Basic Cruising Skills is the first of a seriezs of student texts used in Sail's Canada's Learn to Cruise program. The text covers all the afloat and ashore performance objectives in the Sails Canada Basic Cruising Standard. The text guides a novice sailor through learning the language of sailing, rigging sails and lines and safely operating the sailboat under power or sail.
 
Basic Navigation is explained to the new sailor including how to read charts, the Canadian Buoyage System, tides and currents. Safety techniques such as reefing for heavy winds, heaving to, and recovering a person overboard are presented in both written form and easy to understand illustrations.
 
After thoroughly reading this book and practising the techniques explained, the new sailor will be able to sail a 6 to 10 metre sail boat in local waters in moderate sea conditions.