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Advanced Piloting

Advanced Piloting is the second in the sequence of USPS courses on navigation. It continues to build coastal and inland navigation skill, allowing the student to take on more challenging conditions – unfamiliar waters, limited visibility, and extended cruises. GPS is embraced as a primary navigation tool while adding radar, chartplotters, and other electronic navigation tools. As with Piloting, the course includes many in-class exercises, advancing the student’s skills through hands-on practice and learning. Ten classes of two hours each normally are scheduled for presentation of this course. In addition the students have seven days to complete the open book exam. Topics covered include:

Review of skills learned in Piloting
Advanced positioning techniques such as advancing a line of position
Other electronics: radar, depth sounders, autopilots, chartplotters, laptop computer software, etc.
Hazard avoidance techniques using electronics (e.g., “keep out” zones in GPS)
Collision avoidance using radar and GPS
Working with tides: clearances, depth, effects of current
Piloting with wind and currents
The “Seaman’s Eye” – simple skills for checking that one is on course