Sail Training
Each day the students sail the ship to a different destination and receive instruction and practice that will increase their level of proficiency in seagoing skills. This sail training instruction is aligned with the guidelines set by the American Sail Training Association and will be the appropriate skill level for the age of the group and length of the trip. Sail training goals are set so that every student remains challenged and engaged.  On every CIMI Tall Ship Expedition your students will: * Break into watch groups
* Receive a safety orientation including lifesaving equipment, firefighting equipment and the proper donning of a lifejacket
* Learn their role in a man overboard, fire, or abandon ship emergency
* Take part in an emergency drill
* Operate the vessel as a watch group. This includes manning the helm, keeping a proper lookout, handling the sails, and performing hourly boat checks
* Learn the parts of the vessel and the names of all sails and spars
* Learn line handling commands and procedures
* Raise, strike, and learn to furl sails
* Coil, hang, and ballentine lines
* Tie basic knots
* Learn basic navigation and celestial star-plotting
* Take responsibility for the upkeep of the ship three times a day during Pride stations. Each day CIMI Tall Ship Expeditions gives your students more and more responsibility in the sailing of the SSV Tole Mour in order that they become more independent sailors. These responsibilities begin with the above list and grow to include having students raise sails simultaneously, call sails, lead halyards, haul halyards to chanteys, strike sails independently, furl aloft, man the helm during maneuvers, participate in anchoring operations, and assist the engineer and bosun. Below are the sail training classes that are offered. Due to our Sailing School Vessel designation we are required to train all on board as crew and therefore some of the below classes are mandatory (m) and some classes are optional (o).
 Line Handling I (m) This class occurs virtually right off the dock. We split the entire school group into two and then teach you some basic commands and how to respond. This is also how the group learns to pull together in order to lift our largest sails.
Line Handling II (m) Here we teach you a bit more technical information about handling the lines that haul up the sails and making those lines fast to the pins (tieing the lines to a rail). During this class each group is taught by an instructor and a deckhand. We allot sufficient time for everyone in the group to get comfortable with our procedures so that you will be a safe and effective member of our crew for the rest of the trip.
Ship Operations (m) While underway the captain needs to have one watch group out of the three dedicated to running the ship. Your group, with your instructor will report to the Mate to assist in keeping a lookout, doing thorough checks on the ship to make sure every thing is running smoothly above and below, and taking a turn at the helm (steering the ship). Also the ship operations group will help manage the sails while the Tole Mour maneuvers.
 Marlinspiking and Seamanship (m) No you don’t get to harpoon a Marlin. But you will learn the different parts of the ship, what makes us a 3 masted square topsail schooner, some useful knots and you will begin creating a decorative knot that you can take out and work on for the rest of the trip, giving you a unique souvenir.
Navigation (m) Here you will be introduced to the chart and all its nuances. The chart and the magnetic compass, parallel rule, and dividers will allow each student to find where the ship is and how far away we are to our next anchorage. There-bye ending the eternal question heard on many a road trip: “When are we going to get there?”
Advanced Sailling Maneuvers (o) This is a class that a head chaperone can choose for a whole afternoon. It is a great way of getting all three groups working together to maneuver the SSV Tole Mour with a lot of sail up. Think your students are going to be quick on the basics? Then this class is for you.
Language of the Sea (o) You have to see it to believe it. We have a conversation recorded of two old deckhands talking. It is impossible to understand. Unless you have the key! Which we provide. While you are desiphering the conversation you will learn the origin of a lot of words we use every day like posh and government.
Physics of Sailing (o) A favorite with the Physics teachers. This is a great class to tie in with Navigation. Students will learn how the first mariners started to learn how fast they were traveling then they will try and figure out how fast we are going. Also we introduce the labor saving ability of the block (pulley). It is an eye opening science at it’s best!
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