Not only that, there are many who are completing the RYA Power Boat level 2 course. They are heading overseas to gain employment in the lucrative superyacht industry as well as gain the Class 5 sailing qualification for employment within Australia.

Until next time, enjoy your sailing, cheers, john and the Team.

The post A busy summer with Sunshine Sailing Australia appeared first on Sunshine Sailing Australia.

Sunshine Sailing Australia, is holding the last SSSC before the Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race on the 11-12th march. This course is completely booked out with cruising and racing yachties plus a crew who want to improve there chances of survival if the unthinkable happens. If you want to be apart of the next course, call us now on 07 5478 2299.

The Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is on again Easter Friday which is the 14th April this year. Sunshine Sailing Australia have entered a full compliment of crew and are preparing. Sunshine Sailing Australia have successfully completed this infamous race several times taking out winner status in the cruising division, which is a result we hope to achieve again this year!

If you missed out on Gladstone this time, you might then consider and plan for Hamilton Island Race Week in August! Time to sort holiday leave, flights and accommodation.

If you’re about to embark on a career in the Superyacht industry or if you’re keen to go racing contact us today on 07 5478 2299 or book your sailing course online today.

The post Superyachts and Racing appeared first on Sunshine Sailing Australia.

• Captain
• First / Chief Officer
• Mate / Bosun
• Deckhand
• Chief Engineer / 2nd Engineer
• Chief Steward/ess / Purser
• Junior Steward/ess
• Chef
• Sous Chef / Crew Cook / Cook-Stew

So what about qualifications what do I need and how do I get them. Well with the increase in yachts there is also now and increase in staff/crew available so getting your foot in the door is a lot harder.
Yes knowing someone is always a good start but its no longer enough, both owners and insurance companies are requiring even level entry crew positions to have relevant qualification and the most sort after is the RYA Yachtmaster along with STCW,PPR and RYA Power Boat Level 2. These will provide you with the necessary skills to become a useful and hire-able staff member on most super yachts and skippers on charter boats.

The RYA Yachtmaster has become the bench mark for all training and over the last 30+ years has proven to provide top quality crew and skippers.

So how do you get this certificate, you will have to under take a number of training modules both in the classroom and on the water and depending on what level you already have will determine where you start.

Starting from the beginning there are 3 practical course and 2 theory courses for the boat training side and then the STCW and Powerboat Level 2 are another 7 days. Sunshine Sailing Australia offer all these courses and can be undertaken in a “Fast Track” program or over a number of months. Up finishing your training and obtaining the required sea time you can then go for the final external exam.

The post What do you need to get into the super yacht industry appeared first on Sunshine Sailing Australia.

However if there are major changes in a chart or large amount of data is to be inserted for e.g. Insertion of a New Traffic Separation Scheme not present on the previously used chart, the Admiralty then publishes a New Edition of that chart replacing the existing one.

The Catalogue of Admiralty Charts and Publications is published every year with current and updated editions of charts, however, if during the year the Weekly Notices to Mariner indicate any new editions or new charts, they are to be inserted in the chart catalogue by the navigating officer.

Photo by arnphoto/depositphotos
Photo by arnphoto/depositphotos
An updated and corrected chart folio system comprises of Chart correction Log and Folio Index, Admiralty Chart catalogue, Admiralty Sailing Directions , Weekly Notices to Mariners , Annual Summary of Notices to Mariners, Admiralty List of Lights , Admiralty List of Radio Signals , Admiralty Tide tables , Chart – 5011 Symbols and abbreviations to be used on charts. The following points to be considered in order to maintain updated chart folio onboard:

The chart correction log should have details of all charts present onboard with index of corrections (temporary and preliminary also) mentioned against each chart number. All the charts and publications are to be corrected on weekly basis following instructions provided in weekly notices to mariners and the correction numbers to be entered in the same index mentioned above against chart numbers respectively, so that it can be used as a quick reference to check status of corrections for any chart
There should be a designated chart supplier or service provided on a timely basis without delays to supply new charts and new editions applicable to the folios onboard. Other than that weekly Notice to mariners, Annual summary of Notices to Mariners, their supplements should be provided
There should be equipment onboard and services to receive Navigational warnings, and Navtex warning
Whenever a new chart or new edition is published, Weekly Notices to Mariner carry a notification of the same. On receiving a new edition or a new chart the chart correction log is to be updated with the relevant folio number against the chart number in the index and ‘NC’ or ‘NE’ to be inserted adjacent to the chart number in the correction index. The chart to be verified for any pending temporary and preliminary corrections and navigational warnings
On receiving a chart or a notification through weekly notices to mariners which replaces a previous chart , insert in the chart correction log ‘replaced by’ or ‘cancelled by’ against the mentioned chart. The folio number to be inserted on the replacement chart received.
The Admiralty Chart Catalogue ( NP 131),Weekly Notices to Mariners , Cumulative Notices to Mariners and Annual summary of Admiralty Notices to mariners are important sources of keeping a Chart folio system updated and corrected. For guidance on correcting charts Admiralty has published – How to Correct Charts the Admiralty Way which describes various forms of corrections applied to charts and upkeep of folios. The importance of keeping charts updated can be understood from the below incident.

Image Credits: Nachiketh Bhattathiri
Image Credits: Nachiketh Bhattathiri
Real life incident: Due to negligence of a navigating officer a vessel was not allowed to enter a port for 2 days. After 2 days special permission was granted by USCG to the vessel upon request by the agents. The vessel did not have the latest edition of approach charts for the Port of Baltimore. The new edition had been published 4 weeks ago and vessel had received notification of the same. The USCG during their annual inspection pointed the error and the vessel was fined and allowed to berth after two days only when agents procured the new edition.

It is therefore important that during correcting charts the navigating officer has to exercise due diligence and care.

Real Life Incident: Near Batu Berhanti Light in Singapore Straits a wreck is marked by 4 cardinal buoys surrounding it. During chart corrections the notice read as ‘Insert Isolated Danger Mark’ adjacent to the light. The duty officer misread it as ‘Delete’ and instead of inserting deleted the mark. The courses were laid from that area and while transit it was observed that the vessel passed very closed to the Isolated Danger Marks which were wrongly indicated on the chart.

KEEN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHARTS AND NAVIGATION THEN JOIN ONE OF OUR NAVIGATION COURSES.
Course information

The post How Are Nautical Charts Corrected On Board Ships? appeared first on Sunshine Sailing Australia.

Racing proper started on the Sunday with a not so good forecast for us as it was going to be too windy for the #1 but a bit light for the #3 head sail, but we forged on and came in 20th of 26 so not bad and surely we could only go up.

And up we did, getting a 15th, 9th and then 3rd in the following races allowing us to collect another piece for the trophy cabinet. One race was abandoned due to lack of wind and unfortunately on the last race we blew out our second spinnaker (first one blew out on first race) so it was a struggle to catch back up and we ended up 20th again, still a great result considering the issue we had.

So overall the crew took us to very respectable 15th for our division which considering we were one the smallest in our group was a fantastic result.

So from all the team at SSA we thank our great crew for all the hard work they put in and every contribution they made.

If you would like to join us for the 2017 race get in early as we limited on places. Contact us now to reserve your berth and receive a free sailing bag.

The post Hamilton Island Race Week 2016 in review appeared first on Sunshine Sailing Australia.

Simple to use, portable chartplotting for your iPad is changing the way we navigate afloat. But does manufacturers’ hype match the reality? Matthew Sheahan and Elaine Bunting take seven iPad navigation apps afloat to find out

Once you’ve tried one it’s easy to see why iPads and other tablet computers are changing the way we work and play. Use one afloat with one of the better iPad navigation apps and you may well wonder whether your dedicated chartplotter is necessary any more. You may also question why your built-in plotter system and charts cost so much when you can apparently do the same thing with a tablet device and a quick download.

But beware. While the tablet revolution is a genuine breakthrough and provides some simple and effective ways to navigate, it is not without its problems. There’s a wide variation in software packages, both in cost and ease of use. Some packages are superb value for money and easy to use. Others leave you gnashing your teeth.

READ THE REVIEWS OF THE SEVEN iPad NAVIGATION APPS TESTED
• Navionics HD – *Yachting World Best Buy • vector charts • apps for each charted region, price varies

• iSailor – *Yachting World Recommended • Transas • app free. Charts vary in scope and price

• Imray iPad app –  Imray cartography • raster scanned charts • app free. Charts £29.99

• Plan2Nav – Jeppesen C Map • C Map cartography • vector charts • app free. Charts £26.99

• Garmin – BlueChart cartography • vector charts • app free. Charts £39.99 NW Europe

• iNavx – vector charts • Navionics cartography • app free. Charts £46.38

• Memory Map – raster scanned charts • app free. Charts £25 UK and Ireland

As the manufacturers are keen to stress, it is important to remember that no matter how good a chartplotting app appears to be, you should not use this as your primary means of navigation. Nevertheless, tablet-based systems are having a big impact on sailing and can be a handy aid to navigation, especially if you are moving from boat to boat – chartering, for example.

Testing the iPad navigation apps

So, we decided it was time to see how the apps compared. Our test focused solely on those for the iPad and was limited to standalone chartplotting apps; in other words, programs that run on your iPad without having to be connected to anything else.

To do this we used a 3G iPad2 and used its internal position-fixing system. It’s important to note that wi-fi-only iPads do not have a GPS fitted, so can only base their position on triangulation from phone antennas. This is usually not as accurate as GPS when you are out and about afloat and of no help once you are out of cellular range, which for triangulation purposes may not be far from shore.

Our test was conducted in Poole aboard a Nordship 430 DS. This picturesque harbour and the channel approaches outside provided plenty of targets, twisting routes and a variety of tidal flows to test the various systems.

The market for worldwide chartplotting apps on the iPad alone is growing by the month. Factor in the development of similar systems for other tablet systems and the handheld chartplotting scene is booming. But after a careful look at the market for iPad systems, we selected seven of the most popular systems used in Europe.

Instead of focusing on a detailed comparison of the various functions, our test sought to establish how easy and practical the systems were when in the real world: on board, at sea and under way.

See what Elaine Bunting had to say in her blog

Our guide to features to look for in iPad navigation apps

When it comes to choosing the best system for the kind of sailing you do, price is not always the best guide. Comparing a detailed list of functions is not always easy either. During the course of our test we drew up a list of some of the key features that we at Yachting World think are worth looking at when you’re weighing up the options.

• Seamless scrolling

The ability to zoom in and out without having to look for and load different charts and/or folios is an important basic function.

• Scrolling speed between charts

Waiting for a chart to load is frustrating and there is a surprisingly big difference between manufacturers in the time it takes to refresh a chart after you’ve zoomed in or out.

• Comprehensive coverage

Chart coverage varies widely across cartographers and systems. While global coverage may not matter to you, consider the areas that you need and the type of charts you prefer and you will have whittled down the list.

• Ease of chart management

How easy is it to find and download charts for the areas that you need? Some graphical-based systems such as Garmin and Navionics make the selection very straightforward; others assume you know the names of the charts you want.

• Ease of making a route

In our opinion, this is fundamental to the use of a chartplotter. Can you simply use your finger to tap positions on the chart where you want waypoints or do you have to run through a number of menus? In our opinion, selecting waypoints from a list is cumbersome and old-fashioned.

• Ease of changing route

The chances of tapping the screen in the right place first time for each waypoint is highly unlikely, especially if you are threading your way through an archipelago. Typically, you’ll want to zoom in and adjust the precise positions. Not all the systems make this easy.

• Distance measure/dividers

Measuring distances, not just from the boat, is clearly a key part of any navigation system. Check how easy this is.

• XTE and waypoint info

A picture is one thing, but sometimes the easiest way to tell your crew where to steer next is to call out course and distance to the waypoint. Once again, not every system has this.

• Export route

If you are looking to plan your route on an iPad, but navigate using the yacht’s system, the ability to export routes is important.

• Current data

At their most basic level, most chartplotters use the tidal diamond information from the chart. The better systems will show flow arrows overlaid onto the chart.

• Track recording

Knowing where you’ve been helps significantly when visualising where you’re going. Track recording is also a useful supplement to a log.

• Weather data

Most systems require the addition of another module to overlay weather arrows onto the chart, but not all. Again, a very useful feature to have.

• Displays ship’s lat/long

We were surprised at how few systems have this feature. While you can usually move a cursor over your boat icon to get the ship’s lat and long, this is not as convenient or as accurate as having a constant readout of the boat’s position.

• Interfaces with boat system

While the test didn’t seek to assess how well chartplotters would link to the boat’s instrument system, this may be of interest to you in the longer term, so it might be worth considering when you choose a chartplotter.

• MOB function

We were very surprised that none of the systems we tested had a man overboard button.

READ THE REVIEWS OF THE SEVEN iPad NAVIGATION APPS TESTED
• Navionics HD – *Yachting World Best Buy • vector charts • apps for each charted region, price varies

• iSailor – *Yachting World Recommended • Transas • app free. Charts vary in scope and price

• Imray iPad app –  Imray cartography • raster scanned charts • app free. Charts £29.99

• Plan2Nav – Jeppesen C Map • C Map cartography • vector charts • app free. Charts £26.99

• Garmin – BlueChart cartography • vector charts • app free. Charts £39.99 NW Europe

• iNavx – vector charts • Navionics cartography • app free. Charts £46.38

• Memory Map – raster scanned charts • app free. Charts £25 UK and Ireland

The post iPad navigation apps tested appeared first on Sunshine Sailing Australia.

These courses are run over 2 days and there are five course on offer in total that will take you through the full syllabus and and get you from humble day sailor to competition ready racer.

The courses are run over a three step process:

The National Keelboat Program is an exciting development for sailing. It provides a fun and accessible entry into sailing and gives participants further opportunity to improve and develop sailing skills and techniques.

The courses will equip you with the essentials required to safely sail a small boat without the fear of capsizing or getting wet! As your skills progress, you will also develop an understanding of each person’s role and how teamwork plays a major part of being an effective crew.

You should come away with the knowledge and confidence to sail a small boat competently and for those that wish, you can progress to larger yachts or participate as crew on a racing yacht.

The post Keel Boat Training in full swing appeared first on Sunshine Sailing Australia.

5 Day Island Cruise $1595pp

Skippered Charter – Eressea

The post Latest Newsletter Aug 2016 appeared first on Sunshine Sailing Australia.

Our new location is at the heart of the sailing scene of the Sunshine Coast and is the perfect base from which to run all our our learn to sail programs. Our new classroom holds 6 in comfort and is all wired up allowing us to present the RYA Day skipper and Coastal Skipper navigation courses professionally but with the small group personal touch. Larger groups can be catered for where we use the Sunshine Coast Yacht club rooms just next door.

Our dinghy school is is just a 2 min stroll from the office door where you can jump into one of of Vagabond sailing dinghies and under take a Learn to sail program suitable for both Kids and Adults. Our Weekend group courses  are the best time for this but private lesson can also be booked weekend or weekday.

Our flagship Eressea is positioned on C arm in front of the office making easily accessible for the crew when loading up for one of our 5 day learn to sail RYA courses or our weekend introduction sails. With the magnificent shelters waters of Moreton Bay, Brisbane just 50nm away  and the pristine open waters off Mooloolaba Beach all to explore we have something to offer every level of sailor for long or short trips.

And if all you want to do is go for a cruise then we can help with that. Catering provided if need be and access to the the “Yachtie” just a 2 min walk from the boat is the perfect way to finish a day on the water and talk about all the great sailing you did and plan the next the next adventure.

So come down soon and check it all out and visits the website www.learn2sail.com.au for full details on what we offer and who we are.

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