Current and prospective participants in our courses may have questions. Here are a few answers.
What are the differences among the courses you are offering?
Our core "International Safety at Sea with Hands On" course meets US and World Sailing requirements and results in a certificate of completion. It consists of a full day of seminars and practical experience. Its prerequisite is an in-person or online "Offshore Safety at Sea" course. It is sometimes referred to as an "ISAF" or "Two-Day" or "Level 100" course.
Our "Level 200" course does NOT lead to any certificate, but, with on-boat exercises in such things as MOB recovery, are designed to make you a better -- and safer -- mariner.
Our "Safety for Cruising Couples" courses are put on by participating organizations based on material we have provided to them. These courses are designed for short-handed crews where one of the participants may be less experienced than the other and desires to have a safer and more confident time on the water.
We are also offering, from time to time, intensive Weather and Medical seminars.
I signed up for a course and need to cancel. May I?
Of course. Depending on time till the event and our ability to fill your spot, a refund may be available, less credit card fees
May I switch dates?
Depending on timing and availability of slots, we attempt to fulfill change requests. Not all requests can be honored, with regret.
How do your courses differ from other organizations' courses?
All US Sailing and World-Sailing Sanctioned courses are required to cover a common set of topics. We are proud of our method of providing this instruction and practical of experience. We're fortunate to have a membership of highly experienced ocean sailors who are eager to share their skills
What measures are you taking in response to the COVID situation?
The health and safety of our participants and instructors are our top priority. To promote that, we're following the advice of our Fleet Surgeon and experts in the field.
As of this writing, all staff, volunteers, and students will be required to provide evidence of full vaccination for COVID-19 before attending the in-person day. There are no exceptions. We will be working with our venue, Roger Williams University, and our fleet surgeon to determine what additional procedures, e.g., wearing masks, may be necessary to safely conduct these courses. The health and safety of our students and instructors is our top priority.
What's the deal with online classes?
While there is no denying the value of in-person instruction, for health and efficiency reasons we are relying on the online instruction prepared by US Sailing for the topics that have generally been presented as large classroom lecture items.
These classes were created in two separate projects and are currently offered as two separate blocks of courses: a ten-course block and an additional five-course supplement.