Adults Welcome Aboard!

We certainly welcome experienced sailors as Adult Leaders. However, the first and foremost requirement for a Scout Leader is to have a gift for working with teenagers. Scouting is about letting youth make and execute their own plans.  Adults are here mostly for safety. And occasionally nudge the youth a bit. The secret to life is simple. "Give your life experiences to our younger generation, and the fulfillment in watching them grow is your reward"

We also require adults to be trained. There is an inherent responsibility to working with kids on the water.

Summary of Required Training:

For ALL registered adults:

• BSA Youth Protection (YPT01) and Venturing Edition (YPT02)

• Sea Scout Adult Leader Basic Training (SSALBT)

• Online Position-Specific Training (Committee, etc.)

For Adults who wish to supervise a Crew:

• NASBLA Boater Safety Certification

• BSA Safety Afloat

• BSA Safe Swim Defense

• BSA Weather Hazards

• CPR and First Aid (Red Cross or American Heart Association)  WFA Preferred

For Adults who wish to Captain a Boat: BoatUS Membership with Towing Insurance is required.  This is a cost of $160 per year.  Given the risk of running aground, plus the minimum cost of $1200 to get towed, it’s a small price to pay.  While the Ship pays for selected adults’ coverage – we cannot afford to pay for everyone.

In addition, anyone requesting to captain a boat must have a valid sailing resume demonstrating over 100 hours experience, or spend at least 50 hours in observed operation of a Ship 343 boat.  Specific training is required for each boat, as older boats have unique personalities and quirks.

Please note the BSA Online Training Center   You should use your old MyScouting.org account to log in.  Under “Dashboard” you’ll see “Training Center”.  From there, access all online training.

BSA Youth Protection AND Venture Youth Protection Training

• Available via my.scouting.org

• Must be completed and certificate submitted before the Adult Leader Application can be accepted.

• You MUST enter your BSA ID number into your online training account as soon as available.  You are not marked “compliant” in the system until the data base says so.

SSALBT – Sea Scout Adult Leader Basic Training

Three options:

• University of Scouting. Third Saturday of February.

• Sea Scout Winter Training. First weekend in March.

• On occasion we may be able to schedule an instructor.

Boater Safety Training

All boaters (including youth) are required to have an NASBLA Boater’s License to operate a boat. You have two options:

• Boat US (Online) – This is a self-paced, 6 hour course. Exams are required after each 1-hour session. A grade of 90% is required to pass. For Ship 270 – this course or something equivalent is required to serve in a leadership position aboard the boat. We don’t expect everyone to be perfect, but we expect each adult to be vigilant in ensuring they are a model of boating safety.

• Local Power Squadron.

Additional BSA Online Training

We require three courses available at my.scouting.org:

• Safe Swim Defense.  This is a 20-minute online class that goes over BSA requirements for approved swimming events.  Since we occasionally allow scouts to swim off the boats, this is mandatory.

• Safety Afloat.  Another 30-minute online class that addresses BSA requirements for boating.  There’s more to our boating program than is covered here, but this is the basics and is considered mandatory.

• Weather Hazards.  A mast is a lightning rod in a storm.  This 20-minute online course is mandatory.  It doesn’t cover everything but it’s a good start.

Required Training for Sea Scout Ship Members are as follows:

Sea Scout Basic Leader

This training is intended for skippers, mates, and committee adults as approved by the local council.

The course is an intense experience in learning about the nature of the program, delivery of service to the community, and development of the youth leadership necessary for both.

To Complete On-Line, click HERE.

This course is designed for adults but is good for the youth also.

Introduction to Leader Skills for Ships

Training provides skippers and mates the necessary information and tools to conduct and facilitate the foundational unit leadership development for a ship’s elected and appointed youth leaders. 

For Information on In-Person Training, click HERE.

This course is designed for youth, to be presented by youth. The course would also be beneficial for adult leaders as well.

Additional Resources: 

• BSA Seascouts (Offical Website)

• BSA Youth Training Website