SEA SCOUT MANUAL 12th Edition SEA SCOUT MANUAL 33239 ISBN 978-0-8395-3239-2 ©2016 Boy Scouts of America 2016 Printing The ScouT oaTh On my honor I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; and To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. The ScouT Law A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent The Sea PromiSe As a Sea Scout I promise to do my best: • To guard against water accidents • To know the location and proper use of the lifesaving devices on every boat I board • To be prepared to render aid to those in need • To seek to preserve the motto of the sea: Women and Children First SEA SCOUT MANUAL 12th Edition 33239 ISBN 978-0-8395-3239-2 ©2016 Boy Scouts of America 2016 Printing Updated to October 2019 A Word About Youth Protection Child abuse is a serious problem in our society, and unfortunately, it can occur anywhere, even in Scouting. Youth safety is of paramount importance to Scouting. For that reason, the BSA continues to create barriers to abuse beyond what have previously existed in Scouting. The Boy Scouts of America places the greatest importance on providing the most secure environment possible for our youth members. To maintain such an environment, the BSA has developed numerous procedural and leadership selection policies, and provides parents and leaders with numerous online and print resources for the Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing programs. The BSA requires Youth Protection training for all registered leaders. New leaders are required to complete Youth Protection training. To take the training online, go to www.MyScouting.org and establish an account using the member number you receive when you register for BSA membership. If you take the training online before you obtain a member number, be sure to return to MyScouting and enter your number for training record credit. Your BSA local council also provides training on a regular basis if you cannot take it online. For more information, refer to the back of the BSA adult membership application, No. 524-501. Youth Protection training must be taken every two years—regardless of position. If a volunteer does not meet the BSA’s Youth Protection training requirement at the time of recharter, the volunteer will not be reregistered. We encourage all adults, including all parents, to take the BSA’s Youth Protection training. To find out more about the Youth Protection policies of the Boy Scouts of America and how to help Scouting keep your family safe, see the Parent’s Guide in any of the Cub Scouting or Boy Scouting handbooks, or go to http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx. Revised October 2011 DEDICATION In 1910, Lord Baden-Powell, founder of Boy Scouts, created Sea Scouts to serve as an extension of Scout training. Young men would develop personal character—pluck, patriotism, and intelligent discipline—through a sense of duty. By teaching boat management and seamanship, young men would also gain individual knowledge to help them become self-supporting. Sea Scouts performing coast guard duties, lifesaving and salvage at wrecks would also perform invaluable community service. Baden-Powell’s belief that Sea Scouts would combine the best attributes of seaman- ship with training in character was shared by the Boy Scouts of America. Two years after the Boy Scouts of America was born, Sea Scouts was organized in the United States with the aid of the Secretary of the Navy in 1912. Dedication 3 WELCOME ABOARD Welcome aboard—to the fun and adventure of Sea Scouts, a program combining the traditions of the past with the technology of the future. Whether you look to the sea for a career or lifelong hobby, Sea Scouts is for you. The element of water makes Sea Scouts unique. Sea Scout units use a variety of boats, from outboard motorboats to large sailing yachts. Sea Scouts belong to a world that is distinct from anything on shore, and they have their own language and customs. The water is not a place for the unwary, and the Scout motto, “Be Prepared,” is imperative. The challenge is taking a vessel from point A to point B while being ready for whatever may be encountered along the way. Crewing a vessel involves sharing the duties of helmsman, navigator, lookout, cook, sail handler, or engineer. Outings on a boat offer new destinations in the morning and the changing scenery of a new harbor by evening. Every event is an adventure. Sea Scout programs are run by the youth members. Elected officers plan and conduct the program. Being part of the vessel’s crew teaches teamwork. As experience is gained, more opportunities arise to contribute to the leadership of the unit. At quarterdeck meetings, ship’s officers work together to plan and evaluate the ship’s program. Leadership skills learned in Sea Scouts last a lifetime. Sea Scouts give service to others. Sea Scouts have been of service to hundreds of communities across the nation. Service can be expressed in individual good turns to others or in organized projects involving the crew or the whole ship. In rescues at sea, or facing emergencies on shore, Sea Scouts have saved lives and property. Sea Scout service puts citizenship into action. Sea Scout advancement rewards individual pursuits of excellence. Each level of advancement marks growth as a seaman and a leader. The highest rank a Sea Scout can earn is the prestigious Quartermaster rank. Seafaring has traditions that go back hundreds of years. Sea Scouts have adapted these traditions to the Sea Scout program and have created traditions of their own. A youth must be 13 years of age and graduated from the eighth grade or be 14 to join Sea Scouts. You can stay in Sea Scouts until you are 21 years of age. Sea Scout ships can be located by contacting the Boy Scouts of America in your area. If there is not a ship nearby, encourage parents, school, church, or community organizations to organize one. Welcome Aboard 5 CONTENTS Section One—Ship Organization and Uniforms . 11 The Organization of a Ship . 11 Officers’ Responsibilities . 13 Adult Leader Responsibilities . 15 . Quarterdeck Training . 15 Ship Management . 16 The Ship Code and Bylaws . 16 The Right Vessel . 18 Uniforms . 18 Proper Insignia Placement for Sea Scout Uniforms . 26 Section Two—Ship Operations . 27 The Ship Meeting . 27 Two-Part Program . 30 The Quarterdeck Meeting . 32 A Balanced Program . 34 Cruise and Superactivity Plans . 35 Written Communications . 38 Recruiting New Members . 38 Fundraising . 39 . Customs and Courtesies . 39 Section Three—Advancement and Recognition . 47 Advancement . 47 . Sea Scout Advancement . 49 Other Recognition . 64 Section Four—Safety and Seamanship . 71 Safety . 71 Accident Prevention: Elements of Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat . 71 Safety Equipment . 79 Emergencies Underway . 84 Sample Crisis-at-Sea Emergency Drills . 88 Communication . 92 Communications Signaling . 95 First Aid . 98 General Safety . 102 Marlinspike Seamanship . 105 Rope . 105 Helpful Knot Terminology . 109 Knots . 110 Hitches . 113 Bends . 115 Whipping . 116 Contents 7 Splicing . 117 Canvas Work and Sail Repair . .122 Blocks and Tackles . .124 Boat Handling . 127 Parts of a Boat . .127 Types of Sailing Craft . .130 Sailing a Small Boat . .133 Smaller Powerboats . .139 Underway in a Powerboat . 14. 0 Wharfs, Piers, Docks, and Slips . 141 Heaving a Line . .145 Waterskiing . .145 Trailering Your Boat . .146 Rowing . .147 Paddlecraft . .149 Introduction . .149 Canoes . .150 Kayaks . .152 Stand Up Paddleboards (SUPs) . .154 Rafts . .155 Personal Safety Skills . .155 Aquatics Supervision . .156 Risk Management . 157 Ground Tackle . .163 Anchor Parts . .163 Types of Anchors . .164 Anchor Selection . .165 Stowage of Ground Tackle . .166 Anchor Cable for Larger Vessels . .167 Anchoring . .167 Navigation Rules . 173 Rules of the Road . .173 Steering and Sailing Rules . 174 Lights and Shapes . 177 Aids to Navigation . 181 Light List . 181 Lighthouses . .182 Daybeacons . .182 Buoys . .183 Port-Side Odd-Numbered Aids . .183 Starboard-Side Even-Numbered Aids . .183 Safe Water Marks . 184. Isolated Danger Marks . 184. Dayboards . 184. Special Marks . 184. Characteristics of Lighted Buoys . .185 Sound Buoys . .185 Dependence on Buoys . .185 8 Contents The Rule of Lettering . .185 Intracoastal Waterway . .186 Western River (Mississippi River) System . .186 Piloting and Navigation . .189 Charts . .189 Compass . .192 Variation . .193 Deviation . .193 Measuring Speed . .194 Time . .196 Measuring Distance . .197 Speed, Time, and Distance . .198 Dead Reckoning . .198 Deck Log . .198 Chart Plotting . 200 Fixes . 202 Weather . ..