Conversion training from sail to power

[Fenders]

I have been trying to find out if there are any RYA approved training programs for sailors who wish to convert to power.
The reason I ask is that I do not think it is necessary to undergo a full Day skip or Yachtmaster for power if you already hold the same qualification for sail. There is a great overlap on the required knowledge.
I guess the main differences would be with regards to boat handling and reaction times. Sailing along at 6 knots give you some thinking time. Cruising at 20 knots must need a different discipline.

 

[powerskipper]

You need to get some hours up on power. the RYA does a conversion requirement , which is less hours and miles than when you first sat YM, You need to be pretty hot on boat handling and practise a bit of high speed navigation and know how to use the toys on power boats. And mostly understand the differences between sail and power boats in wind and tide.
If you do all that you should not be far off the mark.

 

[hlb]

Well I managed ten years of zooming round the Irish sea, with no training at all. Then went through an aganising 26 week course. Pure missery and what I learned I could put on a postage stamp.

For 20knots plus. You need to flight plan, not play about with pencil and rubber. If your going any distance, you need a good chart plotter linked to a good auto pilot so if you cant see much, big seas, fog, whatever you can just point the boat out to sea and leave it to it, maybe concentrating on other things. Course you could always slow down to six knots and it's just the same as sailing init?? Or why not go a bit zoomy in the easy bits, then slow down when errr, you get lost!!

Special corispondence course, £100 ta. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Fenders]

Thanks for the replies, Power Skipper/HLB.

 

[Renegade_Master]

We do several Yachtmaster conversions each year as the guys come straight from their Yachtmaster sail in Gib and want to convert.

From experience though they come with not enough hours and therefore naturally not enough motor yacht handling.

RYA state you should have clocked up approx 50% of the hours etc that you would need for a complete YM power.

If they can get some hours looged we then recommend the 4 day prep course followed by the conversion exam day. Hope this helps Clive Sun Coast

 

[Renegade_Master]

We do several Yachtmaster conversions each year as the guys come straight from their Yachtmaster sail in Gib and want to convert.

From experience though they come with not enough hours and therefore naturally not enough motor yacht handling.

RYA state you should have clocked up approx 50% of the hours etc that you would need for a complete YM power.

If they can get some hours logged we then recommend the 4 day prep course followed by the conversion exam day. Hope this helps Clive Sun Coast

 

[BrendanS]

If they don't have enough hours or experience, why not tell them that, and turn them down?

 

[Renegade_Master]

we do