This course meets the State of North Carolina requirement for any person under the age of 26 (on or after May 1, 2010) to complete a  NASBLA (National Association of State Boating Law Administrators) approved boating education course before operating any vessel propelled by a motor of 10HP or greater.  And completion of the course is accepted by most insurance companies.  Since 1914, individual squadrons of USPS have provided courses as a service to the boating public to over 3 million boaters.

You will learn the basics of what you need to safely and comfortably go on the water with your boat.  This newly revised comprehensive course includes lessons on seamanship, boat handling, boat types, rules of the road, navigation aids, regulations, adverse conditions, marine VHF radio, knots, trailering and introductory piloting. The course includes an extensive course book, training charts, and basic navigation tools. As a special feature it also includes an introduction to digital charting on CD-ROM in an appendix, and an overview of electronic navigation. Maptech's Chart Navigator Training CD includes software and digital charts to gain familiarity with this exciting new technology.  

Many of today’s recreational boaters utilize GPS receivers and perform electronic, waypoint navigation. Waypoint navigation using a handheld GPS is somewhat different from traditional dead reckoning. With a GPS you have good information about where you are in terms of latitude and longitude, but the GPS doesn't tell you what is around you or beneath your boat. Using waypoints, you have precise information about the bearing and distance from your current location to the waypoints, but the GPS doesn't know what may be in the way. The use of charts is explained in this course as the essential step to provide key information required for a safe passage.