Techniques of Navigation with GPS-Driven Tools

Dates: Wednesdays, September 30, 2026 to December 2, 2026
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm EDT
Where: Via Zoom, Login Information Provided After Registration
Materials: ASPS members $55.00, Non-Members $70.00
Tuition: Free
Instructors: St/C Michael Maszczenski, Jr., N

Course Description: Advanced Marine Navigation is the second course in the USPS navigation series. It builds on coastal and inland navigation skills and prepares students for more demanding situations, including unfamiliar waters, limited visibility, and extended cruises. The course is a major update to Advanced Piloting, which it replaces.

Advanced Marine Navigation teaches today’s boaters how to use electronic navigation tools, including chartplotters with vector charts, to plan routes and navigate in more challenging conditions. Students use OpenCPN, a free charting program, to learn and complete the charting work for the course. The course also covers essential backup navigation skills for electronic failures, including dead reckoning and the use of tides and currents. Like Marine Navigation, it features numerous in-class exercises that build skills through hands-on practice. The course is typically presented in ten two-hour classes, and students have seven days to complete the open-book exam. Topics include:

• Advanced positioning techniques, such as advancing a line of position to obtain a running fix
• Use of a variety of electronic tools: radar, depth sounders, autopilots, chart plotters, laptop computer software, and more
• Collision avoidance using radar, GPS, and AIS
• Working with the tide and current data to determine clearances, depth of water, and effects of current
• Piloting in various wind and current conditions
• Simple skills for checking that one is on course
• Putting it all together with a Practice Cruise

Click Here to Register - Or use the QR code shown below:

For Questions or Additional Information: Email seo@aspsmd.org, or call 410-739-7800