America's Boating Course
Class Schedule - Spring 2013
MLSPS offers approximately 7 to 10 safe boating classes each year to the boating public, in addition to a number of advanced courses. The following is the current list of ABC classes and advanced classes that we will be offering to the public this spring. We hope, and believe, that these classes will provide for safer boating practices, fewer accidents and fatalities and more fun on the water.
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Upcoming ABC Classes
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Organization
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Start Date
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Time
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Format
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Delaware County
Community College 1
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February 21 |
7:00-9:00 |
4 Thurs. evenings |
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Delaware County
Community College 2
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April 4 |
6:00-8:00 |
4 Thurs. evenings |
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Clews and Strawbridge
Marine
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April 20
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8:15-4:30
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Saturday
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Clews and Strawbridge
Marine
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May 18 |
8:15-4:30
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Saturday
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Stoltzfus RV & Marine
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May 4 |
8:15-4:30 |
Saturday
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Upper Dublin Sandy Run
Middle School |
February 5 |
7:00-9:00 |
5 Tues. evenings |
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Seminars |
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| Seminar |
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Organization |
Date |
Time |
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| Weather |
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Clews & Strawbridge |
TBD |
0930-1130 |
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| Radar |
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Clews & Strawbridge |
TBD |
1300-1500 |
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| Charting |
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Clews & Strawbridge |
TBD |
0930-1130 |
| GPS |
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Clews & Strawbridge |
TBD |
1300-1500
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Upcoming Advanced Classes
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Class
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Organization
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Start Date
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Time
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Format |
| Piloting |
CCNS
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March 19
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7:00-9:00
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8 Tuesday evenings |
| Seamanship |
CCNS
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March 19 |
7:00-9:00
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8 Tuesday evenings
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| Sail |
DCCC 2
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June 5 |
6:00-8:00
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8 Wednesday evenings
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Locations:
Delaware County Community College 1 – Route 322 northwest of Downingtown, PA 19335
Delaware County Community College 2 – 901 S. Media Line Rd, south of Newtown Sq., PA 19073
Upper Dublin Sandy Run Middle School – 520 Twining Road, Dresher, PA 19025
Clews & Strawbridge Marine – 310 Lancaster Avenue, Frazer, PA 19355
Stoltzfus RV & Marine – Route 202, south of West Chester, PA 19380
Chester County Night School - Great Valley Mid Sch –255 North Phoenixville Pike, Malvern, PA 19355
Registration:
Delaware County Community College – 610-359-5025
Upper Dublin Middle School – UD School District at UDSD.org
Clews & Strawbridge Marine – USPS.org
Stoltzfus RV & Marine – USPS.org
Chester County Night School (CCNS) - chestercountynightschool.org
If you are interested in an exciting, in-depth boating safety course, check out America's Boating Course.
Many boat insurance companies will offer discounts on boating insurance to boaters who successfully complete America's Boating Course. And, this beginner boating class will give you the knowledge needed to obtain a boating safety certification in many states.
The ABC boat and water safety course topics include:
- Introduction to Boating: types of power boats; sailboats; outboards; paddle boats; houseboats; different uses of boats; various power boating engines; jet drives; family boating basics.
- Boating Law: boat registration; boating regulation; hull identification number; required boat safety equipment; operating safely and reporting accidents; protecting the marine environment; Federal boat law; state boating laws; personal watercraft requirements.
- Boat Safety Equipment: personal flotation devices ("life jackets"); fire extinguishers; sound-producing devices; visual-distress signals; dock lines and rope; first aid kit; anchors and anchor lines; other boating safety equipment.
- Safe Boating: bow riding; alcohol and drug abuse; entering, loading, and trimming a boat; fueling portable and permanent tanks; steering with a tiller and a wheel; docking, undocking and mooring; knots; filing a float plan; checking equipment, fuel, weather and tides; using charts; choosing and using an anchor; safe PWC handling; general water safety.
- Navigation: the U.S. Aids to Navigation system; types of buoys and beacons; navigation rules (sometimes referred to as right-of-way rules); avoiding collisions; sound signals; PWC "tunnel vision."
- Boating Problems: hypothermia; boating accidents and rescues; man overboard recovery; capsizing; running aground; river hazards; strainers: emergency radio calls; engine problems; equipment failures; carbon monoxide (CO); other boating and PWC problems.
- Trailering, Storing and Protecting Your Boat: types of trailers; trailer brakes, lights, hitches, tires, and bearings; loading, balancing, and towing (and backing) a trailer; boat launching and retrieving; boat storage and theft protection; launching, retrieving and storing a PWC.
- Hunting and Fishing, Water-skiing and River Boating: fishing from a boat; water-skiing safety guidelines and hand signals; water-skiing with a PWC; navigating rivers, and other boating tips.
Advanced course descriptions:
- Piloting (Navigation for Boaters):
The Piloting course covers the basics of coastal and inland navigation. Topics include: navigation using GPS, use of typical GPS displays and the information that they provide, charts and their interpretation, navigation aids and how they mark safe water, plotting courses and determining direction and distance, the mariner's compass, and converting between true and magnetic courses and bearings.
- Advanced Piloting(Navigation for Boaters):
The Advanced Piloting course provides students with information on navigation, covering advanced topics of coastal and inland navigation. Some of the topics covered will include: plotting courses and determining direction and distance considering the effects of wind and current; and determination of Tides and Currents and their impact on courses and the voyage. The Piloting course is a prerequisite for taking the Advanced Piloting course.
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Seamanship:
Seamanship provides foundational information for new boaters and boaters who want to increase their knowledge and skills. The Seamanship course will facilitate knowledge development for increased safe operation of recreational boats with emphasis on higher level boating skills including: rules of the road, docking and undocking, anchoring, night operation, emergencies, boat handling in heavy waters, marlinspike basic knots, use of boat safety equipment, and the skipper’s responsibilities for operating a safe boat.
- Sail:
The Sail course was designed to serve the needs of both the novice and experienced sailor, as well as the non-sailor, to impart basic skills and knowledge. The course begins with basic sailboat design and nomenclature, rigging, safety, and sailing processes, and then tackles the physical forces and techniques, sail applications, helmsmanship and handling of more difficult sailing conditions, navigation rules, and an introduction to heavy weather sailing.
- Weather:
The course focuses on how weather systems form, behave, move, and interact with one another and reflects the availability of all sorts of weather reports and forecasts on the Internet.
- Power Squadron Weather Mamual - text with full color photographs and drawings covering weather in the United States and its coastal and inland waters;
- a set of three Daily Weather Maps - learning aids with a compete explanation of map symbols designed to develop weather map reading and analysis skills; and
- NOAA’s Sky Watcher Chart - a reference to assist in identifying cloud types – helpful indicators of approaching weather.