Beginers Advice - Yachtmaster certification

[Ubergeekian]

"There are a few organisations that will do a fast track coastal skipper in 8 weeks,"

name them pls, since the pre-exam requirements seem to suggest much more experience than 8 weeks.

"Pre-exam requirements:

•Radio Operator's Qualification
•Valid First Aid certificate
•Sea time:
◦800 miles logged within 10 years prior to examination
◦30 days living on board
◦2 days as skipper
◦12 night hours "

It might be intended to be more experience than eight weeks, but that lot would be very easy indeed to do in eight weeks if you wanted to. Radio operator's certificate: 1 day. First aid: 1 day (or is it two?). 800 miles: Largs to Peel and back once a fortnight. And so on.

I'm not sure I would trust someone whose experience had been so condensed and so limited, mind you.

 

[alant]

The RYA seem to think there is, since they call it the "Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore" course. OK, no "practical" in there, but it's not a theory course.

Its a preparation week.
There is no such thing as a practical 'course' prior to a RYA/MCA practical exam.

 

[alant]

It might be intended to be more experience than eight weeks, but that lot would be very easy indeed to do in eight weeks if you wanted to. Radio operator's certificate: 1 day. First aid: 1 day (or is it two?). 800 miles: Largs to Peel and back once a fortnight. And so on.

I'm not sure I would trust someone whose experience had been so condensed and so limited, mind you.

Fast Track, are usually considered zero-hero type courses, with little prior experience, these are usually 16 week courses (such as UKSA run).

 

[Ubergeekian]

Its a preparation week.
There is no such thing as a practical 'course' prior to a RYA/MCA practical exam.

If you mean that there is no mandatory course then you are quite right, but they clearly do run a course for those preparing for the exam.

The practical course in preparation for the Yachtmaster Coastal exam is the Coastal Skipper one, which ain't surprising since "Yachtmaster Coastal" is a renaming of "Coastal Skipper". In the RYA blurb about that course they write "candidates [are] often working towards a Certificate of Competence."

 

[Conachair]

Do I need a full Yachmaster qualification? It seems like a lot of work and investment, do I need it, will it bring my insurance down by as much as it costs?

I wouldn't bother, by the sounds of it you'd need to do a fasttrack to get the miles up. Yachtmaster thoery and coastal practical maybe. The courses are good but only so much as far as cruising goes, get south the weather systems are completely different, preventing damage to the boat is much more important than secondary ports.
Then as old boots says get a skipper/tutor for a few days on your own boat - serious intense boat handling round marinas cos that's the bit which will freak you out. With some practice sail trim and anchoring.
Anyway, when cruising the sailing's the easy bit. It's boat maintenance you really want to be thinking about....

 

[alant]

If you mean that there is no mandatory course then you are quite right, but they clearly do run a course for those preparing for the exam.

The practical course in preparation for the Yachtmaster Coastal exam is the Coastal Skipper one, which ain't surprising since "Yachtmaster Coastal" is a renaming of "Coastal Skipper". In the RYA blurb about that course they write "candidates [are] often working towards a Certificate of Competence."

Preparation courses are offered by schools, but they are not an RYA Course.

 

[amcl]

@Ross D
Thanks for the vote of confidence and positivity !


@snowleopard
thanks for engaging the catamaran question, I looked at your profile and I'm interested in hearing more. I've been speaking to a friend of mine who has been skippering for hire for a very long time and he's been pressing upon me that most of the things I'm after (i.e. quality of life, mostly tropical waters, not a great deal of experience and ease of travel and navigation, being as self contained as possible) that I should really consider a shorter catamaran 40-50ft instead. Can you tell me if it's possible to handle most oceans/conditions with relative ease (starting in the med and going east, perhaps suez indian ocean, thailand/phillipppenes then perhaps get the courage for polynesia, panama, carribean, azores and back). Again, maintenence isn't a huge issue, it's certainly going to be cheaper than keeping a big flat in London over the same 2 year period.



@Csail
Not sure how to anwser this but if the used boat broker sites are to be trusted then it's certainly a reality.

@litle rascal
looks good nice link, bookmarked and waiting t0 explore further

@scotty123
http://www.elitesailing.co.uk/2004/yachtmaster.htm

I agree with the people who mention the own boat training, this seems very logical and a good suggestion. I guess my original question was that; is it really neccessary or is it overkill to clock up 2000-4000 hours of yachtmster before buying a boat specifically, or is it better to get a few short courses aboard different vessels in a more hands on capacity (i'm even happy to voulenteer as a deckand on a few short voyages to get a feel for things).

 

[amcl]

scotty123 sorry 14 weeks not 8. cheers

 

[alant]

@Ross D
Thanks for the vote of confidence and positivity !


@snowleopard
thanks for engaging the catamaran question, I looked at your profile and I'm interested in hearing more. I've been speaking to a friend of mine who has been skippering for hire for a very long time and he's been pressing upon me that most of the things I'm after (i.e. quality of life, mostly tropical waters, not a great deal of experience and ease of travel and navigation, being as self contained as possible) that I should really consider a shorter catamaran 40-50ft instead. Can you tell me if it's possible to handle most oceans/conditions with relative ease (starting in the med and going east, perhaps suez indian ocean, thailand/phillipppenes then perhaps get the courage for polynesia, panama, carribean, azores and back). Again, maintenence isn't a huge issue, it's certainly going to be cheaper than keeping a big flat in London over the same 2 year period.



@Csail
Not sure how to anwser this but if the used boat broker sites are to be trusted then it's certainly a reality.

@litle rascal
looks good nice link, bookmarked and waiting t0 explore further

@scotty123
http://www.elitesailing.co.uk/2004/yachtmaster.htm

I agree with the people who mention the own boat training, this seems very logical and a good suggestion. I guess my original question was that; is it really neccessary or is it overkill to clock up 2000-4000 hours of yachtmster before buying a boat specifically, or is it better to get a few short courses aboard different vessels in a more hands on capacity (i'm even happy to voulenteer as a deckand on a few short voyages to get a feel for things).

You could buy a good bit of your boat for those fast track prices.

 

[Flying Penguin]

You could buy a good bit of your boat for those fast track prices.

If the OP is flush enough to look at 60ft boats, it's small beer. Even those prices are probably about the marina fee for one year of a substantial boat.

 

[DaveS]

I really hesitate to contribute anything to this since my experience of 60 foot boats (other than ferries) is precisely zero, and I have no experience of blue water cruising either. However, I wonder if there is a possible misunderstanding here:

"Again, maintenence isn't a huge issue, it's certainly going to be cheaper than keeping a big flat in London over the same 2 year period."

I think the issue isn't one of cost, but rather that, other than when you are lucky enough to be close to facilities, "maintenance" does not mean paying someone to do it, but actually doing it yourself, having previously acquired all necessary skills and spare parts, and an ability to find work-arounds when these prove insufficient. This point was alluded to by an earlier poster: there's probably far more aggregate skill required to look after the systems of a well equipped big modern boat than there is in learning to sail and navigate.