AFLOAT SKILLS - Basic Outboard
Preliminaries
You must be able
to:
- Demonstrate (on shore) the correct method of
putting on a personal flotation device (PFD) while in the water;
- Demonstrate the correct method of boarding a
boat from a dock or a beach and storing equipment brought on board;
- Demonstrate the correct method for starting
an outboard engine while observing proper safety practices;
- Demonstrate an alternate starting system for
an outboard engine.
Manoeuvring Under
Power
You must be able
to:
- Manoeuvre an outboard powered boat
from and to a side dock correctly under the following wind and current conditions:
a) Wind/current parallel to dock
b) Wind/current away from dock
c) Wind/current towards the dock;
- Bring the boat to a mooring buoy and
successfully retrieve the mooring lines;
-
Manoeuvre a boat under varying sea and wind
conditions with the wind from the following points:
Ahead |
Astern |
Abeam |
Quarter |
- Set anchor in water more than 3 meters deep
so as not to drag when tested under power of half-throttle astern;
- Weigh anchor and get boat ready and
underway;
- Demonstrate skipper's actions/commands from
the time a member of the crew falls overboard without warning, until the crew is safely recovered. Consider the
crew overboard wearing a PFD and able to assist him/herself.
Include the following minimum actions:
a) Sound alarm,
b) Deploy marker and buoyant object(s),
c) Appoint and maintain a lookout;
- Demonstrate the basic principles of handling
a boat under adverse weather conditions such as zigzagging while heading broadside to the waves and while
heading into the waves.
Making Fast and Snugging
Down
You must be able
to:
- Secure the boat for a prolonged
period of time preventing excessive motion and correctly placing fenders while broadside to a dock, in a slip
with pilings and with flexible stern moorings;
- Demonstrate a landing on a beach and bring
the boat ashore;
-
Tie each of the following knots, bends and
hitches within 30 seconds:
Bowline |
Reef knot |
Round turn & two half
hitches |
Figure eight |
Clove Hitch |
Double sheet
bend.
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Docking a single sterndrive or
outboard.
Docking the most popular drive systems are, as it turns out, the most difficult.
Without learning the key to reverse, you could spend summers figuring out why your boat does not behave, as you
expect.
Doug reveals the "key", you need to know to dock your Single Outboard
like a pro.

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