation tool

Pre-plan, follow the plan

Staying on course

Checking

Navigating in the event of a failure

Overview – digital charting

The Advanced Piloting Course covers:

Extended Coastal/Inland Cruising

Electronic Navigation

- Chartplotters, Computers, Digital Charts

- Radar

- Sonar, etc.

Advanced positioning techniques

- Accuracy, Electronic Fixes

- Avoidance Techniques

Tidal Effects

- Depth, Clearance

- Effects of Current

Adjusting for effects of winds or currents

In addition to GPS, Advanced Piloting discusses the following navigational tools:

Digital Charting

- Chartplotter

- Computer

Radar

- Independent View of your Surroundings

Sonar / Depth Sounders

- Underwater view

Autopilot & instruments

AIS (Automatic Identification System)

Select the buttons at the right for an overview of each topic