Advanced Cruising Standard

OBJECTIVE

To be able to act safely as skipper and crew of a sailing cruiser of 8 - 15 metres, operating by day and night in coastal or inland water in any weather.

PREREQUISITES

Basic Cruising, Intermediate Cruising and Coastal Navigation Standards; Red Cross or St. John Ambulance Emergency First Aid Certificate and a VHF radio certificate (Radio Operator's Restricted Certificate - Maritime Voluntary). Minimum course time for teaching this Standard is six days.

Note: To maximize the likelihood of successfully completing the Advanced Cruising Standard, a student should have:

ASHORE KNOWLEDGE

Section I. Sail Theory

The candidate must be able to:

1. Describe the theory of true and apparent wind;

2. Describe the theory of sailing with diagrams showing force diagrams of sails, keel and boat and a method of finding centre of effort and centre of lateral resistance;

3. Describe with the aid of diagrams the causes of lee and weather helm, and the method of correcting them. Included must be:

Section II. Weather

The candidate must be able to:

5. Describe the progress of a low pressure area and its associated warm and cold fronts with regard to their related winds, pressure changes, temperature changes, wind shifts and clouds and be able to use these factors to make elementary weather forecasts;

6. Give visual description of cirrus, altostratus and cumulus type clouds, and be able to describe the expected weather associated with each. 

Section III. Safety

The candidate must be able to:

7. Apply Rules 1 through 36, 40 and 45 of the Collision Regulations so as to be able to recognize all lights;

8. Cite from memory the distress signals in Annex IV of the Collision Regulations;

9. Describe the recommended methods of grounding for lightning:

Section IV. Use, Maintenance and Repair of Boat and Equipment

The candidate must be able to:

10. Describe how to winterize candidate's hull and equipment in local area (excluding sails and spars) and to prepare for spring launch. In location where the vessel is afloat all year, describe yearly haul-out and overhaul;

11. Describe seasonal checks of sails, spars, standing rigging, and running rigging;

12. List the factors that adversely affect the operation of Radio Direction Finder (RDF), Loran, Radar, GPS or other electronic aids to navigation aboard the vessel being used for instruction. 

Section V. Seamanship

The candidate must be able to:

13. Describe two methods of using a second anchor to reduce swinging;

14. Describe:

15. Describe how the vessel should be handled, and what remedial action should be taken when the following emergencies occur while under sail:

16. Describe towing bridles for both disabled and towing boats and to describe precautions to be taken prior to getting underway, while getting underway, and while underway;

17. Describe the selection of sails for use on the vessel selected, in relation to weather, in all conditions likely to be found in the local area, and give reasons for the selections made.
Include the full range of sail combinations available from full canvas to bare poles;

18. Describe the appropriate heavy weather precautions for the vessel selected, and describe how they are carried out. To include sail changes, use of special equipment such as safety harness, sea anchor, doubling up of gear, special checks in areas likely to chafe, storage of equipment above and below decks, checks on condition of bilge, special arrangements for dinghy tender (if used), methods of dealing with and avoiding fatigue, selection of clothing, and schedule of watches;

19. Describe the actions in the vessel selected for heaving to and lying a-hull;

20. Plan a cruise of 5 days with a non-stop passage of 40 hours, taking into account food, watches, navigation (as per CYA Standards) anchorages and alternative routes and shelters;

21. Describe (and where practical demonstrate) the appropriate remedial action for the following electro-mechanical problems:

22. Describe when and how to carry out an oil change on the engine;

23. Describe how to change a fuel filter and bleed fuel supply lines for a diesel engine;

24. Demonstrate the use of safety harness, personal strobe light, and an EPIRB. 

AFLOAT SKILLS:

To be completed in a vessel of 8-15 metres with any modern rig and inboard engine. The minimum time for evaluation of this standard is 48 consecutive hours. It is envisioned that the program will be taught in six days to adequately cover all the performance objectives.

The candidate must be able to:

1. Check out a given boat for extended passage to include:

2. Apply Rules 1 through 36, 40 and 45 of the Collision Regulations in practical on-water situations;

3. Maneuver under power in simulated tight conditions with high winds and/or tidal currents and dock the boat under same conditions;

4. Determine deviation of the ship's compass using a transit;

5. Determine accuracy of knotmeter and depthsounder and make adjustments, if possible;

6. Sail a vessel of the given size at an advanced level of skill, on the helm and as crew, on all points of sail;

7. Dock and leave dock under sail;

8. Set and weigh anchor under sail;

9. Take appropriate action in the event an engine fails in various conditions (to be simulated);

10. Check the tune of a mast;

11. Rescue a swamped dinghy and, if possible, stow it on deck while underway;

12. Perform the following Crew Overboard return procedures by day and night:

13. Simulate at least two different methods of recovering a Crew Overboard;

14. Prepare and serve a hot meal while underway;

15. Pack, hoist, set, fly, gybe and douse a spinnaker;

16. Stand a navigation watch of 20 miles by day and 20 miles by night, keeping a full navigation log including the following:

17. Set an anchor from a dinghy;

18. Set a Bahamian moor;

19. Make an eye splice in braided line;

20. Act as skipper and responsible crew on a live-aboard cruise of at least 48 consecutive hours;

21. Satisfactorily demonstrate the ability to assume total command of all operations of the vessel and its crew