Benefits of Membership
Island Cruising & Down Under Rally helps sailors in New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific achieve their sailing dreams. We provide online training, support and resources for cruisers and run yacht rallies around the South West Pacific.
Whether you own a boat already, are planning on buying one soon, or have dreams of sailing offshore someday, membership of Island Cruising can help you save money & learn new skills.
When you are ready to head offshore - you can join us on the Pacific Rally and get access to even more support, advice & resources to help make your cruising dreams a reality.
For just NZD$129.00 per year (aprox AUD$120) Island Cruising Members receive:
- A weekly members newsletter.
- Online Training - everything you need to know for preparing you, your crew and your vessel for a long voyage. Topics include, safety, weather, navigation, passage planning, seamanship, administration, health, environment and more. Workshops are written content with templates, videos and more.
- Access to exclusive discounts from some of the best marine businesses in New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific.
- Our CrewSeeker Service - for both crew looking to gain experience and skippers looking for crew.
- Priority booking on our rallies.
- 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
-
Preparing and maintaining the Mind & Body
Search and Rescue
-
How to Contact, Response times, authority & scope of SAR.
Provisioning
-
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