Intermediate Seamanship and Trip Planning

This unit develops hands-on seamanship, safety, and voyage-preparation skills needed for short cruising and day-sailing. Students will build on foundational boat handling to practice anchoring, sail and weight trim, line work and knots, basic piloting, vessel care, and trip- and emergency-preparation techniques to operate safely and confidently on the water.

Learning Objectives

• Apply proper anchoring and mooring techniques—including anchor selection, scope, setting, and monitoring—to secure a vessel in a variety of sheltered and open-water conditions.
• Demonstrate seamanship and boat-handling skills by executing sail trim adjustments, fore-and-aft trim, launching and retrieving, docking, towing, line handling, and knot-tying (square knot and cleat hitch) with safe crew communication.
• Analyze environmental factors (wind, sea breeze, tide, and current) and basic piloting/navigation information to plan and adjust short coastal or bay passages, approaches, and positioning.
• Evaluate vessel readiness and personal safety by performing routine hull and prop maintenance checks, packing appropriate gear, implementing sun and dehydration prevention, and applying storm-survival and emergency-communication procedures.