The aim of this course is to introduce the complete beginner to cruising and to teach personal safety, seamanship and helmsmanship to the level required to be a useful member of the crew of a cruising yacht. By the end of the course, the student is expected to have demonstrated their ability in the following areas.
- Knowledge of sea terms and parts of a boat, her rigging and sails
- Sufficient knowledge to understand orders given concerning the sailing and day-to-day running of the boat.
- Sail handling
- Use of sheets and halyards and their associated winches.
- Bending on, setting, reefing and handling of sails.
- Ropework
- Ability to tie the following knots and to know their correct use: figure-of-eight, clove hitch, rolling hitch, bowline, round turn and two half hitches, single and double sheet bend, reef knot.
- Handling ropes, including coiling, stowing, securing to cleats and single and double bollards.
- Handling warps.
- Fire precautions and fire fighting
- Awareness of the hazards of fire and the precautions necessary to prevent fire.
- Knowledge of the action to be taken in event of fire.
- Personal safety equipment
- Understanding of the rules for the wearing of safety harnesses, lifejackets and personal buoyancy aids.
- Man overboard
- Understanding of the action to be taken to recover a man overboard.
- Emergency equipment
- Operation of distress flares and knowlwedge of when they should be used.
- How to launch and board a liferaft.
- Manners and customs
- Understanding of accepted practice with regard to: use of burgees and ensigns, prevention of unnecessary noise or disturbance in harbour including courtesies to other craft berthed alongside.
- Awareness of the responsibility of yacht skippers to protect the environment.
- Rules of the road
- Ability to keep an efficient lookout at sea.
- Dinghies
- Understanding of the loading rules.
- Ability to handle a dinghy under oars.
- Meteorology
- Awareness of forecasting services and knowledge of the Beaufort Scale.
- Sea sickness
- Working efficiency is unaffected/partially affected/severely affected by sea sickness.
- Helmsmanship and sailing
- Understanding of the basic principles of sailing and ability to steer and trim sails on all points of sailing.
- Ability to steer a compass course, under sail and power.
- General duties
- Has carried out general duties satisfactorily on deck and below decks in connection with the daily routine of the vessel.