Boat Master

Experience required prior training:  None

Certification required prior training:   VHF/SRC

Minimum age required:  16 years old

Equipment requirements: Power boat up to 12 m long, able to plane

Suggested number of training hours:  25 hours (including 6 h practice)

Qualifications obtained after the course:  Skipper power boats:
– up to 12 m long (with inboard our outboard engine)
– day time
– conditions up to 6 B degrees
– up to 10 mile from shore

Skills and knowledge required for a Boat Master

Boat’s construction

• Knows the basic terminology of a power boat:
  Bow
  Stern, aft, etc

• Can fill up the water and fuel tanks

• Can operate the engine
  Start
  Switch it off
  Check operation of cooling system
  Check oil level
  Top up engine oil
  Check cooling fluid level
  Top up cooling fluid level
  Find bottom valves
  Recognize the breakdown of impeller in cooling system and possibly replace it
  Check whether alternator is charging batteries when engine is working

• Knows elementary equipment of yacht:
  Echo-sounder (location, operation, typical errors)
  Log
  Steering system

Line and spring handling

• Can combine two lines of the same and different diameter

• Can make:
  Bowline
  Fast a line on a cleat
  Fishermen’s bend
  Coil mooring lines

• Can:
  Pass, take, make fast on cleat, let go mooring lines
  Throw mooring lines
  Describe different ways of taking a mooring

Handling fenders

• Can:
  Fix the fenders using adequate knots
  Effectively apply the maneuvering fender

Operating the anchor

• Can:
  ° Prepare the anchor for weighing
  ° Select safe location for staying at anchor
  ° Apply rules for safe anchoring (4xdepth, anchor alarm/watch)
  ° Distinguish different types of anchors and their characteristics.

Safety

• Can:
  Perform the safety briefing
  How to move on deck
  How to apply personal safety equipment (harness, jackstay, etc.)
  Apply distress signaling equipment (pyrotechnics, flags, etc.)
  Different methods to send distress signal
  Make a distress call with help of VHF
  Knows procedures to be applied in restricted visibility
  Basic knowledge about SAR procedures (RIB, helicopter)
  First Aid Kit (location and content)

Handling boat under power

• Can:
  Launch and recover a boat
  Maneuver a boat under power
  Approach a MOB
  Take a berth/leave a berth (alongside, stern-to, bow-to)
  Weigh anchor

International Rules for Preventing Collisions at Sea

• Knows the navigation shapes and lights:
  Vessel not under command
  Vessel restricted in ability to maneuver
  Vessel engaged in fishing
  Vessel aground
  Pilot vessel
  Towing set
  Sailing yacht
  Power driven vessel

• Knows the vessels’ priority at sea;

• Knows how to proceed in a close encounter situation

• Is familiar and complies with the requirement for continues observation

• Is familiar with other legal obligations of a skipper and crew

• Is familiar with and understands after-collision rules applicable at sea

Navigational Aids

• Knows, understands and is able to recognize lateral and smaller channel marks at day time in system IALA A and B

• Knows, understands and is able to recognize cardinal marks and other navigational marks (safe water mark, isolated danger mark) at day time

• Is able to use the list of marks and symbols used on charts (eg. Chart 5011)

• Is able to apply navigational publications when planning a port’s entry (pilot books, almanacs, navigational plans)

• Knows and can recognize light characteristics of Lighthouses/navigational marks

Terrestrial navigation

• Knows and understands the basic terms from geography:
  Latitude
  Longitude
  Magnetic pole
  Geographic pole
  Earth’s magnetic field

• Knows the basic types of sea charts, their construction and application:
  Mercator’s projection chart (how is it constructed, spreading of parallels, construction parallel)
  Passage charts, coastal charts, plans

• Can read elementary information from a chart that is crucial for safe sailing:
  Depths
  Distance
  Navigational obstacles
  Navigational marks

• Can read charts/ plot latitude and longitude

• Knows and understands the phenomenon of Earth’s magnetism, variation and deviation

• Can use a compass

• Can make use of various bearing lines

• Has general information about tides and tide-related dangers

Electronic-based navigation

• Knows how the GPS system works

• Can enable and check the elementary settings of GPS and plotter

• Can set and read adequate course on GPS

• Can plot a position on a chart taken from a GPS

• Knows what is AIS, ARPA, VTS

Meteorology

• Knows the Beaufort scale and its meaning for small craft

• Knows sources of meteo information and how to use them

• Has the basic knowledge about high, low pressure areas, fronts

• Can recognize cumulonimbus clouds

• Understands meteo messages (including those broadcast by radio coastal stations)

• Can take meteo factors into consideration when planning a passage in a coastal zone

• Has the habit not to leave harbor without valid weather forecast

Other

• Environmental friendly approach and respect to other yachtsmen 

• Knows and applies basic pro-environmental rules

• Knows and applies social friendly approach at sea and in harbor