First Mate Certification
The First Mate Certification Program was created to identify OWSA members of intermediate, advanced and expert sailing skills (per OWSA Skills description) who are interested in supporting our community skippers on Wednesday Night Sails (WNS) and other OWSA sailing events during the spring and summer sailing season. As a First Mate, you will actively assist the skipper in sharing sailing techniques with other members to sail, as well as help maintain a safe and nurturing environment on the water. Additionally, you will act as OWSA's ambassador to create a positive interaction between our members and our community skippers.
The goal of the First Mate is to 1) help members gain the confidence to continue sailing and to sign up for classes, join the BOAST program and volunteer for OWSA and 2) serve as skipper if needed during the sail.
The OWSA First Mate Certification is an opportunity to get on more boats, more often and hone your own skills sailing and support teaching sailing skills in a group setting. The certification focuses on 3 areas:
- Pre and Post Assessment of Boat and Sailing Terms with Gap Identification to get you certified faster. Check out FM assessment, only 80% proficiency is needed to join FM program First Mate Assessment_042023.pdf
- The First Mate Coordinator will facilitate an On the Water Skills Check of boarding, sailing and docking to validate your skills against the First Mate Assessment to ensure you are ready to support WNS and other OWSA sailing events.
- Ensure you have strong communication with the community skippers and are prepared to support OWSA goals of providing a safe nurturing sailing experience for OWSA members.
Contact the First Mate Coordinator at firstmate@owsa.net if you have questions about the First Mate Certification Program. The First Mate Coordinators goal is to help you become a First Mate and understand the responsibilities of a First Mate. Once you become an OWSA First Mate, the coordinator will add you to the First Mate email list so be sure to watch for opportunities to sail.
First Mate Certification requirements:
1. Be an intermediate or higher-level sailor per OWSA sailing skills levels OWSA Sailing Skills - Level descriptions.pdf
2. Sign up for pre and post assessments and on the water skills check. There are no set dates/location for this assessment, just contact firstmate@owsa.net to schedule your assessment.
3. The First Mate Coordinator will confirm placement on the First Mate Email List to support OWSA sailing events, including WNS. It is your responsibility to sign up for WNS each week when you see the invitation so the WNS Coordinator can schedule a First Mate for each boat going out sailing on Wednesday.
**Our First Mate program is seeking intermediate-to-advanced-to-expert-sailor participants. Questions about the program should go to firstmate@owsa.net
Please join us for team building, fun and extra days sailing!
