FBC - Near Coastal Practical Session

FBC – Member Training
Near Coastal Day Cruising Course

Key Course Details

• Duration:         4.5 hrs
• Format:            Practical Course (On Vessel)
• Course Size:     3 members
• Price:                $525/course ($175pp)

Course Aim

The objective of the course is to qualify FBC Members to take powerboat into Open Water (restricted area) as part of the Membership Services.  Each Member will need to attend both Theory and practical sessions to gain knowledge and practical experience to a minimum standard to complete a short coastal passage by day.

Course Duration

4.5hrs practical Open Water Boat handling, Harbour Pilotage and some Cruising & Passage Planning topics.

Instructor to Student Ratio

The RYA teaching ratio is one Instructor to three students to one boat (3:1).

Prior Experience Required

Members should be holding State Based Recreational Boat Licence and a minimum 12 month practical experience. The course includes time on developing your boat handling we will not have time to develop basic techniques.

Course Dates (Practical)

Refer to Website for exact times and dates – generally 5 sessions per month.

• Tuesday- 0730 – 1200 or 1230 – 1700 on a fortnightly basis
• Sunday – 0730 – 1200 on a monthly basis.
• By Appointment - for groups of 3 other times (weekdays only) can be scheduled to suit your diary.

The Course

Broadly speaking the course divides into

• Developing the core navigation skills to be able to undertake coastal passages
• Using these skills afloat to undertake a passage/entry to a port safely.

The course will cover the following topics and activities:

Theory Subjects	Practical Activities
Navigation basics – Charts and Plotters Bearing & distance Tides and Open Water Use of almanacs Use of marina locks Latitude & longitude Sources of Weather (forecast & updates) Buoyage Collision Regulations [IRPCS] Waypoints, Routes & Navigation Emergency situations	Boat preparation including kit Crew preparation Stowage Boat handling including effect of waves Awareness of wind & tide Pilotage Passage Making Man overboard recovery techniques

 

• Theory Session – both a bit of a recap on the theory side and introducing the new / advanced knowledge we need to achieve during the course.
• Passage Planning Exercise – each candidate will look in detail at the areas of passage planning and pilotage so that you have the skills to put it into practice.
• On-Water Practical - time learning new skills such as the ways to use GPS to create effective and rapid position fixes in small open craft. Use the skills developed in theory and assignment to execute pilotage and passage simulation.
• Harbour Location - one of the great benefits of our training locations in Port Jackson becomes apparent when you undertake a course such as the intermediate course. There are so many harbours, channels and entrances in the areas that we can use to practice the skills that the course develops that it makes using these skills so much easier.
• Coastal Location -  equally, once through the heads the true impact of Open Water / Coastal Passage making at immediate.

Instructors

All experienced and qualified, AMSA Qualified Skippers and Powerboat Instructors (RYA, IYT or Australian Sailing).  Our instructors know the areas where we run these courses very well but critically have real first-hand experience of making passages in small open craft so understand the practicalities and limitations of doing so.