The Music City Power Squadron provides a number of courses and seminars as a public service to promote safe boating. One of the most useful classes we offer boaters and new boat owners is called Boat Smart. Boat Smart is a course for all boaters (the personal watercraft operator; the hunter or fisherman operating an outboard utility boat; the skipper of a family cruiser; the sailing enthusiast). All boaters must follow the same nautical rules, regulations, and courtesies of the sea. All are subject to the same forces of nature while boating. As boating is often a family activity, the course is of value to all members of a boating family. USPS encourages families to attend as groups.

USPS believes that the more educated a boater becomes, the more likely that boater will be a safe boater. Boat Smart is the beginning of a boating education.

The Squadron Boating Course is a longer course than the BoatSmart Course and includes subjects such as chart reading and an introduction to piloting. The Boating Course is the preferred class if you plan on taking more advanced classes.

This course meets the educational standards of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and includes a proctored examination as required by many states and insurance companies. Instruction is free but there is a nominal charge for course material. Successful completion of a course also qualifies the student to membership in any USPS Squadron within the US.

Qualified, enthusiastic, and experienced USPS instructors provide instruction as a civic service. There is never a charge for instruction; the only costs are those for materials.

In addition to teaching public boating courses in the Nashville area, Squadron members participate in Advanced Grades and Elective Courses for their own education.

Public boating courses:

• Squadron Boating course - The preferred class if you plan on taking more advanced classes
• Boat Smart - One of the most useful classes we offer boaters and new boat owners

Public seminars:

• Skipper Saver - What to do if the skipper is incapacitated
• Anchoring & Mooring - Anchor types and how to choose your anchors
• Knots for Mariners - The essentials of the boater’s repertoire of knots
• How to buy a boat -Help you select the right boat for your needs and avoid potential pitfalls
• Radio - Explains basic VHF operation.
• GPS - Explains the principles of GPS waypoint navigation and operation
• Heavy Weather sailing - No one who goes to sea in his or her own craft can afford to miss one
• Great Loop - What to see and do while cruising the Great Loop
• Caribbean Mexican cruising - The requirements for entry into Mexico and Caribbean nations and return to the U.S. as well as radio licensening requirements and other rules and regulations
• On board weather forecasting - Weather systems, how to understand clouds and their changes, using changing wind direction, temperature, and pressure to hone in on emerging weather fronts

Member only courses:

• Seamanship - The recommended first course for new members
• Piloting - Introduces the fundamentals of piloting and positioning
• Advanced Piloting - Builds on the knowledge gained in the Piloting course
• Junior Navigator - Begins the study of offshore (open-ocean) navigation
• Navigator - Further develops the understanding of celestial navigation theory and the skills
• Cruise Planning - This course is preparation for a cruise
• Engine Maintenance - General construction, operating principles, maintenance and repair of marine gasoline and diesel engines
• Instructor Qualification - Development of practical skills and methods in preparing for both classroom and meeting presentations
• SMarine Electronics - Essential knowledge about your boat's electrical and electronic systems
• Sail 101 - Provides a basic study of sailing
• Sail 102 - Provides an advanced study of sailing
• Weather - How to read the weather map and the sky, and understand and anticipate weather developments