AFLOAT SKILLS

(18 hours minimum) Boat should be a 6 - 10 metre, sloop rigged keelboat.

Section VIII: Preliminaries

The candidate must be able to:

1. Demonstrate on land the correct method of putting on a personal flotation device in the water;
2. Demonstrate the correct use of a heaving line;
3. Carry out a check of the vessel's gear and equipment in accordance with CYA Cruising Boat Checklist and demonstrate use and care of onboard equipment;
4. Select, bend on, check and stow sails;
5. Coil a line and secure (sea coil);
6. Properly stow lines and fenders;
7. Demonstrate how to belay a cleat;
8. 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

The candidate must be able to:

9. Start auxiliary engine on vessel, observing commonly accepted safety practices;
10. 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 carrried out);
11. Manoeuvre a vessel under power to a position alongside and parallel to a dock portside to and starboardside to not more than two feet off without the aid of lines, without the stern passing a given mark at any time during the manoeuvre;
12. Apply Rules 5 through 18 of the Collision Regulations as applied to a vessel under power;
13. Handle the ground tackle or assist in the lowering and setting of an anchor under power in water more than 3 meters in depth while at the helm or assisting under the direction of a skipper. The anchor must not drag when tested under engine power at half-throttle astern;
14. Raise anchor under the direction of the skipper with boat ready and get under way, at the helm or handling ground tackle, using commonly accepted practices under power.

Section X: Boat Handling Under Sail

The candidate must be able to:

15. Hoist the basic sails while under power/at anchor, or mooring (head to wind, main sail first), set appropriate luff tensions, and flake halyards;
16. Apply Rules 5 through 18 of the Collision Regulations as applied to a vessel under sail;
17. Act as crew responding to commands while demonstrating the proper techniques of beating, reaching and running; tacking and gybing; heading up, bearing 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-Alee"
    "Ready to Gybe"	"Ready"	"Gybe-Ho"

18. Demonstrate as crew, trimming of sails either in response to course changes or wind shifts and prepare sails for tacking or gybing with verbal response "Ready";
19. Reduce sail by reefing and shake out a reef while keeping vessel under control, either at the helm or controlling the sails, as commanded by the skipper;
20. Demonstrate in response to the skipper's actions/commands, while under sail, the Triangle Method Crew Overboard procedure;
21. 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.
    NOTE: Both Performance Objectives (PO's) 20 and 21 above must be completed in reasonable time without losing sight of the victim or marker in the water;
22. Lower sail while under power or at anchor or a mooring.

Section XI: Making Fast and Snugging Down

The candidate must be able to:

23. Secure a vessel to a dock to prevent excessive movement and set out fenders correctly;
24. Stop auxiliary engine and secure when departing vessel for night, observing commonly accepted safety practices;
25. Demonstrate how to secure a vessel for the night using appropriate dock lines;
26. Tie the following knots, bends and hitches within 30 seconds each:

    a) Reef knot	d) Bowline
    b) Figure eight	c) Clove hitch
    c) Double sheet bend	f) Round turn and two half hitches.