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BSPS
Courses
BSPS introductory boating classes
will teach you how to operate your vessel safely. When you've passed one of
these classes, join the squadron and continue improving your skills. Our courses
are dynamic and go beyond textbook learning.
And besides improving their boating knowledge, BSPS members participate in a
variety of social activities, such as our many
rendezvous. You'll make new friends and
have a great time.


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The 2008 Junior Navigation (JN) class
currently is underway. Students Brad Waters, AP and Dianne Greene,
AP, took advantage of their newly acquired skills (and the weather) to
obtain some Sun sights. JN now requires only Sun upper limb (UL) and
lower limb (LL) sights. The morning sights were lower limb Sun sights
taken from a parking lot west of Elliott Bay Marina in Puget Sound. They
were dip short sights using a shore line near the port cranes on Harbor
Island. The afternoon upper limb Sun sights were taken from the same
location, looking just west of Blake Island and were natural horizon
sights. Both students preliminarily had sights which would meet the JN
requirement of less than 5.0 nm error. (Not too good for land, but
certainly acceptable in the open sea).
National has relaxed the rule that LL and UL sights must be taken at
different locations (required for a running fix). The sights now can be
taken at the same place and a simulated running fix used. The nice part
about the new program is that a morning sight can be taken, a relaxed lunch
eaten with JN sight discussions, and then afternoon sights can be taken
from the same known location. Obviously, this all means the Sun and
clouds have to participate. The four-hour difference in the sights means
that an acceptable "cut" or azimuth difference will exist. The remaining
two students will take their sights at a later date, and hopefully get
the same great results. |

BSPS offers the following four course categories:

Public Safe Boating Classroom Courses
Click
here to register for
an upcoming Squadron Boating Course or ABC (America's Boating Course). For additional information,
see our FAQ or the class
descriptions below.
Boaters who plan on taking their boats offshore, or just want more
boating knowledge, are encouraged to join a Power Squadron and take
more
advanced courses. 
Public Seminars and Other Courses
The following
classes are available to both the public and squadron members. Click
here to register for
an upcoming course. For additional information, see the class
descriptions below.

Public Self-Study Courses

Squadron Member Courses
These courses are only available to members of the USPS.
To join the USPS, contact our
Membership Chair.
Click
here to register for
the Squadron Member Courses online. For additional information,
see the class
descriptions below or contact our
Advanced Grades
and Electives Chair
.
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