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 Afloat Skills
 
Section I: Preliminaries
The candidate must be able to:
  1. Demonstrate (on shore) the correct method of putting on a personal flotation device (PFD) while in the water.
  2. Demonstrate the correct method of boarding a boat from a dock or a beach and storing equipment brought on board.
  3. Demonstrate the correct method for starting an outboard engine while observing proper safety practices.
  4. Demonstrate an alternative starting system for an outboard engine.
 
Section II: Manoeuvring Under Power
The candidate must be able to:
  1. Manoeuvre an outboard-powered boat from and to a side dock correctly under the following wind and current conditions:
    1. Wind/current parallel to dock,
    2. Wind/current away from dock,
    3. Wind/current towards the dock
  2. Bring the boat to a mooring buoy and successfully retrieve the mooring lines.
  3. Manoeuvre a boat under varying sea and wind conditions with the wind from the following points.
    1. Ahead
    2. Astern
    3. Abeam
    4. Quarter
  4. Set anchor in water more than three metres deep so as not to drag when tested under power of half-throttle astern.
  5. Weigh anchor and get boat ready and underway.
  6. 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:
    1. Sound alarm;
    2. Deploy marker and buoyant object(s);
    3. Appoint and maintain a lookout.
  7. 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.
Section III: Making Fast and Snugging Down
The candidate must be able to:
  1. 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.
  2. Demonstrate a landing on a beach and bring the boat ashore.
  3. Tie each of the following knots, bends and hitches within 30 seconds:
    1. Bowline
    2. Reef knot
    3. Round turn and two half-hitches
    4. Figure eight
    5. Clove hitch
    6. Double sheet bend