What follows is the Official Canadian Yachting Association description of the Level of Skills to be reached to meet the Basic Cruising Standard. It sounds daunting, a lot worse than it is in practice. No worries!
OBJECTIVE FOR BASIC CREW
To be able to act as competent crew while cruising safely in familiar waters aboard a sloop-rigged keelboat of 6 to 10 metres in moderate wind and sea conditions by day.
OBJECTIVE FOR BASIC CRUISING STANDARD (Day Skipper)
To be able to cruise safely in familiar waters as both skipper and crew of a sloop rigged keelboat of 6 to 10 meters in moderate wind and sea conditions by day.
PREREQUISITES FOR BOTH STANDARDS FOLLOW:-
ASHORE KNOWLEDGE FOR BOTH STANDARDS
1. 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
2. Describe the following with the aid of diagrams: Ahead, abeam and astern, forward and aft;
3. 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
Reaching (Close, beam and broad)
Section II: Gear and Equipment
The candidate must be able to:
4. List from memory the Department of Transport (DOT) required items for the candidate’s boat (Safe Boating Guide); The rules for care of PFDs and life jackets; The recommended method of testing for buoyancy in a PFD
5. Describe the reasons for keeping gear and equipment stowed in assigned places in a cruising boat; The frequency of maintenance of a recreational boat and its equipment; The miminum items recommended for a waterproof emergency kit.
Section III: Safety
The candidate must be able to:
6. Describe the purpose of a safety harness and dangers of improper attachment in a cruising boat;
7. State the purpose of pulpits and lifelines;
8. Describe the lights carried: under sail; under power and at anchor;
9. Concerning Hypothermia 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;
10. Describe the precautions taken to prevent undue magnetic influences to the vessel’s compass;
11. 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;
12. Describe safe refueling procedures;
13. Identify a scuba diving flag;
14. Describe:
a) The danger involved in re-charging batteries b) How to safely launch flares c) The types of signals used to indicate distress
15. Describe the uses, capabilities and limitations of a yacht radar reflector;
16. State the dangers of overhead power lines.
Section IV: Rules of the Road
The candidate must be able to:
17. Apply Rules 12 - 17 of the Collision Regulations by means of diagrams;
18. Describe the actions and precautions to be taken in reduced visibility.
Section V: Weather
The candidate must be able to:
19. State three sources of marine weather information;
20. Interpret the marine weather forecast applicable to the area of operation, and describe how to apply the information to decide:
a) Whether it is safe to set sail in the candidate’s boat, and
b) What changes are forecast for the next six hours and what expect these should have on the day’s planned activities;
21. 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
The candidate must be able to:
22. List the main responsibilities of the skipper and crew as listed below:
Skipper
Crew
24. Describe the danger of your lee shore;
25. Read the following information from a Canadian Hydrographic chart of the local area:
a) depth of water
b) types of bottom (sand, rock, mud and clay)
c) under water/surface hazards: kelp, cable, rock, shoals, cribs, wrecks, currents
d) buoys and their significance
e) light symbol
f) beacons
g) distance scale
26. Use Tide and Current Tables to find:
a) times and heights of tides at reference ports
b) direction and rate of current at reference stations
27. Describe:
a) the features of a secure anchorage
b) the holding characteristics of commonly used anchors
c) suitable rode
d) scope requirements when anchoring for lunch, overnight and rough weather
28. Describe the immediate action to be taken for the following circumstances:
- springing a leak
- steering fails
- grounding at anchor
- fouled propellor
- standing rigging fails
- dragging anchor
- running aground
- springing a leak
- broken halyard
- fire
29. 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
30. Describe the use of the VHF radio for receiving weather reports and making emergency calls.
AFLOAT SKILLS FOR BOTH STANDARDS
(18 hours minimum) Boat should be 6 - 10 meters sloop rigged keelboat.
Section VIII: Preliminaries
The candidate must be able to:
31. Demonstrate on land the correct method of putting on a personal flotation device in the water;
32. Demonstrate the correct use of a heaving line;
33. Carry out a check of the vessel’s gear and equipment in accordance with the CYA Cruising Boat Checklist, page 92-93, and demonstrate use and care of onboard equipment;
34. Select, bend on, check and stow sails; Coil a line and secure (sea coil);
35. Properly stow lines and fenders;
36. Demonstrate how to belay to a cleat;
37. Demonstrate safe winch techniques with particular emphasis on:
a) possible high strain on sheet/halyard,
b) how to avoid riding turns (and how to clear),
c) position of hands/fingers,
d) winch handles - fitting and removal.
Section IX: Manoeuvring Under Power
38. Start auxiliary engine on vessel, observing commonly accepted safety practices;
39. Come to a full stop with stern one half boat length away from a buoy using reverse. (The objective of this manoeuvre is to know how much distance is required to bring a vessel to a full stop. Vessel is to be kept on a straight course while the manoeuvre is being carried out);
40. Manoeuvre a vessel under power to a position alongside and parallel to a dock, portside to and starboardside to, not more than one meter off without the aid of lines, without the stern passing a given mark at any time during the manoeuvre;
41. Apply Rules 5 through 18 of the Collision Regulations as applied to a vessel under power;
42. Set anchor in water more than ten feet in depth, so not to drag when tested under engine power at half-throttle astern;
43. Raise anchor with boat ready and get under way.
Section X: Handling Under Sail
The candidate must be able to:
44. Hoist the mainsail while under power/at anchor, or mooring (Head to wind), hoist headsail, set appropriate luff tension, and flake halyards;
45. Apply Rules 5 through 18 of the Collision Regulations as applied to a vessel under sail;
46a. For Basic Crew Standard: Act as crew responding to commands whilst demonstrating the proper techniques of beating, reaching and running; tacking and gybing; heading up; bearing away; luffing and heaving to, using the correct responses.
46b. For Basic Cruising Standard: Act as skipper and crew giving correct commands and responses while demonstrating the proper techniques of beating, reaching and running; tacking and gybing; heading up bear away, luffing and heaving to; using the following commands and responses:
Commands/Responses/Alert
"Head Up"
"Bear Away"
"Ease Sheets"
"Harden Sheets"
"Ready About" "Ready" "Helms-a-Lee"
"Ready to Gybe" "Ready" "Gybe-ho"
47. Reduce sail by reefing and shake out a reef while keeping vessel under control;
48a. For Basic Crew Standard Demonstrate in response to skipper’s action/commands, while under sail, the triangle method crew overboard procedure.
Bring the vessel into irons, unassisted, in response to a crew overboard situation. Lower sails ensuring on-board control of all lines, start the engine, and manoeuvre the vessel under power to a successful Crew Overboard Return.
48b. For Basic Cruising Standard Demonstrate skipper’s action/commands while under sail 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 "Crew Overboard!",
b) Deploy marker and buoyant object(s),
c) Appoint and maintain a look out,
d) Triangle method of return (under sail),
e) Describe at least two methods of getting a person out of the water and back aboard.
The student must be able to perform returns both under power and sail. For these manoeuvres the crew can consist of three or more, but the student is to describe the actions to be taken if one of a two person crew falls overboard also, with the vessel under sail.
49. Lower sail while under power or at anchor or a mooring.
Section XI: Making Fast and Snugging Down
The candidate must be able to:
50. Secure a vessel to a dock to prevent excessive movement and set out fenders correctly;
51. Stop auxiliary engine and secure when departing vessel for night, observing commonly accepted safety practices;
52. Demonstrate the procedures for snugging down a vessel for overnight;
53. Tie the following knots, bends and hitches within 30 seconds each:
a) reef knot d) bowline
b) figure eight e) clove hitch
c) double sheet bend f) round turn & two half hitches.
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The candidate must be able to:a) Obey skipper
b) Assist skipper
Section VII: Seamanship
The candidate must be able to:
23. Describe the sequence of sail reduction as wind speed increases;
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
Section I: Terms and Definitions
The candidate must be able to:
None.