For sixty years, the mission of the volunteer civilian members of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary has been to assist the Coast Guard in the performance of its civil functions - particularly the promotion of recreational boating safety.  One of the four cornerstones of our organization is Public Education. We are pleased to offer the following courses.  Click on one to find out details of the course, when and where it will next be offered, and class registration fees.
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Banner
FLOTILLA 72
NORWALK, CT
PUBLIC EDUCATION CLASSES


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About Boating Safely (ABS)
Basic Coastal Navigation
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Boating Skills and Seamanship              

Major topics covered in this class, which meets once a week for approximately 2 1/2 hours for 9 weeks include: which boat is for you, equipment for your boat, trailering your boat, handling your boat, your "highway" signs (aids to navigation), the rules you must follow (navigation rules), and personal water craft (PWC).   After taking the course, and passing the tests, you may apply for the Connecticut Safe Boating Certificate, (required by the State for anyone operating a vessel in the state's waters, including Long Island Sound) as well as the for a PWC license.

For a more detailed listing of the topics covered in this course, click here.  For a schedule of the next available class, click here.

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About Boating Safely (ABS)

Our ABS course is designed to satisfy the requirements for the mandatory CT Safe Boating and Personal Watercraft Operation certificates, which are required to operate vessels on Connecticut waters.

The comprehensive one day course and test, covers all major aspects of safe boating, including: types of boats, safety equipment, CT boating laws, boat handling, radio communications, and personal watercraft operation
For a more detailed listing of the topics covered, click here.  For a schedule of the next available class, click here.

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Basic Coastal Navigation

Learn the basics of coastal navigation - perfect for use in Long Island Sound and beyond.  Suitable for both power boaters and sailors. The class meets for 10 weekly 2 1/2 hour sessions (or our new intensive 2 day format).  Course covers theory and its practical application, including hands-on chart work.

For a more detailed listing of the topics covered, click here.  For a schedule of the next available class, click here.

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DETAILED COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Boating Skills and Seamanship

Chapter 1  Which Boat is For You?
   Boater's language
   Types of boats
   Types of propulsion
   Hull design
   Use of boats
   Materials for constructing boats
   Your intended use
   The Coast Guard Customer Infoline
   Marine surveys
   Buying a boat
   Responsibilities of a boat's operator

Chapter 2  Equipment for Your Boat
   Requirements for your boat
   Fire prevention and detection
   Your boat's equipment
   Legal considerations
   Substance abuse
   Boating accident reports
   Courtesy marine exams

Chapter 3  Trailering Your Boat
   Legal considerations
   Practical considerations
   Towing vehicle
   Balancing the load
   Handling your trailer
   Pre-departure checks
   Preparing to launch
   Launching
   Retrieving
   Storing your boat and trailer
   Theft prevention
   Zebra mussels
   Float plan

Chapter 4  Handling Your Boat
   Leave with a full fuel tank
   Fueling your boat
   Your boat's propeller
   Twin screws
   Installation and tilt adjustment
   Jet drives
   Loading your boat
   Getting started
   Man overboard
   Docking
   Mooring to a permanent anchor
   Anchoring
   Towing a skier
   Heavy weather
   Small boat safety

Chapter 5 Your "Highway" Signs
   Protection of Aids to Navigation
   Buoyage systems
   Waterway marks
   Light characteristics
   Chart symbols
   Light structures
   Lights on bridges
   Electronic aids to navigation
   Navigation publications

Chapter 6  The Rules You Must Follow
   Two sets of rules
   To whom do the rules apply?
   What is a vessel?
   The general responsibility rule
   Conduct in narrow channels
   Traffic separation schemes
   Vessel traffic services
   Stand-on or give way?
   Rules for special vessels
   Risk of collision
   Bend signals
   Restricted visibility
   Vessel lights and shapes
   Vessels at anchor
   Diving operations
   Distress signals
   Courtesy and safety
   Drawbridges
   Penalties

Personal Water Craft (jet skis)
   Safety
   Operating
   Rules and regulations
   Registration   

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Basic Coastal Navigation

In addition to covering the following topics, the students will get hands-on practice with chart work.

Chapter 1 - Introduction to Coastal Navigation
   Course overview
    Principles of voyage planning and underway navigation
    Latitude and longitude
    Measurement of direction
 
Chapter 2 - The Marine Magnetic Compass
    The anatomy of a compass
    Compass types
    Compass deviation and its measurement
    Correcting from compass to magnetic to true
    Compass errors

Chapter 3 - The Nautical Chart
    Chart projections
    How to establish a position on a chart
    How to measure direction and distance on a chart
    Chart scales and their significance
    Type of charts
    How soundings and bottom characteristics are depicted

Chapter 4 - The Navigator's Tools & Instruments
    Which tools are particularly useful to the navigator
    Uses of tools
    Criteria for selecting tools

Chapter 5 - Dead Reckoning
    Definition of dead reckoning
    Definition of terms related to course, heading, bearing and speeds
    Rules of construction of DR plots
    Time-speed-distance calculations
    How to prepare and interpret a speed curve

Chapter 6 - Piloting
    Definitions of piloting, line of position, fix, running fix, estimated
       position, and danger bearings
    How to determine and plot a line of position
    Utility of a line of position
    How to determine and plot a visual fix
    How to determine and plot an electronic fix
    How to determine and plot a running fix
    Danger bearings and their uses

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Boating Skills and Seamanship
To Register For A Class:

If you'd like any additional information on the courses, or you wish to register, call our Course Registrar at 203-846-8471 or e-mail peggybonhage@aol.com.
After reviewing this information, if you still have questions contact our Course Registrar at 203-846-8471 or e-mail peggybonhage@aol.com.
                    COURSE SCHEDULE

All courses are  held at the Dominic Lametta Training Center, unless otherwise noted. For directions to the Center, click here.  If our location or the timing of our class offerings is not convenient for you, we urge you to check the offerings of other Flotillas in our area. Click here, then select District 1SR.  To contact us for additional information, or to register for a course, click here.


Course                                                Fees
         Dates and Time

Boating Skills and Seamanship                          $80 
           
             Meets weekly for 9 weeks on Thursday evenings at 7:30 pm for 2 1/2 hours.
                 None currently scheduled.
  

About Boating Safely (ABS)                              $80 (includes lunch)

             One day course on Saturday meets from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. No classes currently
               scheduled for.
Classes currently scheduled for June 7, July 26, and August 23, 2008

Basic Coastal Navigation                                  $90

             Meets weekly on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 pm for 10 weeks.
                None currently scheduled.

How To Read a Nautical Chart$45

Saturday morning class (4 to 5 hours):  No classes currently scheduled
Starts at 8:00 am.


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About Boating Safely

This course covers all major aspects of Safe Boating, including types of boats, safety equipment, Connecticut boating laws, boat maneuvering, radio communications, personal watercraft operation and much more.  Come learn from the experts, and satisfy the educational requirement for BOTH the CT Safe Boaters Certificate and CT Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation.

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Water Safety Courses for Kids
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Water Safety Courses for Kids
Flotilla 72 offers Water and Boat Safety classes for young children from the ages of 3 to 9 years of age. In a 30 to 45 minute presentation, the Instructors introduce the young child to the importance of learning to swim, swimming with a buddy, having an adult/life-guard at the scene, how to get help, wearing a life jacket, loading of a small boat, and other topics important to staying safe on a boat. The children get a chance to try on life jackets, and to "sink a boat". Each child is give a booklet to take home with them. Courses are free. To schedule a Water and Boat Safety class, please contact:  Ginny Lovas at fcfso72@aol.com

This course is good for Girl Souts, Boy Scouts, Brownies and Cub Scout Groups, as well as youngsters from a Boat Club, and Elementary School.


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How to Read a Nautical Chart
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How To Read a Nautical Chart
This is an approximately four hour seminar unraveling the mystery of charts. At sea there are no streets. To the uninformed, everything looks the same. For navigating at sea, and especially in coastal areas, we need charts. Charts provide an amazing wealth of information to the informed boater, helping him plot a safe passage, avoid navigational dangers, and a means for determining his position.
This course will teach the boater how to interpret a chart’s numerous details. We’ll also discuss the limitations of charts, and their relationship to today’s modern electronic navigational instruments. The course includes a textbook and a training chart.

Immediately after the course, we’ll be conducting a short hands-on training session on how to use charting tools. We’ll show you how to plot a position, determine a course line, measure distances, and determine the latitude and longitude of any point on a chart. For those interested, remember to bring your own plotting instruments (dividers, course plotter bars/parallel rulers/course protractor, or similar device, pencil, eraser).

For a schedule of the next available class, click here.

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