About America's Boating Club

What is America's Boating Club?

Organized in 1914 as the United States Power Squadrons (USPS®), America’s Boating Club® is a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to making boating safer and more enjoyable by teaching classes in boat handling, navigation (paper charts, GPS, and celestial), and related subjects. Our members are boating families who contribute to their communities by promoting safe boating through education.

We enjoy participating with our fellow members on the water and in the classroom. America's Boating Club® | United States Power Squadrons has some 17,000 members organized into 300 squadrons across the country and in some US territories. America's Boating Club® | United States Power Squadrons is America's largest non-profit boating organization and has been honored by three US presidents for its civic contributions.

What are the activities of America's Boating Club?

Each club or squadron's activities involve the three primary objectives of America's Boating Club: community service, continuing education, and enjoying the friendship and camaraderie of our fellow members.

Our Boating Objectives

Learn Boating Skills

Engage in fun boating activities

Connect with the boating community

Visit the website for America's Boating Club

What community and civic services does America's Boating Club perform?

Local clubs or squadrons offer boating safety courses on a regular basis to boaters in our communities. These courses are open to the public, and there is no age limit for participants.

America's Boating Club has offered these courses for over half a century and have educated more than 3 million boaters to date. Successfully completing an America's Boating Club boating safety course meets the educational requirements for boat operation in all states.

In a cooperative program with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, club or squadron members conduct courtesy Vessel Safety Checks of boats at the request of their owners. To learn more about this program, and how to get your boat checked, click here.

The Cooperative Charting Program of America's Boating Club is conducted in close cooperation with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the United States Coast Guard, and NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey Division (NGSD). The Program continues to be a major public service of America's Boating Club.

Participants supply important information about the status of geodetic marks that serve as reference points for surveys, etc.; report Aids to Navigation that are off station or missing; provide information about bridges over navigable waters, and collect information about marinas’ services and amenities to aid the government agencies and the boating community.

Find a local club or squadron

What educational courses are available to America's Boating Club members?

Every club or squadron offers many carefully planned courses in subjects like Boat Handling, Marine Navigation, Offshore Navigation, Celestial Navigation, Cruise Planning, Engine Maintenance, Marine Electrical Systems, Sail, and much more. These courses are taught by experienced member instructors, and members who complete them are recognized.

Improve your boating skills

What Social Activities do Members Enjoy?

Participating both on-the-water and off with fellow members who are skilled in boating is a rewarding and enjoyable experience. On-the-water activities include cruises, rendezvous, sail races, navigation contests, and even fishing derbies. Activities ashore include meetings with marine programs, parties, dinner-dances, picnics, and field trips.

Learn about activities