LOCAL WATERS

This course is designed to prepare you fully for the SA Sailing (SAS) Local Waters Skipper Exam – the oral, the practical and the Colregs exam. On completion the skipper is allowed to sail at night from his home port and obtain the necessary miles and experience for the Coastal Skipper’s ticket. Gain mileage and be better prepared for a Coastal course. Enjoy the sunset at Clifton or Granger Bay and sail on a balmy, moonlit evening. The course is over 4 evenings to suit your time schedule. This course can be taught on your yacht if you so wish.

The SAS requirements for the Local Waters ticket are as follows:

1. At least 16 years of age
2. A SAS or CASA Day Skipper’s Certificate of Competence
3. An eye test, including colour vision (details on the SAS web site)
4. 400 miles logged on a sailing vessel as an active member of crew
5. 8 night hours on watch
6. At least 3 night entries into your home port

You will get at least 4 night hours on watch and 2 night entries during this course. The course assumes that you are a fully competent Day Skipper. We will not revise the SAS Day Skipper’s syllabus on this course. NOTE: The examiner is entitled to ask you any question from the SAS Day Skipper’s syllabus. It is your responsibility to revise this material. We will, however, cover GPS as that has been a recent addition to the SAS examination procedure. We will do quite a lot of work in the cockpit with a hand-held GPS. If you have your own GPS you may wish to bring it along in order to become familiar with its functions. Alternatively, you can use one of the hand held GPS’s that will be available on the boat.

There are a few items that are essential for the course. These are:

1. International Rules for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea (HO-15)
2. List of Lights, Fog Signals and Radio Services (HO-1)
3. Chart symbols and abbreviations (HO-6)
4. An appropriate head torch for sailing at night with red LED light option
5. Wet weather gear (you can get these items from Charts International or Chart World).

To register with SAS for the Local Waters Skipper ticket you will need:

1. A photocopy of your logbook which records your experience
2. A VHF SRC Radio Licence
3. An eye test (details available on the SAS web site)

The course itself covers 4 Thursday evenings. It will include two night entries and one full evening of theory, or four consecutive weekday evenings. The exam will typically take place on the fourth Thursday evening (or the last evening). It consists of a short Colregs exam (this includes IALA buoyage) plus a practical night entry. The practical will include the following elements:

1. A safety briefing
2. MOB at night
3. Demonstration of GPS literacy at sea
4. Demonstration of local knowledge
5. A night entry

Please contact us to make your booking.