Am I ready for the YM?

[StellaGirl]

How do you know when you are ready to take your YM exam? I get terrible exam nerves and think I will cock it up.
However I have only been sailing 18 months - although I have done over 5000nm and spent about 80 days on the water. Should I leave it longer as my nav is still a bit weak...
I passed the Coastal Skipper in March but am wondering if that was just the luck of examiners...
Any thoughts.....

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[StugeronSteve]

Re: Not unless you\'re having trouble staying awake

Why not get a YM to go out with you and do a dummy run he'll soon know whether you're ready.

If your nav really is weak you maybe should hold off. Why not wait until you are confident and enjoy it more, after all it should be an affirmation of your skill, rather than an indication that you have reached the minimum standard applicable.

<hr width=100% size=1>Semper Bufo

 

[jimi]

My guess is that a lot of your mileage has been long distance as crew? Coastal navigation and boat handling skills are important for the YM so it may be that a YM training week may be a good idea?

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[racingron]

For what reason do you want your YM? A lot of people far less experienced than you take it to get jobs as charter skippers (and a lot of the bad ones pass to).

If you want it for the commercial reasons, ask your self this question - would I be happy taking charge of a boat up to 24 metres long up to 150 miles offshore as well as happy to park it in difficult marinas and manouevre it in close quarters?

If you want it to improve your yachting skills and increase confidence I would follow Jimi and/or Steve's advice and go and do a week's course. I believe that on the yachtmaster prep courses if you don't feel up to the exam you can decline to take it at the end of the week???



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[tcm]

agree with others- you might very well pass, tho it is always an idea to have strong nav, so you aren't caught on a tough sailing day weatherwise, pus a load of nav. www.cmonline.com allow you to do the YM theory on line at any speed you like, worth a look. Note that there is no pre-requirement for YM in terms of other exams so it can be someobody's very first RYA exam. Not sure that feeling nervous is a bad thing, and one shdn't feel exactly blasé about going a long way offshore really?

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[StellaGirl]

My miles are made up of 2700 on the ARC last year and about 7 or 8 channel crossings to Cherbourg and the Channel Islands. One of them being in 45 kts in the Alderney race. Besides that I do have a fair amount of experience in bad weather.
All my sailing is Solent based from Chichester down to Poole area and a couple of West Country trips.
My nav is weak as far as blind nav is concerned and thats my main concern. I have skippered a 40ft for a couple of weekends with friends on board and am happy with my boat handling skills, being a "leader" and coastal nav.
I would like to be an instructor one day which is part of the reason for doing the YM. I have crewed for a few people on their exams and know what to expect but that also depends on the examiner!
I have a delivery to Torquay and another to Cork coming up and of course Cork and Cowes week racing so I think after that if I am feeling less nervous I will give it my best shot.
I am not worried about failing - it happens sometimes - and besides you learn by your mistakes!

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[tcm]

Re: Blind nav

well, best would be to do the weeks course + YM option, which is what most schools offer these days. I had never done *utterly* blind nav prior to that, tho night and fog. They practise in the week prior and not 2 hard really. I wd say you are probly ready for it.

I wd also say you are suitably loony with 45 knots thru alderney race - imagine what it would have been if you had the tide with you, harhar.

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[powerskipper]

If you feel happy in charge of the craft and others feel happy with your ability, you do not panic if things go wrong, go for it,
What the examiner is looking for is " would they feel happy letting you take their family out with-out them"

Have a chat with someone at the RYA if you want to know more about it, they are very helpfull.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://powerskipper.mysite.freeserve.com/>http://powerskipper.mysite.freeserve.com/</A>
Julie

 

[graham]

Re: Blind nav

I agree with the weeks course being a good idea.I did mine after over 30 years sailing .

I didnt really learn anything new but polished up on somethings and the weeks training got us all familiar with the boat and each other.

Like you I suffer from exam nerves but I think the examiners make allowances for the odd nervous cock up.Its your overall performance that gets you through.

One bit of advise is never give up during the exam.I have crewed on exams where people have got in a tiz and given up when they could have passed if they kept going.

Remember the examiner is a fellow yachtie who has probably witnessed more exam cockups than you could dream up.Try to relax and enjoy the experience.

For the blind nav it mostly seems to involve calculating the height of tide and then following a depth contour to get to your objective so practice your secondary ports height of tides a lot in preperation.

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[powerskipper]

Re: Blind nav

do you prep course before exam, it works and does relax you.
good luck

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://powerskipper.mysite.freeserve.com/>http://powerskipper.mysite.freeserve.com/</A>
Julie

 

[StellaGirl]

Alderney Race

The most memorable part of that was that I had no wet weather gear on board and got a complete soaking. We then arrived at 11pm and with a 2m draft couldnt get over the marina bar (it took longer to get there than planned!).
We had to spend the night on the waiting pontoon with our only connection to land being a dinghy with no outboard.....!!

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[Peppermint]

Re: If

you don't need it now wait another season, till your nav's OK, to your satisfaction.

For me passing isn't the thing. Passing is great until you sail with some of the others who've passed. If you fail it's not because you can't sail or navigate or even lead a crew. It'll be because you've done something dangerous.

I actually didn't do any nav on my yachtmaster, or a passage plan or draw a tidal vector or even much boat handling. I did do a bit of blind nav which is a pretty easy job if you can work out a tidal height to within about half a metre. The examiners are pretty good at spotting those who can and spotting the weakness' of those who can't.

I know it's not very fashionable but I think a YM should be able to take any boat into anywhere practicable, day or night. I think he/she should be able to take a crew of strangers for a weeks sailing, meet none of the planned objectives, but get them all home safe and still talking to each other.

If you want to practise anything before taking your exam learn every little thing about the chart. Look for bearing lines, transits, contours that are features. Look at bits of the chart you wouldn't usually go on because thats were your exam will take place. Do the brush up course before the exam and your instructer will square up your weakness and tell you whether to take the exam or not.

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[Stevie_T]

Re: If

Stella
<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

Should I leave it longer as my nav is still a bit weak...

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You kind of answer your own question here, as a Yachtmaster you will be expected to be confident in your navigation and should be reasonably relaxed about it before taking your exam.

However if it really is only your blind Nav you are worrying about, then you should have ample chance to practice it during your 5 day prep course.
There is of course lots to cover during the prep but as an ex instructor I always allowed the student extra practice at what they were or felt they were weak at.

Why not ring up a school and book a weekend where you can be put through your paces and the instructor can give you an idea of if they think you are near enough to do the 5 day prep course or if you need more practice.

Also if you do decide to do it I cant stress enough how important it is to do the 5 day prep course, it covers everything you are likely to need to know or do and will boost your confidence and your chances of success and if at the end you dont feel ready, then you can delay your exam until you are.

Incidentally you will never fail your exam on a lack of perfection, if you fail to retrieve the man overboaRd the first time for instance, simply keep trying until you do pick them up. If you give up of course, then you will fail.
The exam, is judged on your all round ability and seamanship and whether you are safe to be in charge of a yacht, they are not looking for perfection.

If you pass you should look on this as an approval of your skippering ability and a starting point for your sailing career, not the crowning glory, the standard is not that high.

Hope this helps

Steve

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[tome]

Agree with most here that the week prep course is essential. When I did it, there was one chap who was taking his coastal but was pretty nervous about it all. He did fine during the prep and decided to go for the YM, which he duly passed.

Everyone is nervous but the prep is good for focus/confidence and you will be ready for the exam thing at the end of the week. Go for it!

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[miles_kendall]

Dick Durham, the magazine's intrepid features editor, has just taken his YM practical after 40 years of messing about in boats.

You can read about his nerves and how he got on in the July issue - out now!

Miles Kendall
Asst Ed.

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[StellaGirl]

Well, I am borrowing a friends 40 footer on Sunday until Thursday, we are sailing to Torquay as the boat is doing the Triangle Race which starts from there next weekend.
I have the instructor who did my Coastal Skipper prep on board for the trip and will have one on one tuition for 4 days. Have 2 crew as well and shall skipper the trip. If this doesnt prepare me for the exam, nothing will.

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[tome]

Good for you, best wishes and look forward to hearing how it went. Will you do the YM exam Friday?

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[AndrewB]

Best of luck with the exam.

I think Powerskipper is right, passing the YM is probably more about demonstrating the ability to take confident control of the yacht rather than absolutely accuracy in all the technical exercises. From what you have done so far, you should certainly have the experience.

One thing I did wonder though, have you done longish passages yet when there hasn't been anyone else more experienced than you aboard? Its only then that you truely can become the skipper, the person who knows deep down that they are ultimately responsible for the yacht and its crew. If you haven't, it might almost be worth kicking off the Instructor for this delivery trip to Torquay, more use to you than the potential for extra tuition.

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[Becky]

Go for it. I am in a similar position, except that my partner is already YM, and teaches the shore-based courses. Sounds like you are just being sensibly cautious. But the general thread says you should try it. Best of luck!

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[durham123]

Good luck. Check out Yachting Monthly July issue in which I write about taking and passing mine after 40 years sailing! I, too am exam nervous.

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