A Club Member wishing to become a Club Captain and to schedule Club boats on her or his own responsibility must demonstrate capability in performing a Captain’s duties through a formal certification cruise, under a Club Captain appointed by the Sailing Master to act as testing Captain for that cruise. Only a single Candidate Captain may be tested at one time.

The certification cruise will cover no fewer than five hours. The wind must be five knots or stronger.  This time can be longer, at the option of the Testing Captain; or if weather or other circumstances warrant, the Testing Captain may continue sailing on another day for whatever time he/she thinks suitable. 

The Candidate Captain is required to show consistently her or his ability to handle the boat in a safe and controlled manner. The candidate must have only one (1) person to act as crew for the test. This person can be anyone the candidate or the Testing Captain can entice to come for the test.  The Testing Captain should not act as crew in order to evaluate the candidate for proper command and control of the crew and the boat. The Testing Captain must not assist with leading questions or corrections except to prevent dangerous conditions.  

Ordinarily a minimum of one and 1/2 hours will be spent at the pier in the slip, in line with Club policy that the candidate demonstrates thorough understanding of all fluid, electrical and mechanical systems, safety devices, through-hull fittings, and check-out procedures and reporting, as well as skill under sail.

Demonstrate satisfactory skills, ability and knowledge of the following:

a. Carry out the full procedures required by the Captain’s Report; check through-hull fittings and valve settings; complete checks of radio, depth sounder, log, bilges, standing rigging, running lights and fuel.  Begin legible entry in log.

b. Tie a minimum of five knots without assistance:  bowline, clove hitch, cleat lock, figure-of-eight, and sheet bend.    Extra Credit:   Bowline with one hand and eyes closed.

c. Demonstrate proper use and understanding of charts, buoy night signals, and use of compass rose.  Describe use of parallel rules or other course plotter, means for using hand-bearing compass to find location in the Bay, and dead reckoning.

d. Describe in detail, showing understanding of boat systems and capabilities, actions the candidate Captain would take in the following situations: high winds and waves; on-board crew man injured; man-overboard; swamping or capsize; grounding; electrical and engine failure; broken halyard; jammed halyard with sail up; ripped main; foresail wrapped and locked against forestay; water below.

e. Proper uses of radio for weather information and in two-way communication, with particular attention to constraints on Channel 16.

f. Demonstrate proper use of safety equipment on the boat:   Horn, Bell, Flares, Signaling mirror, and Auxiliary anchor light.   Don a personal flotation device (PFD), and indicate exactly when as a Club Captain, she or he would require crew to use it. 

g. Knowledge of rules of the road, and ability to use them; awareness of actions to be taken to avoid collision; and consistent willingness to act with caution in resolving traffic problems encountered during the certification cruise.

h. Choose proper reefing of sails suited to conditions if warranted; warm up motor; clear decks for sailing and leave slip in good order.

i. Raise sails, shut down motor properly, and come on course under sail.

j. Jiffy (slab) reef main sail in open water. Put vessel in hove-to condition, recover, and get under way.

k. Tack and jibe, and show capability to sail with either fore sail alone, or main sail alone.

l. Sail a steady compass course, setting sails properly for wind conditions and direction.

m. Start motor under way, luff up, and lower all sails. Raise sails, stop motor, and resume sailing.

n. Demonstrate capability to carry out Club-approved man-overboard procedures. Drill should include a simulated overboard accident while under sail. An overboard target must be tracked, approached, and then recovered from the water in a controlled and seaman-like manner.

o. Show a good understanding of the various means to get the boat off a grounding, and use of line around entire boat to get towed.

p. Anchor properly, showing due knowledge of when to use different scope lengths, and precautions to avoid fouling the rode or losing the anchor.

q. Approach an empty pier and tie up safely, under control, using fenders or fender boards.

r. Bring vessel into slip with competent boat-handling procedures and proper seamanship. Moor securely, demonstrating proper use of dock and spring lines, fenders and fender-boards, and spacing from the pier.

s. Scrub and clean inside and decks of vessel leaving boat in “Bristol” condition.

t. Complete entry in log, complete Captain’s Report (except for signature of the Testing Captain) and close companion way and lock up the boat.

The candidate must complete the Wanderlusters Sailing Club Operating Rules and Procedures Test.   This test is to be handed to the Testing Captain at the beginning. 

Each member of the Wanderlusters Sailing Club (WSC) should have a copy of the Member’s Handbook, which contains the by-laws, operating procedures, rates, etc.   The purpose of this written, open book examination is to (1) ensure that as a WSC member you have a copy of the handbook and (2) as a certified Captain you have a familiarity with WSC operations. This is meant to be a true learning experience, since one cannot fail this test; however, completion of this test is a requirement to become a certified Captain.  Submit the completed test to the Testing Captain as part of your test requirements.

1. Describe the requirements that must be met in order to schedule WSC sailing vessels. 


2. If a Captain cancels a scheduled usage period 8 days in advance, what is the user fee? 

3. What is the maximum possible fine for failure to send in a Captain’s Report? After what period can this fine be applied? 

4. There is a steady rain and winds less than 10 knots. A Captain who has scheduled a half-day, mid-week sail on the Hunter 306 decides not to sail. Under the Foul Weather Operating guidelines, what is the user fee?

5. What are the annual dues for Regular Captain?

6. List the WSC officers and a brief (one sentence) description of one aspect of their duties.

7. Who may attend Executive Committee meetings?

8. As Captain, you have scheduled the Hunter 306 for a weekend cruise (0900 Saturday through 1900 Sunday). What is the user fee?

9. An Advanced Captain carries a $375 prepaid balance over into a new season. What is the correct prepayment for the new season?

10. As a Captain of the Catalina 270, you return to Annapolis with the fuel tanks less than ½ full.  What should you do?

11. The candidate must also complete and provide a printed certificate on the http://www.NauticEd.com Online Basic Sailing Test and Rules of the Road test (both free).

12. We also require a valid certificate of boating safety education, free from the www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/maryland.asp  or equivalent.   Anyone born on or after July 1, 1972 who is operating a motorized vessel on MD waters must have a valid certificate of boating safety education.