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Practical Sailing Proficiency

Having a Practical Verification notice on a student's certification and sailing resume means that the student was physically "checked-out" on the water by a professional instructor. The instructor then certified via a secure login to a special NauticEd instructor verification page that the student was proficient in the skills associated with the corresponding NauticEd Practical Rank.

Practical Skipper Proficiency Stamp

In general, the student will have been tested on the following however download the Instructor check-out document to attain the Practical Skipper Proficiency stamp for a more indepth view.

Below Decks

The student is able easily familiarize themselves, identify, make proper use of areas and equipment including:

  • Stowage Areas: safety items that might be stored and their location - such as fire extinguishers, flares, first aid, tool kit.
  • Salon: Understands closing hatches under sail, CO2 sensors, bilge pump operation
  • Head: Proper use of head, "y" valve, seacocks, shower drain.
  • Galley: Proper use of the stove and LP gas procedures, seacocks
  • Engine: Able to check and replenish oil levels, transmission fluids, transmission linkages, raw water intakes and strainers, identify water pump, packing gland, fuel filters
  • Electric Panel: Understands AC and DC sides and all switches. Understands DC power conservation and recharging.

Above Decks

The student is able easily familiarize themselves, identify, make proper use of areas and equipment above deck including:

  • Safety Items: emergency lights, PFD's Life Rings and throwable floatation devices,
  • House: shore power, fuel-water-waste tanks, emergency tiller,
  • Running Rigging: halyards, outhaul-inhaul lines, boom vang, sheets, traveler, boom topping lift
  • Forward: Windlass operation and reset switch, roller furling operation
  • Amidships: Fender placement and attachment, main roller furler, main sail attachments to clew, head and tack.
  • Aft/cockpit: Engine starting and stopping, gear lever usage, engine alarms, life lines, wheel lock
  • Electronics: GPS- turn on and obtain position, Autopilot, wind-depth-speed instruments, place emergency VHF call

Sailing and Maneuvering

The student is able to:

  • Under power, confidently maneuver the boat in circles, figure 8's, in forward and reverse, back in a straight line and into a slip, go forward into a slip with out using excessive speed or power. Understands momentum, propwalk and windage on the vessel. Begins backing maneuvers with vessel stern to wind. Can parallel dock in various wind conditions.
  • Hoist, douse, furl and unfurl sails
  • Confidently handle the boat under sail including giving proper commands to crew.
  • Correctly set the sails at optimum angles for all points of sail.
  • Tack and gybe confidently using proper sheet handling techniques
  • Heave to
  • Demonstrate knowledge of right of way in multiple situations
  • Under sail, hold a straight course

Docking, Anchoring and Mooring

  • Leave and return to dock using proper techniques including springing off/on and commands to the crew.
  • Demonstrate proper anchoring techniques including site selection and scope determination
  • Demonstrate proper mooring techniques

Crew Over Board

  • Successfully demonstrated several crew over board retrieval measures

Knots

  • Bowline, Figure 8, Cleat hitch, Clove hitch, Round turn two half hitches, Reef knot, Sheet bend