To become an FVQ cruising instructor, candidates must have completed the cruising standards and pre-requisites required for the level which they would like to teach.

The cruising instructor certification process is broken down into three stages:

• The written exams, which are usually held at the mid-February;
• The pedagogical workshop (end of April) - only for Basic Cruising or recertification candidates;
• The on-water clinic (practical skill section - end of May, early June).

This is not a training process, nor a course; it is an evaluation of your competency. We therefore suggest that you be well-prepared for each step of the process: your knowledge of the theory, your practical skills and your teaching abilities will all be evaluated. Please ensure that you have reached the appropriate certification levels and that they are up-to-date. You must have completed all prerequisites before the start of the certification process.

All candidates must be recommended by a cruising school.

Candidates are responsible for making themselves available to attend all stages of the process (these dates may change from one year to the next - the dates for 2017 are available here). Missing one step can result in failure.

More specific details for each instructor level are listed below:

For all instructor levels:

In order to be accredited and authorized to issue student standards, all instructors must have paid their annual dues and any outstanding FVQ invoices and have valid prerequisites. An instructor certificate is valid until December 31st, three years after completion of the course.

Other instructor standards:

• Introduction to Boating Instructor
• Coastal Navigation Instructor
• Offshore Instructor

Basic Cruising Instructor

This course introduces candidates to teaching methods, lesson plans and student evaluations. During the course, participants must prepare and present exercises suited for the Basic cruising standard. Basic and Intermediate theory and practical skills, as well as an understanding of collision regulations and the Canadian Buoyage system, are essential for successful completion of the course.

Please consult pre-requisites at the pre-requisites page

Written exam results required to continue the process:

• Basic Cruising Standard exam1 (2 hrs) - 90% (70% to be allowed to rewrite the exam)
• Intermediate Cruising Standard exam1 (2 hrs)- 70% (60% to be allowed to rewrite the exam)
• Rules of the road (1.5 hrs) -90% (70% to be allowed to rewrite the exam)
• 7 short open book thematic exams -90%

Intermediate Cruising Instructor

Candidates for this standard must demonstrate their ability to teach Intermediate Cruising notions. Intermediate theory and practical skills, as well as an understanding of collision regulations and the Canadian Buoyage System, are essential for successful completion of the course.

Please consult pre-requisites at the pre-requisites page

Written exam results required to continue the process:

• Intermediate Cruising Standard Exam1 (2hres) - 90% (80% to be allowed to rewrite the exam)
• Coastal Navigation Exam (3hres) - 90% (80% to be allowed to rewrite the exam)

Advanced Cruising Instructor

Candidates for this standard are evaluated based on their ability to teach the Advanced Cruising Standard skills and some Coastal Navigation elements. Advanced Cruising and Coastal Navigation theory and practical skills, as well as an understanding of collision regulations and the Canadian Buoyage System are essential for the successful completion of this course.

Please consult pre-requisites at the pre-requisites page

Written exam results required to continue the process:

• Advanced Cruising Exam (2hres) - 90% (80% to be allowed to rewrite the exam)

 

End faq

 

For this year's complete schedule and fees please click here

To register, please click here.

For more information about instructor certifications, please visit the Sail Canada website.

1 The candidate's obligation to write the exam can be waived if he/she has previously written the exam with a certified school within the last year, within the confines of a Sail Canada program. However, the copy of that exam must be in their file before mid-December and will be revised by the committee of correction to confirm the obtained grade.