IYT Level 7 International Bareboat Course — AusSea

Level 7 International Bareboat is a two-day onboard course run by AusSea Sailing School from Sans Souci. It includes a return passage to Sydney Harbour with an overnight stay, and a VHF Radio Operators Course. It is the final training course in AusSea's International Bareboat Skipper pathway. Students take the role of acting skipper during the passage.

What you'll learn

• Passage planning. Choosing a route along the coast from Botany Bay to Sydney Harbour, checking the weather and swell, working out timings, and setting backup plans and points where the passage can be cut short. The skipper should be able to brief the crew on the whole plan before leaving.
• Acting as skipper. Making the decisions, giving jobs to the crew, and staying calm and clear when things change. This is the main skill tested at the bareboat assessment.
• Fuel, water and power management. A charter skipper has to keep the boat running for several days. That means checking fuel and water, watching battery use and planning when to top up.
• Navigation aids. Using lights, buoys, beacons and electronic aids to confirm your position, including coming into port at night when the lights are the main reference.
• Overnight practices. Anchoring or mooring for the night, and checking the boat and the anchor before everyone goes to sleep.
• VHF radio. Correct radio procedure, routine calls and distress and urgency calls. This is covered in the included VHF Radio Operators Course.

How AusSea runs it

The course is two days on board the school's offshore yacht, Renegade. It runs as a return passage to Sydney Harbour with one overnight stay. The VHF Radio Operators Course is taught as part of the course.

Who it suits

The school requires Levels 1 to 4 or equivalent before Level 7. In AusSea's Bareboat Skipper package it comes after Level 6 Offshore Advanced. It is for sailors who plan to charter a yacht, locally or overseas, and want real skippering practice on an overnight passage first.

Where it leads

After Level 7, students sit the one-day IYT International Bareboat Skipper Assessment. Candidates who pass receive the IBS certificate, the ICC and a VHF marine radio licence. The school says this certificate covers the level of competence needed to charter a boat in most parts of the world.

Full course guide

The IYT International Bareboat Skipper (Sail) guide explains the IYT standard that this course prepares you for. The ICC guide explains the international certificate awarded with it.