Australian Sailing Keelboat: Start Skippering

Start Skippering completes the "Start" series on Australian Sailing's keelboat pathway. It advances your sailing skills, seamanship and safety knowledge so that you are ready to skipper a keelboat unsupervised in sheltered waters. The focus moves from doing the jobs yourself to running the boat: planning, briefing a crew and making good decisions.

Who it suits

• Sailors (minimum age 16) who have completed Start Crewing and Start Helming
• Club members who want to take a club or syndicate boat out with friends
• Experienced crew who want the confidence to be in charge
• Future cruisers building towards longer passages

The prerequisites are that you are water confident and have the skills from Start Crewing and Start Helming.

What you'll actually do

The recommended length is about 12 hours. You'll take turns acting as skipper. That means checking the weather, running a safety briefing, allocating jobs, and taking the boat off the mooring or marina and back again. You'll practise sail handling in changing conditions and responding to an emergency such as a person overboard. The instructor steps back, so you manage the boat and the crew.

Key ideas explained

• Skipper's responsibility: the skipper is responsible for the safety of the boat and everyone on board. This includes deciding whether to go out at all. Saying "not today" is good seamanship.
• Crew briefing: before leaving, show everyone where the lifejackets, fire extinguisher, first aid kit and emergency equipment are. Explain what to do if someone goes overboard, and give each person a clear job.
• Person overboard (MOB): shout "man overboard", keep pointing at the person, throw buoyancy and mark the position. Then turn the boat back under control and bring it alongside, approaching from downwind so you can stop next to them. Recovering someone onto a keelboat is hard, so practise.
• Reefing: reducing sail area before the wind gets too strong. A well-known rule of thumb is "if you're thinking about reefing, reef". It's much easier to do early than in a gust.
• Close-quarters handling: a keelboat carries momentum and needs water flowing over the rudder to steer. Approach berths and moorings slowly and into the wind or current where possible, with fenders and lines ready and a plan B.
• Sheltered waters: bays, harbours and estuaries where you are close to shelter. Understanding where the course's scope ends is part of good judgement.

Where it fits

For comparison, the skippering focus is broadly comparable to parts of RYA Day Skipper Practical or ASA 103 Coastal Cruising. Those courses cover more navigation and passage-making, and there is no official equivalence. If you plan to sail offshore, the Safety and Sea Survival Course and a marine radio qualification such as the SROCP are sensible next steps.

Getting ready

• Before the course, run through the rules of the road and your MOB drill.
• Learn to read a marine forecast: wind strength and direction, gusts and warnings.
• Practise knots you'll use for mooring, such as the bowline, cleat hitch and round turn and two half hitches.
• Bring waterproofs, layers, sun protection, gloves and non-marking shoes.
• Ask the centre whether the course includes berthing in a marina, and whether you can hire boats afterwards to consolidate your skills.

Good to know in Australia

A sailing course certificate is not the same as a state recreational boat licence. If your boat has an engine, check your state's maritime authority for licence and safety equipment requirements. Operating a VHF marine radio in Australia also requires a qualification, such as the SROCP.