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Courses - General Information (updated 25 January 2012)


For information not found on this website, please email us - contact details on BRIDGE page.
WINTER 2012 COURSES

Please select a course from the Course Selection list for
more details and Online Registration capability.


Are you interested in taking a course we are not currently offering? Send a note to the Training Officer and ATO Advance to let us know. We will try to accommodate you if there is sufficient interest

RegistrationSelect course and follow on-line link to CPS National site to register.

Course Location: Unless indicated otherwise, registration and courses will be held at:

     St. Patrick's High School
     
2525 Alta Vista Drive
     Ottawa, ON K1V 7T3 ............. Need a map?  Click here!

      Rooms that will be used are: 227, 229, and 230

Course refund guidelines:  Course refunds are usually made in cases of work rescheduling or extended illness.  Other situations may apply at the discretion of the Squadron Training Officer. All course material must be returned in unmarked condition, i.e. no highlighter, pen or pencil markings.

Course cancellation policy:  From time to time course cancellations are made due to insufficient enrollment. Should this occur, registrants will be contacted by phone and offered the alternatives of applying the fees to another course or receiving a full refund.

Proof of Membership:  Proof of current membership must be presented at registration to benefit from "member's rate".

INTRODUCTORY COURSES

Boat Basic:  The Boat Basic (formerly Boat Pro) course provides you with the opportunity to prepare for your Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) exam.  Clearly the best of the PCOC seminars available, this highly acclaimed 3 session course was one of the first to be accredited by the Canadian Coast Guard.  Boat Pro is a great introduction for your family to boating safety, operation and navigation.

Boating:  The Ottawa Power and Sail Squadron's premier introductory course is the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron's Boating Course.  This 13 session course provides in-depth boat operation and safety training in addition to preparing you for your Pleasure Craft Operator Card exam. As well, you will experience the challenge of plotting and navigation.  Whether you're interested in powerboats, sailing vessels or kayaks, this course is for you!

Robin Craig, Training Officer
Court Harkness, Assistant Training Officer Boat Basic

ELECTIVE AND ADVANCED COURSES

So you've taken the boating course, eh? And you've joined as a member, eh? Now what ... buy a boat and sail or putt-putt between two locks? I guess that is fine but it will get pretty boring and soon there will be a time that you'll be dreaming of sailing the Great Lakes or even the Seven Seas. Not so fast! What about the impact of winds, currents and tides? What about making use of tell tale signs in the weather and navigation by the sun or stars. And what about using LORAN-C, GPS, waypoint navigation and Radar? What is proper maintenance, and lets not forget, once you are out there, all alone, who will fix things when they go wrong... and they will!

For all of this the Power & Sail Squadron offers a carefully selected series of basic and advanced courses that will provide you with the understanding, tools and skills to operate with confidence rather than with uncertainty.

A skipper must be master on his or her boat, and be capable of handling it in out of the ordinary situations. So... if you have any desires to travel beyond your horizon, further your education and sign up for one of the advanced or elective courses that we offer.

vacant, Assistant Training Officer Advanced & Elective

COURSE ATTENDANCE GUIDELINES

Any courses longer than three nights: Students MUST be registered and in class by the third night. This will give students a minimum of three opportunities to register, and they will only miss two nights of the course.

Boat Pro and VHF courses: Students MUST be registered and in class by the second night. This will give students a minimum of two opportunities to register and they will only miss the first night of the course.

IT Course: Students MUST be registered and in class the night the course starts. This course is given to students at no cost and the Squadron should expect full attendance from all students.

If any student cannot meet these guidelines then the Squadron will recommend a "Home Study" if possible, or that the student take the course at a later date.

If a member of the Squadron feels that they can provide study assistance to a student, that member should first make this offer clear to the STO. The Squadron will not offer this type of assistance to a student without prior approval.

Course Selection

Introductory:
Boat Basics
Boating

Elective:
Extended Cruising
Electronic Navigation
Fundamentals of Weather
Global Weather
Maritime Radio VHF (E)
Maritime Radio VHF (F)
Marine Maintenance
Navigating with GPS
Seamanship Sail


*Advanced:

Seamanship (previously piloting)
Advanced Piloting
Celestial Navigation
Instructor Development

*CPS Members only