Salt Spring Island Power & Sail Squadron

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Boating Courses

• Boating
  This course provides a general introduction to the safe handling of boats of all types.
  Upon successful completion of this course, a Pleasure Craft Operators card will be issued.
  Passing the Boating course is a prerequisite to Squadron membership and all advanced courses. Material covered includes; types of boats, boat handling, government regulations, nautical charts, aids to navigation, rules of the road, elementary chart plotting and calculations, the compass, bearings and fixes, safety considerations and equipment, lines and knots, anchoring, weather, canals, locks, and boating courtesy and customs. Length of course is approximately 14 weeks. It is to be offered in early January 2009.

• For more information contact Training Officer Lynn Clark 537.5377

Elective Courses
The following courses are available from the Saltspring Squadron for both members and the general public. Regular classroom instruction will be provided when demand warrants, otherwise these courses are available at any time by correspondence.

For further information contact Training Officer Lynn Clark 537.5377

• VHF Marine Radio Operators
  Learn the phonetic alphabet, as well as correct radiotelephone operating procedures. This course will enable you to pass the Industry Canada Restricted Radiotelephone Operator's Certificate Exam, which will be given at the conclusion of the teaching session. If you have a pleasure craft and have a fixed or portable marine radiotelphone you are required by law to have a Restricted Operator's Certificate which will be issued upon successful completion of this course. Approximately 6 hours. See the Boating Safety Notice. It is to be offered in December 2008.

• For more information contact Training Officer Lynn Clark 537.5377

• Weather
  Covers basic weather knowledge, atmosphere, clouds, pressure, wind, temperature, moisture, stability and instability, air masses, frontal weather, precipitation, fog, general circulation tropical hurricanes, wave theory and forecasting. Approximately 10 weeks.

• Marine Electronics
  Covers electrical power systems for boats, wiring, galvanic corrosion, stray current corrosion, radio signal propagation, depth sounders, Radar, Loran C, GPS, fuel vapor detectors, flux gate compasses. Auto pilots. and instrumentation. Approximately 10 weeks.

• Electronic Navigation
  Covers Loran C and GPS navigation, waypoint navigation, electronic charts on computer, interfacing, installation and wiring of antennas, EPIRBS. Approx. 10 weeks.

• Marine Maintenance
  Covers preventive, seasonal and emergency maintenance, repairs to wood, fiberglass and metal hulls, gas and diesel engines, electrical and mechanical systems, spars, rigging, and ground tackle, fire and safety equipment, moorings, trailers, tools and fittings. 10 weeks

• Seamanship Power
  Covers terminology power train, hull forms, hull performance, engine controls and instruments, buoyancy, stability, handling under power, mooring and anchoring, legal responsibilities, engines, fuels, fuel systems, electrical systems, cooling, lubrication, maintenance, and navigation exercises. 13 weeks.

• Seamanship Sail
  Covers spars and rigging, sails, theory of sail action, balance under sail, getting under way, under way, piloting under sail and cruising under sail. 10 weeks.

• Offshore Sailing
  Course for the serious racer and the truly bluewater, offshore cruiser. It provides suggestions, tips and techniques for the serious sailor.
  

Advanced Courses for Squadron Members
The following courses are avilable when demand warrants and are available at any time by correspondence.

Contact Training Officer Lynn Clark 537.5377.

• Piloting
  This course covers hull forms and performance, buoyancy, stability, legal responsibilities, weather, adverse conditions, emergencies, currents and leeway, running fixes, aids to navigation, and controllable / non controllable forces. Approximately 10 weeks.

• Advanced Piloting
  Prerequisite: Piloting.This course covers charts, compass, tides and currents, leeway, piloting a course, time-speed-distance, fixes, running fixes, standing clear of danger, aids to Navigation, electronic aids and introduction to the sextant. Approximately 10 weeks.

• Celestial Navigation
  Prerequisite: Advanced Piloting. Covers navigating without land based aids, the sextant, celestial observations, Nautical Almanac, plotting signals Pilot, the sailing triangle, systems of co-ordinates by celestial bodies, types of time, methods of sight reduction, accurate chart work, and Traverse Mercator and Great Circle Sailing. This course is really valuable for offshore passage makers.

Salt Spring Island Squadron
of Canadian Power & Sail Squadrons
PO Box 573, Ganges PO
Ganges, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 2W2

This page last updated November 21, 2008