Benefits of Membership
Whether you own a boat already, are planning on buying one soon, or have dreams of sailing offshore someday, preparing for a long coastal or offshore voyage requires that you, your crew and your vessel are knowledgeable and fully self-sufficient. Island Cruising & Down Under Rally can help you navigate through all the preparation, administration and coordination of a long voyage.
Our membership enables you to save money, learn new skills and get connected with the South Pacific Sailing Community.
For just NZD$129.00 per year, (aprox AUD$120) Island Cruising & Down Under Rally Members receive:
- Cruising Workshops - weekly updates with all the tips you need for preparing for a long voyage. Topics include Cat 1, safety, weather, navigation, passage planning, seamanship, administration, health, environment and more. Workshops are written content with webinars, templates, videos, and discounts from our sponsors.
- Access to exclusive discounts from some of the best marine businesses in New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific.
- CrewSeeker - for both crew looking to gain experience and skippers looking for crew.
- Social events.
- Training, seminars and webinars.
- Access to local knowledge and advice in the South Pacific and New Zealand
- Assistance with navigating the ever-changing customs, immigration and health regulations.
- Support and advocacy when things don't quite go to plan.
- Priority booking on our rallies check out the Pacific Rally, South Island Rally, Sail South to NZ and Go West to Australia on our Rally Page.
- Monthly newsletter magazine
Check out our Partners page for details of discounts available to our members from Island Cruising & Down Under Rally Business Partners.
Cruising Preparation Online Course
Our Comprehensive Offshore Cruising Preparation Course is available online and on demand
- The course content is broken down into easy to digest 1 hr sessions,
- View the course content as often as you wish.
- View when it suits you.
- Learn at your own pace.
- Pause / Rewind at any time.
- Contact the course presenters via email or telephone at any time with questions.
Course Content:
Preparing the Vessel
- Ship Registration: Guide to ships registry
- Category 1: What is ‘Cat 1’and how does it apply to you and your vessel
- Safety Gear: Vessel specific – EPIRBS, MOB devices
- Rigging: Tips for extended cruising & safety including deck layout, preventers and more.
- Sails: Selection, balance, tuning, maintenance, furling systems.
- Anchors & Anchoring: How many, types, warps, windlass
- Water treatment: Filtration, purification, disinfectant, watermakers.
- Vessel Systems: Plumbing, gas, fuel
- Battery Systems: Capacity, measuring power consumption, troubleshooting, preventative maintenance and charging systems
- Power generation: How much do you need to generate and the pros and cons of various options including wind, solar and mechanical
- Electronics: Radios, charting, GPS, Radar, autopilot, AIS, etc.
- Steering: Tiller, wheel, wind vanes, autopilots & emergency systems
- Diesel Engines: Troubleshooting, spares
- Fuel systems: Filters, injectors, avoiding ‘bugs & bad fuel’
- Navigation: Basic equipment requirements
- Charts: Tables, filing, requirements
Preparing the People
- Sea Survival: Coastal and Offshore
- Watchkeeping & safety protocols
- Safety Gear: Personal EPIRBS and MOB devices, personal AIS
- Seasickness: Remedies, management & avoidance
- Log Keeping: How to keep a ship log and why plus basic record keeping
- To Crew or not to crew: Pros and cons of having crew aboard, where to find crew and your responsibilities.
- Sailing to a schedule: A recipe for disaster
- Medical Kits and medicines
- Money Matters: Credit cards, foreign currency, Power of Attorney
- Insurance: Vessel & Travel
- Staying Sane: Identifying roles, communicating aboard & sharing small spaces
Offshore Communications
- Voice Communication options including Satellite, Radios – VHF/ SSB/ HAM & Radio Schedules
- Electronic communications including email at sea: why is it important?
- Vessel tracking and position reporting
- Computer’s, Tablets, Phones and apps
- Weather Forecasting: Coastal & Offshore
- Weather information: Sources of weather info, how to interpret and use weather info.
- Weather routing for Passage Planning & Passage Management
Personal Health
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Preparing and maintaining the Mind & Body
Search and Rescue
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How to Contact, Response times, authority & scope of SAR.
Provisioning
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What to take, where to put it & what is available when you get where we are going.
Sourcing Products & Services
- Where to get great discounts and deals on marine and cruising lifestyle products and services
- Cruising Guides & Reference Books: Recommended, pilots, reference manuals, cruising guides