DeckCrew sail™ is a practical sailing, seamanship and yacht crew training textbook developed by the International Yacht Marine Certification Society BV (iymcs) for readers who want to gain, improve or refresh their sailing knowledge and practical skills. It is suitable for a wide range of experience levels, from complete beginners learning the fundamentals of sailing to experienced crew and new professional deckhands developing their onboard working skills. Designed both for use with iymcs training courses and as a standalone self-study book, DeckCrew sail™ provides a structured introduction to the knowledge and practical working practices used aboard modern sailing yachts and classic sail vessels. Readers can work through the material independently to build confidence, strengthen their seamanship and better understand their role as a safe and effective member of a yacht's crew.The book covers sailing terminology, types of sailing yachts and rigs, sails and rigging, points of sail, deck hardware, onboard safety, firefighting and lifesaving equipment, COLREGS/IRPCS collision regulations, sound and day signals, navigation lights, buoyage, marine charts and basic navigation, magnetic compasses, marine weather forecasts and tidal height. The textbook is divided into two complementary parts. Part I - General Knowledge provides the theoretical foundation, while Part II - Practical On-Board turns that knowledge into practical exercises and illustrated Instruction Cards. Practical subjects include knots and rope work, deck seamanship, anchoring, berthing, sail preparation and handling, keeping a lookout, reading and noting a position, obtaining visual bearings, man-overboard recovery, emergency procedures, tender operations, maintenance and MARPOL awareness. Within the wider iymcs DeckCrew sail™ programme, the material supports five different learning pathways: beginner or novice crew, experienced ocean-cruising crew, classic sail vessel crew, skippers wishing to strengthen particular areas of knowledge and skill, and new professional yacht crew. This makes the book useful not only as an introduction to sailing but also as a reference and skills-development resource as experience grows. When used as part of formal iymcs training, different course modules may lead to an iymcs Certificate of Proficiency (CoP) appropriate to the training undertaken. For the recreational crew and skipper pathways, the syllabus and assessments adhere to UNECE Resolution No. 40 for operators of pleasure craft, sailing yachts or motor vessels up to 24 metres. Independent study of this textbook does not by itself confer iymcs certification.
