Fundamental Sailing Skills and Safety

This unit develops practical seamanship, safety, and basic navigation skills needed for recreational and small-craft sailing. Students practice rigging, sail handling, knots, emergency response, and decision-making using charts, compasses, and weather information to prepare for more advanced on-water instruction.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze trip parameters (boat type, route, crew, and weather) and select appropriate equipment, chartering options, and foul‑weather gear for a planned outing.
• Demonstrate proper rigging, raising and shaping sails, basic maneuvers (tack, jibe, coming about), anchoring, use of a dinghy, and secure mooring in on-water or simulated conditions.
• Apply essential seamanship techniques by tying and using the figure‑eight and bowline knots, throwing lines, recovering a man overboard, and treating hypothermia in emergency scenarios.
• Evaluate navigational and safety risks — including chart reading, compass use, fog, seasickness, and sail maintenance — and implement preventative maintenance and safety protocols.