Winter boat drill on the Maindeck
Boats may be in for the winter and being sanded ,but boat drill goes on,as this years Oars Intermediate Charge Cert begins. A class of 16 take up this challenging Nautical programme.
The course now in its 23rd year prepares scouts and ventures for the coming boating season.The programme is both, a theory and practical course.For the first eight weeks classes are run on a Sunday evening for one and half hours. Here the scouts and ventures learn about water safety,boating guidelines.International regulations for prevention of collision at sea ,safety and emergency equipment,boat maintenance,anchoring & mooring, emergency procedures (man over board drill),Meteorology,Local knowledge,Currents and tides,Boat drill and rope work. Every year guests speakers are invited along to talk about their nautical speciality.
A very comprehensive programme but the emphasis is always on being competent and carrying out the activity in safety.Each scout and is given a log book and records when a module is completed and must be signed off by the instructor.In April the practical end of the course is over a weekend .Here you must be competent in taking charge of a muti-oared rowing boat, taking part as a crew member,reacting in an emergency(loss of a rudder,oar etc).
On completion scouts and ventures are presented with their Oars Intermediate Charge Certificate and a nautical Charge Cert. badge.