Sailing West

The aim of this course is to teach the skills and techniques required to skipper a cruising yacht safely on coastal passages by day and night.

• 1. Passage planning

1. Can plan a coastal passage including a consideration of the capability of the yacht, navigation, victualling, weather, ports of refuge, tidal heights, and tidal streams, publications required and strategy
2. Know Customs procedures

• 2. Preparation for sea

1. Is aware of safety equipment required for offshore passages
2. Can prepare a yacht for sea including stowage, safety briefing, watch keeping, delegating responsibilities and equipment and engine checks

• 3. Pilotage

1. Can prepare a pilotage plan, with consideration of surroundings, transits, clearing bearings, buoyage, port or harbour regulations and tidal considerations. Can pilot a yacht by day and night

• 4. Passage making and ability as skipper

1. Can take charge of a yacht and direct the crew
2. Can organise the navigation, deckwork, and domestic duties of a yacht on passage
3. Is aware of the significance of meteorological trends
4. Is aware of crew welfare on passage
5. Can use electronic navigational equipment for planning and undertaking a passage, including the use of waypoints and routes

• 5. Yacht handling under power

1. Can control the yacht effectively in a confined space under power
2. All berthing and unberthing situations in various conditions of wind and tide

• 6. Yacht handling under sail

1. Characteristics
2. Can use the sails to control the yacht in a confined space
3. Anchoring and mooring in various conditions of wind and tide
4. Can sail efficiently on all points of sailing

• 7. Adverse weather conditions

1. Preparation for heavy weather and yacht handling in strong winds
2. Navigation and general conduct in restricted visibility

• 8. Emergency situations

1. Recovery of man overboard under power and sail
2. Understands action to be taken when abandoning to the liferaft and during helicopter and lifeboat rescues