Advanced Courses prerequisite required

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Study course material included with all classroom courses.

Seamanship
Prerequisite: The Boating Course
	The new full colour Seamanship Course builds on some of the techniques introduced in the Boating Course. Seamanship uses traditional navigation, GPS fixes, Way Points, along with the introduction of Deviation, in the three homework cruises, and the examination take home cruises. This course offers: interpretation of charts, the DR plot, bearings, fixes, running fixes, and Collision Regulations; and the exciting concept of plotting and labeling in True and Magnetic, adopted by the Education Department. Seamanship, explains the skills needed to understand the hazards of weather, wind, waves, tides, and tidal currents and how to deal with them. When unforeseen circumstances arise such as man-overboard, and medical emergencies the seamanship course counsels the student, as to where and how to acquire the skills to deal with potentially life-threatening situations, and of course you can "learn the ropes", from knots, hitches, bends, and splices.   Top
Advanced Piloting
Prerequisite: Piloting or Seamanship
	A necessary course in advanced coastal navigation for short duration trips out of sight of land, the Advanced Piloting course will give you greater accuracy in positioning and plotting exercises, as well as adherence to standardized labeling. Your chartwork skills will be developed to standards recognized in the maritime industry. You will be taken out of the realm of conning and visual plotting to coastal cruising out of sight of land, navigating in tidal waters, dealing with current, standing clear of danger, and determining position by visual observation or with the use of electronic devices. Develop a back-up system to your electronic navigation tools and advance your piloting skills by taking this exciting course.   Top
Junior Navigator
Prerequisite: Advanced Piloting
	Junior Navigator (JN), and the succeeding Navigator (N) course, both developed by our American cousin, the USPS, are designed for those of you who will be sailing far from sight of land. The program deals with both traditional and modern (electronic) navigational methods; it draws on skills you have acquired from the Seamanship and Advanced Piloting courses, developing them further. Designed as a practical "how to" program, subject matter in JN includes: Introduction to the principles on which celestial navigation is based; The marine sextant - how to select one, care for it, and use it to take sights of the sun; Route planning using both paper and electronic chart formats, including the Maptech program (CD included); Weather information, its sources and electronic media; and much more.... By the end of JN, you will be able to plan an offshore voyage, find position at sea and, since electronics can fail, use celestial navigation to obtain a running fix. And you will be ready for the ensuing Navigator course where you will learn more advanced techniques for getting fixes from other celestial bodies and sights. By the end of the complete program, you will be confident to undertake the navigation of an offshore voyage, from pre-trip planning to final arrival.   Top
Navigator
Prerequisite: Junior Navigator
	This is the second part of the study of offshore navigation. The art of celestial navigation is expanded to include the observation of stars, planets and the moon, so that a real fix, not just a running fix, may be obtained. Several tabular sight reduction techniques are described, and the Nautical Almanac Sight Reduction method is studied in detail. All that's needed for this method is contained in the Nautical Almanac, so that only a single volume need be carried aboard for all necessary data and sight reduction requirements. The student develops greater skill and precision in sight taking, positioning and the orderly methods of carrying on the day's work of a navigator at sea. The use of modern electronic tools available to the offshore navigator today is developed further. In particular, navigational software is provided with the course and is used in practice exercises for planning and navigation offshore. Offshore navigation using minimal data and/or equipment, such as when on a disabled vessel or lifeboat is also studied.   Top