Mini-Course: Aids to Navigation
Learn to read buoys, markers, and beacons like a pro. Aids to navigation are water- or land-based devices that help you ... Read moreknow where you are, avoid danger, and follow the safest route. This mini-course explains how to recognize their shapes, colours, and chart symbols — and how they guide your journey on the water. Perfect for: New or returning boaters who want to feel confident reading marine signs and avoiding hazards.Read less
Suggested Prerequisite none
Mini-Course: Anchor with Assurance
Anchoring is more than just dropping a line — it’s a skill every boater needs. In this essential mini-course, you’... Read morell learn how to anchor a boat safely, choose the right anchor, calculate your rode, and apply proven anchoring techniques for different conditions. Whether you’re stopping for lunch or managing an emergency, gain the confidence to keep your boat secure. Perfect for: Day cruisers, overnight boaters, and anyone anchoring for the first time.Read less
Suggested Prerequisite none
Mini-Course: Avoiding Collisions
Just like road rules keep cars safe, the “rules of the road” on water help prevent accidents. This must-take mini-co... Read moreurse teaches how to avoid boat collisions, understand right of way, and apply Canadian boating regulations with confidence. Based on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (with Canadian modifications), it’s your go-to course for smart decision-making and effective collision avoidance. Perfect for: All boaters, especially in busy waters or shared channels.Read less
Suggested Prerequisite none
Mini-Course: Boating in Tidal Waters
For your safety, your crew’s, and your boat’s, it’s essential to understand tides and currents before heading into... Read more tidal waters. Failing to plan properly can leave you grounded—or worse, snapping your mast under a bridge or utility line. This mini-course offers a solid introduction to tidal navigation, helping you avoid costly, stressful mistakes. While we can’t cover every detail of tides and currents here, you’ll gain the core knowledge needed to boat safely in tidal zones. Perfect for: Boaters heading into coastal waters or tidal rivers.Read less
Suggested Prerequisite none
Mini-Course: Docking with Confidence
Docking doesn’t have to be stressful. This mini-course teaches how to dock and undock a boat safely, even in wind or t... Read moreight spaces. Learn proven docking tips and step-by-step procedures to approach and leave the dock, with techniques for handling wind from different directions. Gain confidence to protect your boat, your crew, and your pride — every time you pull in. Perfect for: New boaters or anyone who wants smoother, stress-free docking.Read less
Suggested Prerequisite none
Mini-Course: Knots and Lines
Know your knots. Learn the must-know boating knots every mariner should master — when to use them, and how to tie them... Read more quickly and securely. This mini-course also covers the different types of rope (cordage) used on board, how to choose the right one, and how to handle lines safely to protect your boat and crew. Perfect for: All boaters — from first-timers to experienced cruisers brushing up.Read less
Suggested Prerequisite none
Mini-Course: Tropical Weather for Boaters
The mini-course is designed to be done in one sitting of about 90 minutes. Many boaters like to spend all or part of the... Read moreir winters sailing in tropical waters, and no doubt wonder what sort of weather they might encounter. The meteorology behind winter weather in the Tropical Zone is very much different from that which we experience here in the mid-latitudes. This seminar gives provides a quick review of mid-latitude weather, and then explains the differences that we would find in the tropics, and why they are different. A good follow up of this course would be Weather for Boaters which is a multi week course with Tutor support.Read less
Suggested Prerequisite none
Mini-Course: How to Use a GPS
This introductory online mini-course is for boaters who want to know the basics of how to set up their GPS/Chartplotter,... Read more understand how it works, how to use it to and how it can connect to other boat electronics including tablets and smart phones. In this seminar, you will learn about waypoints, routes and how to best use the display options available for charts and data. Knowing how to plan and safely execute a route and interpret what you see on the charts is important A section is included on the capabilities of multi-function displays connected to an autopilot, sensors, radar, AIS or DSC radio. This is an interactive seminar and to help you assess your learning, there are question and answer segments located throughout the various sections.Read less
Suggested Prerequisite none
Mini-Course: Celestial Navigation in a Nutshell
The Mini-Course is designed to be done in one sitting of about 90 minutes. Before electronic navigation aids like GPS a... Read morend electronic chartplotters came along, coastal sailors plotted fixes by using natural and man-made references, such as lighthouses, buoys, church steeples, radio/TV towers, and so on, that were plotted in their exact locations on paper navigation charts. They did this by taking quick-succession bearings on two or more of these objects, thus producing lines of position (LOPs) that crossed each other at some point. When these LOPs were plotted on the paper chart, the sailor could see the fix, indicating the boat’s position. This process is called getting a terrestrial fix. However, if the sailor is in the middle of an ocean, there are no lighthouses or church steeples. There is a solution however, and as the Friendly Giant used to say, “Look up … way up,” and there are all those heavenly bodies, “lighthouses in the sky.”Read less
Suggested Prerequisite none