Basic Cruising Study Companion
Independent Canadian preparation for basic cruising terminology, sailing decisions, Canadian rules and aids, safety, weather, and skipper responsibilities.
$24.99 CAD10 modules
View companion Independent study · no certification. Independent study. Not an official course or certification. Details
Compass Revision is independent and is not affiliated with, approved by, or endorsed by Sail Canada, Transport Canada, ISED, CanBoat, CHS, or the Canadian Coast Guard. It does not award certification, a PCOC, or an ROC(M).
Compass Canada
Get ready to sail Canadian waters.
Independent Canadian sailing study companions, from basic cruising to coastal navigation and marine radio.
Independent preparation. No qualification or certificate awarded.
- Canadian rules and aids
- CHS chart conventions
- CAD-priced companions
Study scope and sources
Original independent study companions for Canadian terminology, IALA Region B with Canadian overlays and Canadian aids, Canadian Collision Regulations, CHS chart conventions, marine weather, VHF, navigation, and cruising decisions. Canadian English and CAD-only individual products.
Original content is reviewed against published Sail Canada standards and current Canadian government sources. Provincial and local requirements must be checked separately.
Try the learning experience
A small lesson. A clearer next step.
Explore a real sample from Basic Cruising Study Companion. Learn the idea, practise a decision, then check your understanding. No account needed for this sample.
Progress in this sample stays in the sample. It does not change your course record or award a qualification.
Explore this companionLearn · teaching first
Orient to the Boat, Not the Person
From Canadian Boat Terms and Parts
What you will learn
Use bow, stern, port, starboard, forward, aft, ahead, abeam and astern from one stable vessel-centred reference frame.
Explanation
Clear boat language starts by fixing every direction to the vessel. A crew member can turn around; the boat's port and starboard sides do not swap.
Bow and stern name the forward and after ends of the vessel. Forward or fore means towards the bow; aft means towards the stern. Port is the vessel's left side and starboard its right side when looking forward. These are boat-fixed labels, so a person facing aft still stands on the same port or starboard side.
Ahead, abeam and astern locate something relative to the vessel: beyond the bow, roughly at right angles to the fore-and-aft line, or beyond the stern. Windward and leeward use the wind as their reference and may change as the vessel or wind changes; port and starboard remain fixed.
Translate a call from a changing viewpoint
The helm faces forward while a crew member at the mast faces aft. The helm calls, 'Take the port jib sheet forward and keep it clear of the companionway.'
Sense check: The crew member now faces the stern, but the vessel's port side has not moved.
Common mistake
Using left and right when port and starboard are required creates observer-relative ambiguity.
Recap
- Bow and stern are ends; forward and aft are directions along the vessel.
- Port and starboard are fixed vessel sides.
- Ahead, abeam and astern describe relative positions.
More ways to revise
Flashcards, audio and interactive tools remain optional support inside the module; they do not replace the Learn → Practise → Test route.
Six independent companions
Choose the knowledge companion that matches your next Canadian course
Basic Coastal Navigation Study Companion
Independent Canadian coastal-navigation preparation using original fictional charts, CHS terminology, metric soundings, tides, currents, pilotage, and passage planning.
$39.99 CAD10 modules
View companion Intermediate Cruising Study Companion
Independent Canadian preparation for liveaboard coastal cruising, larger-yacht systems, navigation, weather, leadership, and bareboat decision-making.
$34.99 CAD10 modules
View companion ROC(M) Study Companion
Independent Canadian VHF and DSC preparation for ROC(M) knowledge and spoken-call practice, with certificate and examiner boundaries kept explicit.
$19.99 CAD9 modules
View companion Intermediate Coastal Navigation Study Companion
Independent advanced Canadian coastal-navigation preparation for current, leeway, intermediate tides, fixes, night pilotage, and longer passages.
$49.99 CAD10 modules
View companion Advanced Cruising Study Companion
Independent advanced Canadian preparation for sail theory, weather, stability, heavy weather, systems, night navigation, emergencies, and extended coastal command.
$49.99 CAD10 modules
View companion Every Canadian companion is sold separately with lifetime access. There is no Canadian bundle, subscription, certification, or automatic progression claim.
Understand the Canadian pathwayReadiness check
A private 12-question pre-course knowledge sample.
Canadian buoyage
Twenty questions on IALA B and Canadian-specific aids.
Basic practice
A public Basic Cruising knowledge diagnostic with explanations.
Chart symbols
Practice Canadian chart symbols with original fictional extracts.
For sailing schools
Join the narrow Canadian readiness-resource pilot.
How we protect the brand
Independent, original, sourced, and explicit about limits
Original content is reviewed against published Sail Canada standards and current Canadian government sources. Provincial and local requirements must be checked separately. We use published standards only to map coverage. We do not use official logos, reproduce manuals, charts, or exam questions, or describe Compass products as official courses.
Understand the PCOC boundary