Fundamental Boat Handling & Safety

This unit develops essential seamanship skills for safe day sailing: pre-departure preparation, rigging, basic sail handling and knots, line work, anchoring, and emergency responses. Students will practice navigation basics (charts and compass), weather evaluation, and onboard safety procedures to prepare for more advanced navigation and voyage planning in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Demonstrate pre-departure inspections and standard rigging procedures, including mast and sail checks, raising sails, and preparing dinghies for short trips
• Apply common knots and line-handling techniques (figure-eight, bowline, throwing a line, securing dock lines) to rigging, anchoring, and tying up scenarios
• Analyze weather, chart, and compass information to plan safe short voyages and make operational decisions in reduced visibility (fog) or changing conditions
• Demonstrate emergency and safety procedures including man-overboard recovery, hypothermia response, seasickness mitigation, use of foul-weather gear, and basic sail repairs/jury-rigging