Members interested in being certified to use the club-owned boats, Fiddler, Kinnear, Sweet Pea and Syndicate, first must schedule a sail with an instructor to become familiar with the club-owned boats. Even the most experienced sailors need to get used to how these specific boats handle, in particular how long it takes to turn them and stop them. Cohasset harbor is a very challenging harbor to sail through due to tide, fluky winds, and crowded moorings.
After making sure you are familiar with the club-owned boats, please email any of the co-chairs of Adult Sailing Committee, to schedule the certification review:
- Sean Sweeney: eseansweeney@gmail.com
- Tom Nelson: Tnelson.cohasset@gmail.com
The overall objective of the certification test is to provide an opportunity for the member to demonstrate that she/he can sail the club owned boats entirely by themselves in the most challenging conditions without danger to others, themselves, other boats, or their boat.
2019 Certification Test – candidate should demonstrate without assistance from the certifier onboard
- Seamanship –tested with enough wind to extend the club flag
- Landing at the yacht club floats (south-easterly winds most challenging)
- Entering the channel against tide and significant headwind
- Leaving a congested mooring during strong tides and gusty winds
- Making a mooring without overshooting more than half a boat length
- Sailing in constricted areas with adverse wind, current, other boats, and obstacles
- Conducting a controlled jibe in strong or gusty conditions
- Safety – avoiding injury, damage, and expense
- Knowledge of hazards to captain and crew and how to minimize these risks
- Rules to follow to avoid collisions with powerboats, sailboats or crew shells
- Location, while on the water, of the channels, their buoys, and adjacent hazards
- Freeing the boat if aground without exiting the boat
- Stopping the boat by a cushion representing a person overboard so they can be retrieved
- Knowing how to recognize and respond to sudden squalls….when not to sail..who to ask
- Using the radio to call the yacht club, harbormaster, and Coast Guard
- Knowledge of required safety equipment to have onboard
- Ability to tie a bowline, square knot and cleat off a line
- Responsibility for club equipment
- Logging the boat in and out and noting any repairs needed in launch shed folder
- Putting the boat to bed with dry bilge, all equipment stowed, secured, and protected
(updated by Steve Brown June 2019)