Qualified Seaman Badge

Qualified Seaman Badge


Sea Scout Safe Boating and Advanced Seamanship Training

The Small-Boat Handler Course and the Qualified Seaman Course are designed for Sea Scout ships whose members are not interested in following the advancement plan leading to Quartermaster, or they can serve as a training outline for traditional ships. The entire membership of a ship can work as a group in the course led by the ship's adult officers and/or qualified instructors. Details supporting the course outlines arc found in the technical sections of the Sea Scout Manual along with references to other publications listed in the bibliography.

For information on the Small Boat Handler Badge, Click Here.


The Qualified Seaman Course

  • Section One - Aids to Navigation
    1. Aids to navigation
    2. The buoyage system
    3. Use of various buoys
    4. Storm warnings—publications and charts
    5. Other storm warnings
    6. Daymarks on vessels
    7. Dredges, moored vessels, and towing
    8. Daymarks, beacons, minor lights, and range:
    9. Intracoastal waterway markings, buoys, and aids
    10. Lightships and lighthouses
    11. Radio beacons
    12. Government publications - tide tables, Notice to Mariners, etc.
  • Section Two - Rules of the Road
    1. Purpose of rules of the road
    2. Danger zone, right of way
    3. Sound signals
    4. Lights
    5. Orders to the helmsman
  • Section Three - Seamanship
    1. Lookout
    2. Bearings, reporting
    3. Taking soundings
    4. Marlinspike seamanship
    5. Types and use of anchors
  • Section Four - Safety
    1. Necessary equipment
    2. Hazards
    3. Hull inspection
    4. Firefighting
    5. Proper fueling
    6. Life jackets
    7. Charts
    8. Weather
    9. Man overboard drill - class project
    10. Grounding
    11. First aid
  • Section Five - Piloting
    1. The compass - description and use
    2. Compass boxing contest
    3. Operating by visual aids
    4. Working a course
  • Section Six - Charts
    1. Definition of charts
    2. Orientation and dividers
    3. Chart symbols
    4. Speed, distance, and time
  • Section Seven - Safe Boating
    1. Operation
    2. Principles of sailing
    3. Powerboat operation
  • Section Eight - Operating a Boat
    1. Demonstrate proper operation of a sailboat or a powerboat,
      1. Safety checklist
      2. Emergency procedure
      3. Handling lines
      4. Correct anchoring
      5. Use a chart - lay out a course
      6. Operate the boat in a proper manner and make a correct landing.

Source: Sea Scout Manual (#33239 - 2016 Edition - SKU 620543)


Page updated on: December 04, 2017



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