Coastal skipper exam in Harwich - advice?

[janeh]

Hi, may I ask please:

I am hoping to take my exam (yachtmaster coastal as it is properly called, of course) with an examiner called Martin Hubbard at Harwich.

I have only sailed the river twice - one winter from Levington to Ipswich and once from Ramsgate to Shotley.

Any tips on what Martin is hot on (if you know) - e.g. some examiners are hot for docking, others for passage planning.

Any tips on the rivers there abouts?

Any tips on the exam in general? Apart from the syllabus, I don't know much about what will happen on the day.

Most of my sailing for the last 20 years has just been single handed knocking around the East Coast, not many big trips, or just day sails out with friends. Not a lot of marina use, swinging moorings mainly. I will be pushing it to pass I think, but it took two attempts to pass my driving test and I then went on to become an advanced driver and test driver and so forth.

I will have one day to learn about the exam boat, how it handles, and where everything is kept.

I think the real learning comes after passing the tests sometimes.

Thanks and Tra La

 

[Marmalade]

Don't know the examiner - local VHF is 71 (harwich VTS) which will tell you about movements in Harwich harbour and 68 (Ipswich port control). Monitoring these may give you a clue as to when the big stuff is moving in harbour or river.

Good luck

 

[janeh]

Thanks.

Tra La

 

[davidwf]

Martins a great guy used to teach for Britannia Sailing now specilaises on power boats. So no moaning about stinkpots

He has huge experience as both an instructor and delivery skipper, delivering very expensive power boats all over the Med and UK.

Keep an ear open when on the Orwell for ships creeping up on you I always monitor 68 when in the river. If at low tide don't get too far into the shallows because as the ship passes its water displacement can cause you to ground.

Suspect he will take you into Woolverstone for berthing with tides flowing through the marina. If in doubt abort and take another run, only really bad in North Westerlys.

 

[janeh]

Thanks; time to do some homework

Tra La

 

[ex-Gladys]

I know another examiner well. RYA has been neurotic about gybing for years since the various sunsail.charter head injuries in solent a few years ago. Also make sure crew get fed and watered, be sure you can plot a course cross tide... harwich area favourite is across to cork sand yacht beacon. Blackwater its swin spitway to east barrow as i recall

 

[LittleSister]

If most of your sailing has been single handed, then I guess one issue is you will probably have to make sure you are taking command of the boat - communicating (both ways!) with the crew, getting them to do the various tasks, avoiding doing things yourself because it's easier then explaining, avoiding hogging the helm, considering the crew's well being/comfort in passage planning/victualling plans, etc.

 

[janeh]

Thanks again,

Yes, I hate running with the wind and don't sail by the lee (or try not to).

Very good point about crew management. It has been noticed that I am poor at it and try to do almost everything myself (even taking the lines ashore) rather than just sitting at the wheel and directing.

Also, I don't like telling people what to do in any situation - normal day to day life. With a crew of novices, I am much better, because I KNOW they know nothing and it feels more like I am helping / teaching them, than ordering them around.

Getting VERY nervous about the exam (and it is a way off)

Tra La