Compass Revision is an independent study platform. It is not affiliated with, approved by, or endorsed by Sail Canada, Transport Canada, ISED, CanBoat, the Canadian Hydrographic Service, or the Canadian Coast Guard. These companions do not award certification, a PCOC, or an ROC(M), and do not replace recognized instruction, practical experience, or assessment.
Compass CanadaCompass Canada study companion
Intermediate Cruising Study Companion
Direct answer
Independent Canadian preparation for liveaboard coastal cruising, larger-yacht systems, navigation, weather, leadership, and bareboat decision-making. Independent knowledge preparation mapped to a published standard. Compass is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sail Canada. Completion does not award certification, demonstrate on-water competence, or replace recognized instruction and assessment. Bareboat acceptance remains the charter operator's decision, and the published prerequisite certificates are not supplied by Compass.
- Price
- $34.99 once
- Course size
- 10 modules
- Access
- Lifetime access
- Format
- Independent online study companion
Course route
Learn the knowledge, then take it afloat with an instructor
Liveaboard Readiness and Passage Planning
Prerequisites, honest experience, boat and crew limits, route objectives, alternates, and daytime passage plans.
Open moduleFuel, Water, and Provisioning
Tank capacity, consumption, reserves, food, stowage, seasickness, waste, and conservation.
Open moduleCruising Systems and Diesel
Electrical, water, sanitation, bilge, steering, fuel, cooling, lubrication, charging, and fault isolation.
Open moduleSail Shape, Reefing, and Balance
Draft, twist, traveller, fairleads, reefing, sail combinations, helm balance, and heavy-weather preparation.
Open moduleClose-Quarters Handling and Mooring
Wind, current, prop walk, spring lines, mooring pickup, crew roles, and abort plans.
Open moduleAdvanced Anchoring
Anchor selection, scope, changing conditions, shore constraints, multiple anchors, dragging, and recovery.
Open moduleCoastal Pilotage and Electronic Navigation
Canadian publications, pilotage, fixes, route monitoring, GNSS, chartplotters, AIS, and backup evidence.
Open moduleRegional Canadian Marine Weather
Pacific, Great Lakes, Atlantic, and northern weather patterns, official warnings, fog, fronts, thunderstorms, and cold water.
Open moduleCrew Leadership and Watchkeeping
Safety briefings, roles, fatigue, watch routines, handovers, communication, and skipper responsibility.
Open moduleEmergencies, Environment, and Cross-Border Awareness
Crew overboard, grounding, flooding, fire, towing, pollution prevention, reporting, and Canada-U.S. entry planning.
Open moduleWhat the companion includes
Clear knowledge and practical boundaries
- Original lessons and explanations
- 18 questions and 12 flashcards per module
- Three 40-question mixed knowledge assessments
- Canada terminology, jurisdiction, and primary-source context
- Practical-awareness prompts clearly separated from assessed knowledge
Not included
- Sail Canada certification or an official examination
- A Pleasure Craft Operator Card or ROC(M) certificate
- Instructor-observed practical assessment
- Copied textbook, chart, manual, or examination content
- A guarantee of school, examiner, or charter-operator acceptance
Editorial record
Primary-source review
Course content is original to Compass and reviewed against published Sail Canada standards and current Canadian government sources. Provincial, local, vessel-specific, and operator requirements must be checked separately.
- Sail Canada Intermediate Cruising Standard (2024)
Published liveaboard cruising knowledge, prerequisite, and practical-performance standard.
- Transport Canada Safe Boating Guide
Federal recreational-boating safety and equipment context; current vessel-specific requirements still need checking.
- Transport Canada proof of competency and PCOC guidance
Authoritative boundary for proof of competency, accredited providers, and accepted equivalencies.
- Transport Canada accepted proof-of-competency equivalencies
Current official list including Basic Powerboat and Basic Cruising training certificates issued by Sail Canada; Compass completion is not listed.
- Canadian Coast Guard Canadian Aids to Navigation System 2023
Canadian IALA Region B, lateral, cardinal, special, regulatory, and local identification conventions.
- Canada Collision Regulations
International rules as implemented and modified for Canadian waters.
- Canadian Hydrographic Service Chart 1
Authoritative Canadian chart symbols, abbreviations, and terms; no CHS chart image is reproduced in Compass content.
- Environment and Climate Change Canada marine forecasts
Official marine forecast and warning source for Canadian regions.
- ISED radio operator certification
Federal certificate scope and issuing-authority boundary for ROC(M).