View source for Offshore2013

This is the outline for the offshore sailing course, January 2013.

=Session 1: Introduction=
10jan2013 - mwall
  - outline of the course
  - experiences of each person in the course
  - types of boats - hulls, keels, sail plan, instruments
  - difference between racing, cruising, offshore racing, day sailing
  - season plan for x-dimension - races, crew requirements, crew selection
 - boat
  - day sail boats vs racing boats vs offshore
  - hulls and keels
  - sail plans
  - skills needed for each type of racing
  - preparation needed for each type of racing

=Session 2: Yacht Preparation=
15jan2013 - mwall
 - boat - enumerate variants, highlight x-dim, what fails, what spares to keep
  - steering mechanisms
  - engine
  - electrical systems
  - navigation systems
  - freshwater
  - septic
  - standing rigging
  - running rigging
 - what tools are critical

=Session 3: Life Aboard=
17jan2013 - gigi, keith
 - cooking
  - meal planning - examples of good, bad; sample meal plan for bvi
  - provisioning
  - how much per person?
  - how to cook with propane
  - living with limited refrigeration
 - watch systems
 - sleeping
 - seasickness
 - communications
  - into/out of port/harboar
  - with coast guard
  - with other vessels
  - during races
  - within the boat communication (e.g. skipper to foredeck when mooring)

=Session 4: Weather=
22jan2013 - steve

Useful Sources of Weather Information

NOAA National Maps:  http://www.nws.noaa.gov/outlook_tab.php

NOAA Marine Forecast by Zone (Coastal):  http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/zone/east/boxmz.htm

Boston Harbor Marine Forecast:  http://forecast.weather.gov/shmrn.php?mz=anz230&syn=anz200

Passage Weather:  http://www.passageweather.com

North Atlantic Weather Fax Charts:  http://weather.noaa.gov/fax/marsh.shtml

Gulf Stream and Offshore Weather:  http://www.bermudarace.com/DefaultPermissions/LogisticsResources/tabid/202/Default.aspx

Slides from Weather Lecture:  [[http://sailing.mit.edu/wikiupload/a/aa/Weather_Lecture.pdf]]

=Session 5: Seamanship and Safety=
24jan2013 - keith, scott

The presentation [https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zdB7kvuhuL067BRHaTyY2AvO2E_Voy8IOi3n4QO5Dwg/pub?start=true&loop=false&delayms=10000#slide=id.g9fdb4ad2_122  slideset].

[http://www.riparia.org/cruising_medical_kit.html A starting point] for an onboard medical kit; for those going on an extended voyage the book [http://www.amazon.com/Where-There-Is-No-Doctor/dp/0942364155/ Where There Is No Doctor] is a frequent recommendation.

For a list of suggested spare parts to carry onboard for an offshore trip email scott at dynes dot org.

=Session 6: Racing=
29jan2013 - fran, mlindblad

=Session 7: Navigation=
31jan2013 - steve



=things to include in the course=

safety
 - how to deploy life raft
 - types of life rafts
 - how to heave to
 - how/when to use sea anchor
 - flares and when to use them
 - epirb

life aboard
 - how to deal with seasickness - different methods, what works, what does not
 - cooking
   - sample meals (e.g. menu for a week in the bvi)
   - equipment - refrigeration
   - what food works, what does not
 - provisioning

ports
 - coming in to a new harbor/marina
 - departure
 - gunkholing

how to prepare for a trip
 - day sail
 - week-long cruise
 - harbor race
 - near-shore race
 - off-shore race

racing
 - rules
 - tactics
 - overview of various races we know we will do: halifax, figawi, wed evenings

weather
 - general principles - wind before, wind after
 - high pressure vs low pressure
 - tracking the barometer
 - clouds
 - waves and wind - how much wind for x wave height, when whitecaps
 - weather tracking services
 - near-shore vs offshore
 - contingencies

navigation

clothing and gear
 - gloves
 - spot locator, beacons
 - personal floatation devices
 - knives, other tools
 - foul weather gear

first aid
 - cpr
 - broken bones
 - breathing
 - blood loss
 - body temperature

boat locator site (eis info)

for each thing, enumerate general types, highlight x-dim specifics

Seamanship/Safety, including the following subsections:
basic boat handling
 - know your crew
 - communication
 - rules of the road and unwritten addendums
 - lights and sound signals
 - federally required and recommended safety equipment, PFDs, etc.
 - distress signals 
 - radio procedure
 - purpose of EPIRB / PLB / AIS transmitter
 - use of radar, radar reflector
 - tides
 - procedure in fog
 - anchoring, med moor, appropriate ground tackle for holding grounds
 - running aground, kedging
 - docking in various wind conditions; use of docklines
 - dangers of a lee shore
 - safe galley procedure (probably goes with life on board)
 - procedure when flooding / holed
 - procedure when propeller fouled
 - procedure when engine fails in various situations
 - procedure when stay or rig compromised or lost
 - procedure when cable steering lost / emergency tiller
 - life rafts, how attached to vessel and deployed, hydrostatic release
 - rendering assistance to vessels in distress
 - clearing customs, flag etiquette, courtesy flags, Q flag, etc.
 - shore power cables
 - rafting at anchor
 - towing a dinghy
 - firefighting, likely sources of fire, use of bilge blower
 - calculating range under power
 - when to refuel; how much to leave in tank
 - where/how to empty holding tank
 - DC batteries, charging
 - location/purpose of thru-hulls, seacocks, bungs
( break out into water environment for tides/currents/weather?)
Sailboat handling (w/ emph on keelboats)
 - know your crew , dealing with novice crew
 - communication (e.g. what do I know, who needs to know it, do they know it)
 - running/standing rigging 
 - types of lines
 - how to coil long lines
 - heaving a line
 - various knots and their uses
 - correct winch operation, clearing an override
 - wind, sails, heal, correct powering of boat, polars 
 - boat balance
 - use of jibe preventer
 - how to depower the boat (traveler/vang/sheet/backstay/etc.)
 - slab and furler reefing
 - heaving to
 - heavy weather and survival sailing, use of sea anchor, warps, etc.
 - sailing a compass course
   for passages -
 - sailing a compass course redux
 - standing watch
 - maintaining a DR
 - log entries
 - rest time (ear plugs and eye shades)
crew and boat safety
 - planning (the float plan) (maybe this should be its own section)
 - situational awareness
 - communication (not just among crew but with other boats)
 - be proactive
 - risks to crew (going overboard, loosing a handhold, slipping, getting whacked by sails/boom/whisker pole, cotter pins, etc.)
 - what to wear (shoes, foulies, hat, sunscreen, sailing gloves, etc.)
 - use of harness / tether / jack line
 - MOB/COB actions and mindset (never lose sight of COB, attach COB to boat)
 - COB of conscious/unconscious crew, spiral search procedure
 - stages and treatment of hypothermia / heat exhaustion / heatstroke
 - seasickness
 - checking boat systems
 - identify and fix things before the become problems - worn lines, worn threads on sails, loose lifelines/stanchions 
 - secure items on deck and below
 - handy knife for cutting fouled lines
 - boat taking on water
 - preparing for a sea-tow
 - preparing to be rescued by a helicopter
 - personal responsibility