
Scout Badges: Nautical Skills training activities

From Monday 16th November 2009, as part of The Scout Association's development of one fully integrated website for Members, the information contained on this page is no longer being maintained. For up to date information please visit the following link: Scouts: Nautical Skills Activity Badge Training Skills
Section One: practical skills

Pulling
-
Gain the Scout Association's Pulling Badge.
-
Gain the Scout Association's Pulling Instructor Badge.
Power
-
Gain the Scout Association Power Coxswain Activity Badge (Narrow boat)
-
Gain the RYA Level 1 Powerboat
-
Gain the RYA Personal Watercraft Proficiency Award
Paddle sports
-
Gain the BCU Paddlepower Passport
-
Gain the BCU Paddlepower Discover
-
Gain the BCU Paddlepower Explorer
-
Gain the BCU Paddlepower Excel
-
Gain the Dragon Boat Activity Badge
Sailing
-
Gain the RYA Youth Windsurfing Level 1
-
Gain the RYA Youth Windsurfing Level 2
-
Gain the RYA Youth Windsurfing Level 3
-
Gain the RYA Young Sailor Scheme Start Sailing 1 Award.
-
Gain the NSSA Bronze Award
-
Gain the RYA Young Sailor Scheme Start Sailing 2 Award.
-
Gain the NSSA Silver Award
-
Gain the RYA Young Sailor Scheme Start Sailing 3 Award.
-
Gain the NSSA Gold Award
-
Gain the RYA Young Sailor Scheme Start Sailing 4 Award.
-
Gain the RYA Young Sailor Scheme Red Badge.
-
Gain the RYA Young Sailor Scheme White Badge.
-
Gain the RYA Young Sailor Scheme Blue Badge.
-
Gain the RYA Competent Crew Certificate.
-
Gain the RYA Sail Cruising Award
Section Two: safety

-
Demonstrate the HELP posture for survival in water.
-
With other Scouts, demonstrate the HUDDLE position for survival in water.
-
Explain how a life jacket works and be able to demonstrate its use.
-
Explain the effects of temperature, wind and water on the human body in cases of hypothermia and exhaustion. List the First Aid procedures in these cases.
-
With another canoeist, demonstrate two methods of canoe rescue.
-
Heave a lifeline from a boat to land within reach of person eight metres away twice from three attempts.
-
Acting as an assistant in a rescue exercise, board a craft not under control and bring it ashore' and single-handed.
-
Under sail, demonstrate the 'man overboard' procedure.
-
Using a training manikin, demonstrate the correct method of artificial ventilation.
-
Demonstrate capsize drill in a sailing dinghy.
-
One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Leadership Team.
Section Three: boats and construction

-
Name the parts of a boat or canoe and its equipment. Prepare it for a water activity and use it.
-
With other Scouts, clean, paint or varnish a boat.
-
Under supervision, carry out repairs to a boat or canoe.
-
Demonstrate simple sail repairs, using a palm and needle.
-
Rig a sailing boat and name the parts of the gear.
-
Refit or help build and maintain a boat or canoe.
-
Whilst afloat, construct and hoist a jury rig from available materials in the boat. Sail the jury-rigged boat 500 metres.
-
Under supervision, carry out routine maintenance on an outboard motor. Demonstrate the proper fitting of the motor to the transom of a boat.
-
Make a boat's bag or sail bag.
-
Build and demonstrate a working model of a boat.
-
Lead a team in the safe operation of a lock on a canal
-
One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Leadership Team.
Section four: navigation

-
Read a mariner's compass and have knowledge of variation and deviation.
-
Demonstrate how a position may be found from three bearings.
-
Demonstrate how compass error can be found from a transit bearing.
-
Plot a position using GPS.
-
Demonstrate the use of tide tables and tidal stream atlases.
-
Explain the system of strip maps of canals and rivers. Use such a publication to plan an expedition by canoe or dinghy.
-
Plot your position at sea using Dead Reckoning (DR) and Estimate Position (EP)
-
Using an inland navigation guide, plan a day's cruise in a motor vessel, calculating how long it will take to cover the required distance, taking into account both the number of locks and the mileage involved.
-
Use a sextant to measure vertical angles.
-
Complete a navigation exercise by day on water. Know how to find North by sun or stars.
-
Demonstrate how to take soundings with lead line and pole in local waters.
-
One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Leadership Team.
Section five: rope work and tradition

-
Hoist the colours for a Sea Scout Group. Pipe the 'still' and 'carry on' on a Bosun's call.
-
Demonstrate three further whistle calls commonly used in a Sea Scout Group.
-
Make a sail maker's whipping and one other type of whipping.
-
Make an eye splice and a back splice.
-
Make a short splice.
-
Demonstrate in a nautical setting the following knots with their correct use: clove hitch, rolling hitch, fisherman's bend and a form of stopper knot.
-
With others build a raft from spars and drums and prove it floats.
-
Prepare, coil and throw a heaving line with good accuracy.
-
Make a rope fender or other piece of rope work, for example, a lanyard.
-
Explain the differences in usage and stowage of natural and synthetic ropes.
-
One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Leadership Team.
Section six: meteorology

-
Know the Beaufort wind and sea scales.
-
Identify the basic types of clouds. Explain how they are formed, how wind speed is measured and how weather can affect water activities.
-
Record the shipping forecast and explain what it means for any given sea area or inshore waters.
-
Identify the weather associated with frontal systems. Be able to explain the meaning of terms used on a weather map, for example, col, ridge, trough and occlusion.
-
Explain how temperature and pressure are measured.
-
Identify the weather conditions associated with the movement of air masses.
-
Find the geostrophic wind speed from information given on a synoptic chart, and discuss its relationship to wind on land and in coastal waters.
-
Set up a simple weather station and keep a log of daily recordings over a month.
-
and make a weather map from it
-
One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Leadership Team.
Section seven: expeditions

-
Demonstrate knowledge of the pulling orders used in single or double-banked boats, and take charge of a pulling boat.
-
Be able to steer and manoeuvre a boat, canoe or dinghy.
-
Complete a one-day expedition with others by canoe, pulling boat or sailing dinghy.
-
Complete a 24 hour expedition with others by water, to include an overnight camp..
-
Form part of a crew on an offshore cruising vessel for not less than 24 hours, to include at least one night afloat.
-
Form part of a crew on an inland cruising vessel for a trip of not less than 48 hours, to include two nights afloat.
-
One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Leadership Team.
Section 8: rules of the road and communications

-
Know the rules for getting afloat on tidal waters and on inland waters.
-
Know the International Maritime distress, storm, fog and danger signals.
-
Know the international (IALA) Buoyage System.
-
Know the sound signals used by powered vessels underway and at anchor.
-
Know the navigation lights carried by different types of vessels. Identify at least three different types of vessel from lights displayed.
-
Have a working knowledge of the International Yacht Racing Rules and the Yardstick Handicapping System.
-
Know the effects of currents in non-tidal waterways and the effect of heavy rain in an area drained a natural river. Explain what is meant by a river in spate and the associated dangers.
-
Advise on suitable moorings and anchorages for different types of craft locally, and give local emergency landing places for small craft.
-
Explain the difficulties of paddling on British waters and how to gain information on access to rivers and lakes. Explain why sensitivity should be shown when launching and landing to other users.
-
Explain the systems of sea-lanes in national and international waters.
-
Gain a VHF licence
-
One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Leadership Team.













