Number 8-96 -- 1 September 1997

BOATING SKILLS & SEAMANSHIP 11TH EDITION

Introduction

The 11th Edition of the Boating Skills & Seamanship (BS&S) course has generally been well received in the field. Students and teachers who praise the text point to its many "user-friendly" features, informal and non-sexist style, good graphics, and appropriate focus on smaller vessels. Course critiques from students that specifically mention the 11th-Edition text are typically quite positive. Although the average course evaluation is quite high, individual course evaluations received to date span the entire gamut from "unsatisfactory" to "excellent." This serves as a timely reminder that the text is only one part of the overall learning experience of the student. The quality of instruction is probably the most important single factor in overall course success.

This said, it is the clear responsibility of your national staff to provide high quality courses. Our goal is to give you a "zero defects" course and we are making progress toward this end. Nonetheless, there are some errors in the 11th Edition, which are corrected in this Speed-gram.

This Speed-gram also provides numerous additional perspectives and adds late-breaking information not available when the 11th Edition went to press. We recognize that correcting a text is a lengthy process and generally seek to keep the length of Speed-grams to a minimum. However, there have been numerous developments since the text was published, and we have a responsibility to communicate these changes to the field.

This Speed-gram is packed in all cases of the BS&S 11th Edition, but you can help by passing the contents to all who teach in your courses.

Instructions

Shown in the attachment are corrections and additions to the text, Student Study Guide, examinations, and the overhead masters.

• Some corrections and additions provide advice, guidance, and information to the instructor. These are denoted with the word "advisory" or the letter "A" in front of each point. For example, it is suggested that additional information be provided students on the responsibilities of the Captain. Illustrative text is provided as a guide-line for the instructor in presenting the material.
• Other comments denote corrections which need to be made to the material. These are denoted with the word "correction" or the letter "C." Instructors and students should correct their text, study guide, or examination as needed. Instructors should correct the overhead transparencies.

Corrections and Advisories to BS&S 11th Edition in text format.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all who have submitted corrections and updates. Particular thanks are extended to DSO-PE 2WR, SO-PE 1-2WR, E. Kay Reed, SO-PE 32NR, DSO-PE 7, RCO-N 13, DVC-OT, FSO-PE 73 7, and DSO-PE 11 NR for their hard work and time necessary to compile these corrections. We also want to acknowledge many other students and instructors who contributed anonymously. The high overall quality of your comments and suggestions provides ample evidence that the Auxiliary is the nation's premier boating safety organization!