Educational Program
Public Boating Courses
General:
  • The squadron conducts two courses for the public.  One is the 12-Hour America's  
    Boating  Course 3rd Edition®.  It is offered three times a year in the spring, fall and
    winter.  The other is the 8-Hour America's Boating Course that is offered once in the
    summer for teenagers.
  • Both courses meet the Massachusetts certification requirements for power boating
    and satisfy the course requirement for membership in the United States Power
    Squadrons®.
  • Qualified, enthusiastic and experienced USPS instructors from our squadron teach
    the courses.  Proctors with years of boating experience offer individual help at each
    session.
  • Each course has a well-written student manual that serves as a useful reference
    long after the course is completed.
  • You will learn to skipper a boat with confidence.
12-Hour America’s Boating Course 3rd Edition®:
  • This comprehensive classroom course includes
    lessons on seamanship, lines and knots, boat handling,
    boat types, necessary equipment, rules of the road,
    charts and navigation aids, adverse conditions, marine
    VHF radio, boat trailering and introductory piloting.
  • Many boaters today use GPS navigation techniques
    and so the course covers an introduction to digital
    charting.
  • Course materials include a student manual, training
    charts, basic navigation tools and a digital chart
    training CD.
  • Since boating is often a family activity, we encourage
    families to attend as groups.
  • The course is usually taught in eight two-hour sessions
    one evening a week.
Check for details about the next course
8-Hour America's Boating Course®:
  • The course covers the same safe boat handling and
    operating material as the more comprehensive           
    12-Hour course, except that material on introductory
    piloting and digital charting topics are not covered.
  • The course is usually taught in four two-hour sessions
    once a week
  • As mentioned, our squadron offers this course only to
    teenagers between the ages of 12 and 16.
Check for details about the next course
The following are USPS  member courses
General:
  • Building on the public boating courses, the squadron offers a wide range of advanced
    and specialty courses for members only.  These courses include the latest
    developments in GPS, electronic charting, GMDSS and other integrated electronic
    systems.
  • There are a total of eleven member courses.  Most of them have a two-hour classroom
    session once a week for 10 to 12 weeks.  Some courses are subdivided into separate
    modules.
  • The five Advanced Grade Courses should be taken in sequence except that you can
    take Piloting and Advanced Piloting without taking Seamanship first.  The Elective
    Courses may be taken in any order with no prerequisites.
  • The Instructor Development course must be completed to be a certified USPS Instructor
    qualified to teach public boating courses.

Advanced Grade Courses:

Elective Courses:

USPS Training Workshops:
Current course schedules and descriptions  -- See details
Cape Cod Sail and Power Squadron, Inc.
A Unit of United States Power Squadrons® - District 14
SEO  David Atwood, AP*
For information and to sign up for classes
Call 508-737-5374
Email seo@ccsps.org
Squadron Members please provide notice of your intent to attend a class by contacting the
instructor listed in the Porthole or contacting the SEO prior to the start date of the first class.
Public Seminars (click to check schedules)
Current course schedules and descriptions  -- See details
Advanced Grade and Elective Courses
Sign up for a Course or Seminar on line  - Click here