The Vancouver Chapter is pleased to offer a one day, in person course on the basic Theory and Practice of the Sextant, instructed by Scott Crawshaw. Knowledge of the theory and use of the sextant provides an excellent foundation skill for all offshore sailors and can provide a trustworthy navigation tool when modern systems fail for whatever reason.
Do you have a sextant but don't know how to use it? Do you know want to know what MERPASS is? Do you want to learn more about Celestial Navigation? Would you like to have a back-up navigation system you can use if your GPS stops working? Then this is the course for you.
Course Format:
The course planned is to provide education on the basic theory of Celestial Navigation and go over the parts of a sextant in a morning session using a PPT presentation and a real live sextant, followed by a practical session at Saxe Point in the early afternoon. MERPASS is at 13:10 and so we want to be down at Saxe Point no later than 12:30 to allow people to play with their sextants before apparent noon.
Everyone will need to bring a sextant. Although you can do the theory part without one, the practical part of the course requires a sextant. We will have a limited number of "borrowed" sextants available from members not taking the course but to get the most of out the course it is best to practice with the sextant you plan on using.
Instructor:
Scott Crawshaw has sailed for over 40 years and has over 50,000 miles of ocean water experience. This includes skippering the Royal Canadian Navy’s Tall Ship, HMCS Oriole and four years of offshore sailing with his family aboard the sailing vessel Peregrinata. His qualifications include a Transport Canada Master Mariner, unlimited tonnage; a Navy Surface Command Qualification, unlimited tonnage; an ISPA instructor, a CYA Yachtmaster, and a CRYA Ocean Yachtmaster Instructor.
He has sailed extensively in the Pacific, twice to Australia and five times to and from Hawaii. He has participated in a number of international yacht races including four Victoria to Maui International Yacht Races where he was the winning skipper of the 2000 race and is the corrected time record holder. In addition, he has competed in numerous Swiftsure races and a Van-Isle 360. From 2002-2006 he cruised with his wife and two daughters down the coast of the Americas and across the South Pacific, including the Galapagos, to Australia.
Scott served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1979 to 2022 and has extensive instructor experience in all navigation topics from basic to advanced. He specialised in navigation and ship-handling and was the Navy’s Senior Navigation Instructor in 1989-1991 and again from 2006-2011. In addition to HMCS Oriole he has commanded two of the RCN’s Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels, HMC Ships Whitehorse and Yellowknife and has extensive experience skippering the Orca class training vessels.
Scott has a degree in Physics and Physical Oceanography from Royal Roads Military College. He lives in Victoria, with his wife Sonia, where he divides his time between being a navigation and ship handling instructor in a world class bridge simulator and a full-time grandpa.
Maximum Class Size: 20 students
Cost:
BCA Members - $100.00
Non-members - $120.00
Members are reminded to login as members on the BCA website before signing up for the course in order to get the BCA Members rate.
Cancellation Policy: There is a $15 processing fee in the event of student cancellation
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