Consider offering seminars this boating season

Seminar

Feb 28, 2019

No matter whether you’re middle-aged, an older person, or someone just fresh out of school and heading into a career, life seems to be a non-stop frantic rush from dawn to dusk. One would have thought that with the dawning of the electronic age, life would be taken care of by digital devices with all those little chips and bites doing all the work. Lots of luck there! We’ve just found ways to pack more work into the extra time and have forgotten to leave time for less stressful activities. For younger people who have been brought up on computer devices, and even many older people, life has become such a rush, that even something as simple as a social evening taking a CPS-ECP classroom boating course is out of the question. Well, Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons/Escadrilles canadiennes de plaisance, (CPS-ECP) has the solution to your problems.

CPS-ECP has recognized that the 21st century is here, and while there is still a strong need for the social atmosphere of classroom course delivery, several of our core courses are now being delivered online. Also, in the CPS-ECP 2016-2020 Strategic Plan, two of the goals set for the Educational Department call for the introduction of short courses and seminars, in both French and English, to be delivered at all times of the year. As a result, we now have seminars ready for delivery by our squadrons, with the ultimate goal of a menu with close to two dozen to choose from. Each seminar will last about an hour to two hours, and can be conveniently offered by local squadrons on a Saturday morning at your local marina or yacht club.

• “Chart Reading For Beginners,” is based on Chapter 1 of our Boating 2 course, and is an excellent introduction to boating for the person who is planning on buying a boat, or has just bought his/her first boat.

• “AIS For the Recreational Boater,” contains enough operational and technical information about this excellent collision avoidance system, so the boater can make an intelligent decision about which product is best suited to his/her needs.

• “Paddling and Boarding Smart” is loaded with safety information for the kayaker, canoeist and boarder. Many people carry a board or kayak on their larger boat so they can explore around those small islands and coves. Do it in safety, take our seminar

• “Introduction to The Collision Regulations,” takes a close look at The International Regulations For Preventing Collisions At Sea. This goes well beyond the few regulations that are covered in the PCOC requirements.

• “Weather For Boaters,” looks at the meteorology behind the mid-latitude weather that we experience on a daily basis, and is an excellent lead-in to our core course offering, “Introduction to Weather For Recreational Boaters.”

Currently, we have two more seminars that will be available in the near future: “Celestial Navigation in a Nutshell,” and “Tropical Weather For the Winter Boater,” and four others in the early editorial process; “Protecting Our Waterways Environment,” “Solo Sailing,” “How to Charter,” and “Tides and Currents For the Recreational Boater.”

To order booklets contact: lgreen@cps-ecp.ca 
By Brian Reis, JN

CPS - ECP

 

 

 

Related Articles


Starcraft SV 16 OB

By Craig Ritchie

Photos by Starcraft Marine

Building great boats has always come down to a mix of art and science, and that’s particularly true when it comes to meeting the biggest challenge of all—creating an appealing yet affordable family runabout. Buyers want a boat that is affordable but not stripped to the bare bones.

Enter Starcraft and its delightful SV 16 OB, an all-new-for-2025 family deck boat that elegantly balances comfort, amenities and affordability.

Read More


Destinations

The Erie Canal – An Extraordinary Waterway

By Mark Stevens

Photos by Sharon Matthews-Stevens

As I shift our chartered canal boat into neutral, I’m soothed by the soundtrack of bird calls, the occasional plaintive horn of a distant train and the hum of our engine.

I reach for the VHF to radio the lockmaster in charge of Erie Canal’s Lock 32 dead ahead. Our boat spins gently in the current like a maple key in a mud puddle.

“This is Onondaga,” I say. “Headed westbound and requesting passage.”

Read More