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Become a certified Boatmaster

Frank Mair.

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Do you want to gain detailed boating knowledge quickly?

Then is helpful cheat sheet will be your friend. It was compiled over a few weeks during the Coastguard New Zealand Boatmaster course, which is comprised of 30 hours of classroom tuition followed by self-study and then both a written and oral assessment.

The end result is gaining an NZ Boatmaster Certificate qualification.

The course material applies to a wide range of vessels including yachts, launches, and powerboats. As part of a series of Coastguard Boating Education courses, this course covers chartwork, navigation techniques, distress signals, emergency procedures, knots, rope work, and provides a thorough understanding of the rules of the road at sea.

This course is available here: https://www.boatingeducation.org.nz/courses/2/boatmaster/

The cheat sheet sections below break down each category of information into the key points that you need to know. It prompts you to remember the key details and you can use it to revise and remember in the days before the exam or just to get an understanding of the info that you or a boatie should be aware of before heading out to sea.

However you should still have familiarised yourself with a number of things via the books provided ie “Safety in Small Craft” and go through the workbooks etc, since the cheat sheet info below doesn’t cover information like how to tie knots, plot your position using bearings, using lat/longs, understanding tides and reading chart info…

ROAD RULES

  1. Overtaking boat always gives way
  2. Power vessels head on, both alter to starboard
  3. Power vessels crossing, give way to starboard boat
  4. 5 knots max speed, within 200m of shore/diver flag, and within 50m of boats/swimmers, or if bow riding.
  5. Sailing vessels with wind on different sides, give way to starboard tack. (ie port tack gives way)
  6. Sailing vessels with wind on same side, give way to downwind boat. (ie windward boat gives way)
  7. 500 ton rule: Stay 500m (ahead) or 100m (abeam) away.
  8. NUC <= RAM <= CBD <= Fishing <= Sailing <= Power
  9. If you are obliged to give way then your action must be early and substantial
  10. If you are the stand on power vessel and other power vessel doesn’t give way, then 5 short blasts and turn to starboard and loop around to avoid a potential head on scenario in case other boat does a late give way manoeuvre.

KNOTS

  1. Figure Eight. Stop line from going through lead or block.
  2. Reef knot. Binding sails down. (Not joining lines)
  3. Sheet Bend. Used for joining two different lines.
  4. Double Sheet Bend. More secure. Tuck line under.
  5. Bowline. Making a loop in the end of a rope.
  6. Clove Hitch. For fenders. Temporary measure.
  7. Rolling Hitch. (= clove with extra turn before cross). More secure.
  8. Round turn & two half-hitches. (Secure line to spar, online hitch which can be tied under load
  9. Anchor Bend. Secure line to spar or ring of anchor. Strong and reliable. Will not slip. Round and second round go behind and through both, then hitch.

NAVIGATIONAL MARKERS

  1. Red = port lateral, keep this on port side when coming into harbour. (Shape = Can) [Red flashing except 2+1]
  2. Green = starboard lateral. (keep on starboard side coming in) (Shape = Cone) [Green flashing except 2+1]
  3. Green-Red-Green = Preferred channel to port marker (mainly green so use similar to starboard lateral marker, ie keep on starboard side coming in for primary channel) [Green flashing 2+1]
  4. Red-Green-Red = Preferred channel to starboard marker. Mainly red so use as port lateral for main channel (ie port side when coming in) [Red flashing 2+1]
  5. Cardinal markers: Black/Yellow (^^) = North [Continuous flashing], Yellow/Black = South [6 flashes + 1 long flash],
  6. YBY (><) = West [3 flashes], BYB (<>) = East [9 flashes] — Flashes match hour on a clock.
  7. Isolated Danger = 2 black balls over black/red/black. [White flashing 2]
  8. Safe water = 1 red ball [White long flash every 10 seconds]
  9. Special mark = Yellow cross [Yellow light flashing]
  10. Buoys are floating and beacons are fixed.

SIGNALLING

  1. VHF. Channel 16 = Emergency, or 111
  2. Mayday x3, This is XXX x3, callsign, Mayday XXX callsign, position, nature, assistance required, POB, over.
  3. If no acknowledgement, then Mayday Relay.
  4. Pan Pan = urgent message, ie medical emergency (but not imminent danger)
  5. Securite = Navigational warning
  6. EPRIB (406MHz), Orange day flares or red night hand held, rocket flares (10M during day, 40M at night)
  7. Distress signals. November/Charlie flags, SOS using light/sounds, hand signals.

6 ESSENTIALS (PASS BF)

  1. Personal lifejacket (1 per person)
  2. Anchor
  3. Signalling equipment (two ways to call for help)
  4. Secondary propulsion
  5. Bailer
  6. Fire extinguisher (Red = water, Blue = Foam, Black = CO2, White = Dry Powder)

CROSSING A BAR

  1. Check weather, tide, bar conditions
  2. Call Coastguard before / after
  3. Wear lifejackets
  4. Avoid low tide (out = 3hrs before high is ok, for in then 2hrs before and 1hr after)

LIGHTS

  1. Power/Sail: Less than 7m, just one white all round light
  2. Power: Less than 12m, red/green side lights and white all round light, or
  3. Power: Over 12m, red/green side lights, white stern light, white masthead light.
  4. Sail: Red/green side lights, no masthead light, but can show red/green at top of mast.
  5. At anchor just one all round white light (<50m) or two white lights, with bow higher (>50m)
  6. If you see red/green then underway.
  7. Flashing yellow = fast, ie ferry / hovercraft
  8. RWR = restricted ability to manoeuvre. (RWR = red white red)
  9. RRR = constrained by draught
  10. RR = not under command, and if also W visible then aground
  11. WW = towing < 200m, WWW = towing > 200m. (Astern = yellow = 2 vessels)
  12. WR = pilot, RW = fishing, WGW = trawling

DAY SHAPES

  1. 1 black ball = anchor, 2 black balls = NUC, 3 black balls = aground
  2. 1 black cylinder = CBD
  3. 1 black diamond = towed or being towed
  4. 1 black cone pointing downwards = sail and power (ie powered vessel)
  5. 1 ball, 1 diamond, 1 ball = RAM

SOUNDS

  1. o = starboard, oo = port, ooo = astern, oooo = pilot, ooooo = make intentions clear
  2. Fog: (power >12m) — = making way, — — = not making way. <12m same but any device
  3. Fog: — oo = i’m special, yacht, RAM, or towing, — ooo = being towed
  4. Aground: |||bell||| = <100m, |||bell||| gong >100m

TIDES

  1. Spring = max high and max low (moon/sun lined up — either side) = monthly
  2. Neap = min. (moon/sun perpendicular) = monthly
  3. Wind against tide = sea roughest

CHARTS

  1. Sectored light. eg Mo(N)WR.6.5s5m7/5M. = Morse code N, white/red different sectors, groups of 6, every 6.5 secs, height 5m, visibility 7NM white and 5NM red. If starts with Fl(3)WR.15s35m7/4M = group of 3 flashes every 15 seconds
  2. CadET. Compass (M) to True (T) add East. ie if compass variation adjusted for today’s year is 22’E, then 100(M) => 122(T)
  3. Secondary port on almanac gives you +/- adjustment from primary port
  4. Rule of 12ths, most water movement in middle two hours = 3/12ths each. Used to work out tide height between tides.
  5. Tidal streams show rate/direction of tide for location at point given
  6. Depths taken from CD, all other heights are given above MHWS
  7. Leniency in exam is 0.2NM
  8. Distance = speed * time.

METEO CHARTS

  1. Warm front/cold front/stationary front/occluded fronts.
  2. Anti-cyclone = high pressure = anti clockwise in southern hemisphere
  3. 15 knots is windspeed for distance from New Plymouth to East Cape, so if isobar is twice as wide, then 1/2 as strong.
  4. Cold front — Ahead of: Cool, overcast, rain
  5. Cold front — Behind: Cool, scattered clouds, showers
  6. High — Nearby: Warm, clear sky, no rain

ANCHORS

  1. Anchor rule = 5x depth (never anchor on lee shore — shore is on lee side of boat)
  2. Anchor warp = nylon, since it has the most stretch and strength and sinks.
  3. Types of anchor: General purpose = Plough and Bruce. Soft bottom = Danforth, Delta, Bruce. Hard bottom = Grapnel, Admiralty

ECHO SOUNDER

  1. Offset = distance between transducer & bottom of hull/keel.
  2. Fixing position: 1. Cross contour line. 2. Know height of tide. 3. Take bearing. 4. Plot a position line.

MISC

  1. AIS = automatic identification system. Class A = commercial (2–10secs), Class B = recreational (3 mins)
  2. Man overboard = 1. Shout. 2. Throw. 3 Point
  3. Prop walk = Right handed (clockwise) going ahead pushes stern to starboard

I hope this has been helpful and you have learned something!

If you’re doing the course, then also good luck!

Cheers!