BSAC BOATHANDLING COURSE

AIM

To give BSAC members who have little or no experience of handling small, open powerboats an insight into the safe use of such craft on coastal waters; the equipment they should carry and a knowledge of the aspects of seamanship, tides and weather which govern their general use, and use for sports diving operations.

DURATION

Two Days.

ENTRY GRADE

Any BSAC Member.

COURSE

8 Classroom Sessions

10.5 hrs Practical Sessions

SYLLABUS

Day 1

1. Assemble, Introductions, Administration

2. Classroom Lesson: BHT1 The Boat and its Equipment

• Types of craft: seaworthiness
• Engines and drives
• Engine installation, fuel supply, controls
• Ancillary and safety equipment
• Routine maintenance

2. Classroom Lesson: BHT2 Responsibilities of the Owner/Driver
• Trailing and the law

• Insurance
• Harbour and local bylaws
• Rules of the road (IRPCS)
• Buoyage
• Salvage

3. Classroom Lesson: BHT3 Pre-launch Planning

• Course planning
• Charts, chart symbols
• Tides, tidal streams
• Weather, sea state
• Use of compass (steering and hand-bearing)
• Position fixing

4. Classroom : BHT4 Allocation of group for practical session 1

• Group briefings by Instructors

5. Practical: BHP1 Boat handling Session 1

• Preparing the boat, pre-launch checks
• Launch (and recovery)
• Starting/stopping engine, engine controls, ‘kill cord’
• Loading and trim
• Handling underway:
Awareness of others
Low speed, steering, pivot point
Effects of wind/tide/current
Manoeuvring astern
High speed handling
• Recover boats, wash down.

6. Classroom Lesson: BHT5 Safety and Emergency Actions: Diving Operations

• General crew safety
• Fire at sea
• Distress signals
• Emergency Treatments
• Survival techniques
• Rescue agencies
• Diving Operations
Setting up/placing shot lines
Getting divers into water, onto anchor/shot line
Patrolling/tracking divers, monitoring, diver recall
Recovering divers, recording dive details
Actions if divers missing/adrift

7. Classroom: BHT6 Open Forum

• Course debriefing on the day’s activities
• Arrangements for day two.
• Instructor debriefing

Day 2
8. Classroom: BHT7 Allocation of groups for practical session
Group briefings by Instructors.

9. Practical: BHP2 Practical Boat handling Session 2

• Prepare and launch
• Handling underway:
Securing to buoy
Anchoring, weighing anchor
Coming alongside
Beach landing
• Steering by compass
• Position fixing: taking and returning to marks
• Rough water handling
• Moor up/land

10 Practical: BHP3 Boat handling Session 3

• Rough water handling
• Disabled craft
• Towing/being towed
• Man overboard
• Diver Cox’n Skills
• Recover boats, wash down, aftercare

11 Classroom: BHT8 Open Forum

• Course debriefing
• Issue Student Notes, Course Certification, sign QRBs
• BSAC Diver Cox’n Assessment.

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