TACK 2025

Three Fires Council’s annual Sea Scout training day-TACK- will be on Saturday, March 1, 2025
at Wheatland Salem Church, 1852 95th St, Naperville, IL, 60564. Registration will begin at
8:00. Opening Ceremony will begin promptly at 9:00. Classes are available for all Sea Scout
ranks, adults, and Scouts in other programs planning to attend Sea Base or another aquatics
High Adventure, and a couple special offerings.

Special offerings include a team representing the admissions program for the U.S. Coast Guard
Academy (morning only), a seamstress who will sew on Scout patches, an outboard motor class
and demonstration, a sailboat, sailboat racing rules and strategy, and a live flare and fire
extinguishing demonstration. In addition, the Coast Guard Auxiliary will offer the 6 hour Safe
Boating Course for adults and youth. Persons aged 14 and above need this course to operate a
vessel on state or federal navigable waters.

This year, there will be tracks for each rank. Scouts may go one up one rank for classes if they
have already completed that task. Sea Scouts will be the lead instructors for most classes with
the mentoring of a knowledgeable adult.

General Agenda:

• Opening Ceremony aboard a landship, with New Member joining ceremony and Change of
• Watch
• 2 Morning Sessions
• Lunch
• 3 afternoon Sessions
• Flares and Fire Extinguishers

Apprentice Track:

• Joining Ceremony
• Small Sailboat Orientation
• Safety
• Marlinspike Seamanship-knots
• Intro to Leadership Skills in Ships (ILSS) (3 hours)

Ordinary Track:

• Piloting and Navigation 1—charts and plotting
• Marlinspike Seamanship-knots and whipping
• Safety
• Rules of the Road
• Sound and Light Signals
• Marine Environmental Protection
• Weather

Able Track:

• Piloting and Navigation 2-course plotting and fixes
• Fire Extinguishers, Classes of Fires, and Flares
• Marlinspike Seamanship-splices and sail repair
• Marine Environmental Protection
• Weather

Quartermaster Options: (Open to all ranks)

• Outboard Marine Engines
• Sailboat Racing Rules and Strategies
• (QM Scouts may teach classes needed for advancement)

Non-Sea Scout track for Troops and Crews:

• Small Sailboat Orientation
• Basic Marine Safety—clothing and gear, lifejackets
• Marlinspike Seamanship-knots
• Safe Boating Course (6 hours)
• Voyage/Trip Planning
• Intro to Leadership Skills in Ships (ILSS) (3 hours)

Adults:

• Safe Boating Course (6 hours)
• Voyage/Trip Planning
• Basic Marine Safety
• Navigation and Piloting 1 and 2
• Small Sailboat Orientation

Registration fee is $20.00 for patch and materials.  Bring a sack lunch.