Coastal skipper vs Yachtmaster?

[Praxinoscope]

It still is like this - I passed yesterday! Thats all they allow - super unrealistic lol

Congratulations on passing, it really is a great feeling when the examiner says to you that he will recommend that you are awarded a YM.

 

[Obi]

Also:
As mentioned above the pre-requisites require more of the sailor, such as the miles/hours etc.

My course included certifications and training in all of the following:
VHF (and license)
First aid.
RYA powerboat level 2.
Sea Survival training.
Diesel engine maintenance.
Repairs and maintenance.
Victualling,

I am not sure if the above courses are required for YM, possibly not. It was just part of what we did in the zero to hero.

Then the sailing stuff theory and practical: Comp crew, Day Skipper, CS, YM

All of which is designed to get you thinking in a "Boaty" kind of way. Before I took my course, I probably had about a months time on board and maybe about 700nm. At 15 years old what I had seen taking place at the nav station was as occult as black magic to me. Doing that set of courses really helped to demystify many aspects of yachting for me, and I do not regret any of the time spent on those courses, the friendships, laughs, camaraderie and NDEs will stay with me as cherished memories.
Those courses gave me a superb foundation for what came after and it just kept getting better.

 

[RobbieW]

It still is like this - I passed yesterday! Thats all they allow - super unrealistic lol

Dont suppose I'll be the last to say this: you've demonstrated a grasp of the fundamentals, the technology builds on those and you'll understand what it is trying to achieve.

 

[laika]

Isn't the problem with thread revival that things change? Now someone who has been familiar with the syllabus for the RYA structure for 20+ years can correct me if I'm wrong but certainly a couple of years prior to the 2007 date on the OP when I did my YM, the coastal skipper course didn't exist. "Coastal Skipper" was synonymous with what was later re-branded as "Yachtmaster Coastal". The "Yachtmaster Coastal" course to which Tiki was alluding was added later. From the context of the original posts, they're discussing what we used to call "Coastal Skipper" (ie what is now "Yachtmaster Coastal")

 

[Graham376]

Isn't the problem with thread revival that things change? Now someone who has been familiar with the syllabus for the RYA structure for 20+ years can correct me if I'm wrong but certainly a couple of years prior to the 2007 date on the OP when I did my YM, the coastal skipper course didn't exist. "Coastal Skipper" was synonymous with what was later re-branded as "Yachtmaster Coastal". The "Yachtmaster Coastal" course to which Tiki was alluding was added later. From the context of the original posts, they're discussing what we used to call "Coastal Skipper" (ie what is now "Yachtmaster Coastal")

Coastal Skipper practical course existed in the 1990s, I did it in '97 as a prep week for YM Offshore exam.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Laika #44 has highlighted the differences in titles, just dug out my old G15/78 logbook in which it itemises the Certificates of Competence as follows:

RYA/DoT Coastal Skipper; The holder has the knowledge necessary to skipper a yacht on coastal cruises but does not necessarily have the experience to undertake longer passages.
RYA/Dot Yachtmaster Offshore; The holder is an experienced yachtsman, competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage which can be completed without the use of Astro-navigation.
RYA/DoT Yachmaster Offshore Certificate; The holder is an experienced yachtsman, competent to skipper a yacht on passages of any length, in all parts of the world.

No doubt todays generation may take exception to the wording ‘yahtsman’ but in general these descriptions do give guidance as to the various levels.

It could be argued that by changing the name of the certificate to ‘Yachtmaster Coastal’ from Coastal Skipper ma have introduced a degree of confusion.

 

[Neil]

I did the YM theory and then the YC practical. I then started on the prerequisites for the YM exam. I was about 500 NM short of the sea miles, but had lots of night hours and the 6 long passages, when I decided that getting the piece of paper wasn't so important. Interestingly, looking back, when I did the YC, I now realise that my seamanship wasn't so great. The experience gained with the prerequisites is the game changer.

 

[capnsensible]

Laika #44 has highlighted the differences in titles, just dug out my old G15/78 logbook in which it itemises the Certificates of Competence as follows:

RYA/DoT Coastal Skipper; The holder has the knowledge necessary to skipper a yacht on coastal cruises but does not necessarily have the experience to undertake longer passages.
RYA/Dot Yachtmaster Offshore; The holder is an experienced yachtsman, competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage which can be completed without the use of Astro-navigation.
RYA/DoT Yachmaster Offshore Certificate; The holder is an experienced yachtsman, competent to skipper a yacht on passages of any length, in all parts of the world.

No doubt todays generation may take exception to the wording ‘yahtsman’ but in general these descriptions do give guidance as to the various levels.

It could be argued that by changing the name of the certificate to ‘Yachtmaster Coastal’ from Coastal Skipper ma have introduced a degree of confusion.

Logbook not that old. At the request of the Admiralty, the Board of Trade held their first exams for Yachtmaster Coastal in.....1938.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Logbook not that old. At the request of the Admiralty, the Board of Trade held their first exams for Yachtmaster Coastal in.....1938.

I know I am getting on a bit but I would more or less needed to have reached the century for my log to be that old, but it is about 45 years since I. started to attend the various shore-based courses, complete entries in the log and finally get my YM in 1983.

 

[capnsensible]

I know I am getting on a bit but I would more or less needed to have reached the century for my log to be that old, but it is about 45 years since I. started to attend the various shore-based courses, complete entries in the log and finally get my YM in 1983.

I got my first RYA logbook, keelboat, from their shop and office in Woking. 1971.

 

[RobbieW]

I got my first RYA logbook, keelboat, from their shop and office in Woking. 1971.

Is that the first and last time you were 'woke'

 

[laika]

I'm sure the RYA are the canonical source of truth rather than wikipedia but wiki says the "Coastal skipper" -> "Yachtmaster Coastal" rebrand was 2010 which sounds about right from my memory )and obviously was later than the pre-revival posts in this thread)

Yachtmaster - Wikipedia

Coastal Skipper practical course existed in the 1990s, I did it in '97 as a prep week for YM Offshore exam.

ITYWF prep weeks for the old coastal skipper (/yachtmaster coastal) are a different beast to the current "Coastal Skipper" course which is a course with a certificate at the end and which has been around for <15 years

 

[capnsensible]

Wiki is correct.