IYT Level 6 Offshore Advanced Course — AusSea

Level 6 Offshore Advanced is a full-day ocean passage course run by AusSea Sailing School from Sans Souci in southern Sydney. The course includes a return ocean sail from Kogarah Bay to Port Hacking. It is the first course after AusSea's International Crew levels on the way to International Bareboat Skipper, and it focuses on navigation.

What you'll learn

• Chart-work navigation. Reading a nautical chart, including depths, hazards, lights and marks. Students plot a position from bearings or from GPS, and work out a course to steer that allows for tidal stream and leeway. Good chart work is neat and easy for another crew member to check.
• Plotting a safe coastal passage. Choosing waypoints that keep well clear of headlands and hazards, working out distances and timings, and deciding where you could shelter if conditions get worse. A good plan includes a backup plan.
• Checking the plan at sea. On the passage to Port Hacking and back, students compare where the boat actually is with the plan and adjust the route as needed.
• Coastal seamanship. Getting the boat ready before leaving the bay, keeping watch, and considering the swell and wind along an exposed stretch of coast.

How AusSea runs it

Level 6 is a full day on the water. It includes a return ocean passage from Kogarah Bay, out through Botany Bay and south along the coast to Port Hacking. The school's courses page names Renegade as its offshore yacht, but the Level 6 product page does not name the boat. It is a day course with no overnight stay.

Who it suits

The course is for sailors who have finished AusSea's International Crew levels (Levels 1 to 5) or have similar experience, and who want to plan and navigate coastal passages rather than only crew on them. It is a sensible step before taking charge as skipper at Level 7.

Where it leads

After Level 6 comes the Level 7 International Bareboat Course, a two-day passage with a night in Sydney Harbour. That leads to the one-day IYT International Bareboat Skipper Assessment.

Full course guide

Level 6 is one of AusSea's own levels in its bareboat pathway, not a separate IYT certificate. The IYT International Bareboat Skipper (Sail) guide explains the qualification it builds towards.