No matter how long you’ve used a GPS it never hurts to get a refresher course. And if you’ve never used one, here’s a good way to start. Now the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water and the United States Power Squadrons have developed a new online course, “How to Use GPS,” to help all of us get where we want to go safely.
The course is clear and makes GPS seem easy; it also can be taken anywhere – your office, your home, on your boat – when it’s most convenient for you. You can stop and start again, and the course applies to any brand of GPS or chartplotter.
Divided into four chapters, the course has sections on setting-up a GPS, using it and integrating it with other electronics on board. Short quizzes let you test your knowledge and then go back to the material again. Topics covered include how to create waypoints, chart a route, determine your position, set an anchor alarm, and integrate the GPS with radar and AIS and much more.
The course costs $24 for members of BoatUS, United States Power Squadrons, US Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Great Lakes Cruising Club. Otherwise it costs $30.You can sign up at: BoatUS.org/gps
