Public boating Courses

The Naples Sail and Power Squadron, located in Naples, Florida, provides basic boating education to the public through the courses described below. Members are encouraged to attend.

The boating courses described below may be all you need for now, but for many they stimulate a desire to learn more. Your next step is to become a member, which qualifies you for our Advanced and Elective Classes.

Individuals who are meeting the qualifications for Squadron membership are required to pass either the Squadron Boating Course or Boat Smart. The public courses are meant to be of interest to the entire family; older children are welcome. We encourage your family to attend as a group.

These courses are tuition-free; materials costs apply to the public. We encourage members to attend. Please review the course descriptions, our current schedule and contact us for information and assistance with your enrollment. Some courses may require multiple sessions. We also encourage you to learn about us and apply for membership at our non-profit and fraternal organization.

Boat Smart
Boat Smart contains three sections and we consider it the point of departure of boating education. The content of the student manual serves as the basis for this course and also as a reference book in basic boating long after the course work is completed.

The course meets the educational standards of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and features a proctored examination as required by many states and insurance companies. The course will provide instruction and examination for laws and regulations of state and local authorities in the area where the course is taught.

Squadron Boating Course
The Squadron Boating Course contains sixteen sections. There are homework questions at the end of each section to assist retention of the information presented.

The Squadron Boating Course covers additional topics such as an introduction to reading charts and plotting courses that are not in Boat Smart. However, Chart Smart is available for those who would like to learn a little about piloting.

Chart Smart
Chart Smart is a course for all boaters who are interested in information on compasses, charts, plotting courses and determining position.

The purpose of Chart Smart is to teach the techniques to determine position when you are within the sight or near proximity of land. This course is designed to give the student an introduction to the subject known as Piloting. As such, it may also appeal to Squadron members as a refresher prior to taking the Advanced Grade course of Piloting.

GPS Seminar
This course focuses on the GPS equipment typically owned by the recreational boater and thus generates increased interactivity. This class is so effective that even those not possessing handheld units will learn how to use a GPS for practical recreational boating. We encourage participants who already own hand-held GPS units to bring them to the class.

Review our current course schedule and contact us for information and assistance with your enrollment.