This course aims to introduce the skills required to be a useful crew member and you will gain an understanding of how you can assist the skipper.
Duration: One day as a stand-alone course, or two days when accompanying other courses
Minimum age: 8
Non-residential course
Personal Safety
Understands:
- The difference between manual and auto-inflating life jackets
- The importance of crotch straps
- Appropriate clothing
- Cold shock
Can:
- Correctly fit a life jacket
Seamanship
Understands:
- The importance of securely storing items before going to sea
Can:
- Keep a lookout
Emergency Situations
Knowledge of:
- Problems that can happen at sea
Understands:
- Their role in an emergency
- How to raise the alarm
- How to prevent man overboard
- The safety procedures on their vessel
Can:
- Deploy the anchor (8-11 year olds observe this session only)
- Locate life saving appliances (LSAs) and first aid kit
- Read a position from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
- Use a boat hook
Coming Alongside/Picking up a mooring
Knowledge of:
- What the manoeuvre entails
Understands:
- Preparation of mooring lines
- Communication and the importance of letting the helm know when they have slipped or attached the lines
Can:
- Attach feeders
- Coil a line
- Throw a mooring line
- Attach a line to a cleat
Boat Handling
Understands:
- The importance of crew communication
- Can (under direction):
- Start and stop the engine
- Steer and control boat speed
- Pick up a mooring