Basic Cruising Standard 
(DAY SKIPPER
SAIL)
OBJECTIVE
At the completion of the Basic
Cruising Standard you should be able to cruise safely in familiar waters as both skipper and crew of a sloop rigged
keel boat of 6 to 10 meters in moderate wind and sea conditions by day.
PREREQUISITES
None.
ASHORE KNOWLEDGE - Basic
Cruising
Section I: Terms and
Definitions
You must be able
to:
-
Identify and describe the
following:
Hull and keel |
Gooseneck |
Bow, beam and
stern |
Boomvang and topping
lift |
Fenders |
Shackles and
fairleads |
Deck and
cabin |
Cleats and
winches |
Rudder and
tiller/wheel |
Pulpit and
pushpit |
Cockpit and self-bailing
cockpit |
Stanchions and
lifelines |
Gudgeons and
pintles |
Main, jib and storm
jib |
Mast and boom |
Genoa and
spinnaker |
Spreader |
Head, tack and
clew |
Shrouds and
stays |
Luff, foot and
leech |
Tangs and
turnbuckles |
Battens, hanks and
slides |
Chainplates |
Cringles and reef
points |
Running
rigging |
Roller and jiffy/slab
reefing |
Standing
rigging |
Sheets and
halyards |
Telltales |
Outhaul and
cunningham |
Spring and breast
lines |
Roller
furling |
- Describe the following with the aid of
diagrams: Ahead, abeam and astern, forward and aft;
-
Define and be able to identify these terms
from a diagram:
Port |
Underway |
Starboard |
No way |
Windward |
In irons |
Leeward |
Beating |
Tacking |
Sailing by the
lee |
Gybing |
Running |
Close Hauled |
On a tack |
Port tack |
Luffing (of
sail) |
Starboard
tack |
Heading up |
Leeway |
Bearing away |
Wash |
Wake |
Reaching (Close, beam and
broad) |
Section II: Gear and
Equipment
You must be able
to:
- List from memory:
a) the Transport Canada required items for your boat (Safe Boating
Guide),
b) the rules for care of PFD’s and Life Jackets,
c) the recommended method of testing for buoyancy in a
PFD;
- Describe:
a) the reasons for keeping gear and equipment stowed in assigned places in a
cruising boat.
b) the frequency of maintenance of a recreational boat and its equipment so that
it is capable of functioning at all times,
c) the minimum items recommended for a waterproof emergency
kit
Section III:
Safety
You must be able
to:
- Describe:
a) The purpose of a safety harness and dangers of improper attachment in a
cruising boat,
b) The purpose of pulpits and lifelines;
- Identify the required navigation lights for
a boat:
a) under sail; under power and at anchor and describe the angles of
each;
b) for an unpowered boat less than 6 meters in
length;
- Describe the effects, treatment and
prevention of hypothermia including:
a) Define hypothermia and describe the major areas of heat loss to the
body,
b) Describe treatment for mild and severe hypothermia,
c) List correct actions to be taken by a victim in cold water to increase
survival time;
- Describe the precautions taken to prevent
undue magnetic influences to the boat’s compass;
- Describe the common sources of fire and
explosion and list the methods for preventing such occurrences and actions to be taken in the event of an
onboard fire;
- Describe safe refueling
procedures;
- Identify a scuba diving
flag;
- Describe:
a) The danger involved in re-charging batteries,
b) How to safely launch flares;
c) The types of signals used to indicated distress;
d) List the actions to be taken in case of a
capsize;
- Describe the uses, capabilities and
limitations of a yacht radar reflector;
- State the dangers of overhead power
lines.
- Describe:
a) Reasons for filing a float plan and who the plan should be filed
with;
b) Items of important information which should be included in a Float
Plan,
c) Reasons for completing a pre-departure
check-list;
Section IV: Rules of the
Road and Canadian Regulations
You must be able
to:
- Apply Rules 12 - 17 of the
Collision Regulations by means
of diagrams;
-
Identify and describe the
following:
Pleasure
craft |
Power driven
boat |
Sailing boat |
Recommended gross load
capacity |
Capacity
plate |
Recommended safe limit of engine
power |
- Identify:
a) Four considerations in determining the safe speed to operate a
boat,
b) The actions and precautions to be taken in reduced visibility,
c) Responsibilities when operating in a commercial traffic
lane;
-
Demonstrate knowledge of regulations
applying to boaters:
a) Identify the minimum required publications for operating a 10 meter
pleasure boat in unfamiliar waters,
b) Describe the guidelines for licensing and how a license number must be
marked on a boat,
c) Identify the principal acts / legislation that a pleasure craft operator
should be knowledgeable about, and the areas covered by each including:
Canada Shipping
Act |
Small Vessel
Regulations, |
Boating Restriction
Regulations |
Contraventions
Act |
Collision
Regulations |
The Criminal Code of
Canada. |
Section V:
Weather
You must be able
to:
- State three sources of marine
weather information;
-
Interpret the marine weather forecast
applicable to the area of operation, and describe how to apply the information:
a) Determine whether it is safe to set sail in You’s boat, and
b) Decide what changes are forecast for the next six hours and what effect
these should have on the day’s planned activities,
c) Identify the wind speeds associated with
Light winds |
Moderate
winds |
Strong winds |
Small craft
warning |
Gale warning |
Storm warning |
- Describe local weather hazards, how they can
be identified, the normal warning time available, and the actions to be taken to reduce/avoid
effects.
Section VI: Duties of the
Skipper and Crew
You must be able
to:
- List the main responsibilities of
the skipper and crew as listed below:
Skipper
a) Safety of crew and boat,
b) Briefing on location and operation of lifesaving and other safety equipment
prior to getting underway,
c) Assigning duties,
d) Instruction in the safe use of the boat’s equipment while underway;
e) Obligations on observing an accident or boat in distress;
f) Actions to demonstrate respect for other boaters and other’s
property;
Crew
a) Obey skipper
b) Assist skipper
Section VII:
Seamanship
You must be able
to:
- Describe the sequence of sail
reduction as wind speed increases;
- Describe the danger of your lee
shore;
- Understand the use of a Canadian
Hydrographic chart of the local area: Describe:
a) a chart
b) aids to navigation
Read:
a) depth of water
b) distance scale
c) buoys and their significance
d) types of bottom (sand, rock, mud and clay)
e) under water/surface hazards: kelp, cable, rock, shoals, cribs, wrecks,
currents
f) light symbols
g) beacons
- Use of Tide and Current Tables to
find:
a) times and heights of tides at reference ports
b) direction and rate of current at reference
stations
- Describe:
a) the features of a secure anchorage
b) the holding characteristics of commonly used anchors
c) suitable rode makeup and handling
d) scope requirements when anchoring for lunch, overnight and rough
weather
-
Describe the immediate action to be taken
for the following circumstances:
a) springing a
leak |
f) dragging
anchor |
b) steering
fails |
g) running
aground |
c) grounding at
anchor |
h) broken
halyard |
d) fouled
propeller |
i) fire |
e) standing rigging
fails |
-
Describe the one commonly accepted use for
each of the following knots, bends and hitches:
a) reef knot |
d) bowline |
b) figure
eight |
e) clove
hitch |
c) double sheet
bend |
f) round turn & two half
hitches |
- Describe the use of the VHF radio for
receiving weather reports and making emergency calls.
AFLOAT SKILLS - Basic Cruising Standard continues
on Page 2
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