SSS Sea Dogs

It may seem odd that there should be required training for youth in Scouts.  This is Sea Scouts, however, and nearly all we do is high adventure.  That means higher risks as well as higher fun, so we take preparations to participate safely in that high adventure very seriously.

In order to be safe on a boat, you need to know certain things, and be able to do certain things.  The list below are the training elements we want you to earn as soon as possible after joining the Ship.  The Ship will pay for all required training.  The second section below is partially covered in the safety briefing that occurs before every sail, and the rest can be learned while underway or at Ship meetings.  The first section can all be done online, except for the swimmer\'s test.

1.    Required Training for All (Youth and Adults)
    a.    Venturing Youth Protection Training.  Available free online. Required for all adult leaders, and highly recommended for all youth. 
    b.    Safety Afloat.  Available free online.  Required for all participants.
    c.    Safe Swim Defense.  Available free online.  Required for all participants.
    d.    Weather Hazards Training.  Available free online.  Required for all adult participants, and strongly recommended for all youth.
    e.    Maryland Small Boat Handling Certification.  Required for all participants born after 1972, but highly recommended for all others. (The Ship will reimburse you for the fee when you complete this.)
    f.    BSA Swimmer’s test.  Required (once) for all participants.

2.    Critical on-the-water Knowledge and Skills.  Regardless of rank or age, these are the things you need to know to participate safely in on-the-water activities.
    a.    Name 5 pieces of mandatory safety equipment on each boat and describe the use of each.
    b.    What channel on the VHF is the emergency channel?  When and how do you hail the coast guard on that channel?
    c.    You are at the helm of a sailboat under sail.  What actions do you take for a man overboard?
    d.    Where are the fire extinguishers?  What actions do you take with a DC electrical fire?
    e.    Where are the hull penetrations below the waterline?
    f.    Where are the bilge pumps?  How do you use each type?
    g.    Tie a bollard hitch (clove hitch on a pile), bowline, figure 8 knots.  What are their applications on a sail boat?
    h.    Where are the batteries and electrical panel?  Where is the main battery breaker?
    i.    What actions do you take to prepare for heavy weather like a thunderstorm or supercells?
    j.    What corrective actions can you take when you run aground or lose your engine? (This is more of a thinking question since we lose engines all the time and run aground all the time.)
    k.    Name 5 aids to navigation and find them on a chart.
    l.    Using a chart, plot a course from Bodkin across the bay to Rock Hall and return. Give exact bearings, aids to navigation, depth information. Minimize time spent in commercial shipping channels.