Courses

[petem]

Many schools are getting complaints that people are turning up with no experience and no theory which is a waste of other students time. There's been a bit of a crackdown.

I'd done the Day Skipper theory in advance of the practical.

 

[finestgreen]

Not quite the same, almost though, the sail covers sailing in more detail than the power course, I have both handbooks one for sail and one for power, I wanted to do the power course but all that was available here was the sail so I am doing that, and having to learn about a bit of sailing, tacking and such which is not covered in the power course. Apart from that it is the same

The theory? Pretty sure it is just the one course for both - the certificate is for completion of "SHOREBASED COURSE RYA/MCA Day Skipper for Sail & Power Craft".

There's two handbooks because they cover the practical element too.

 

[ylop]

I'd done the Day Skipper theory in advance of the practical.

To be honest the RYA make the issue hard for their schools by providing the option of not doing the theory course if you have knowledge of equivalent level. That becomes a subjective assessment - would be more sensible to say has the qualification of passed an entry exam.

Similarly the prior practical experience is measured in days/hours not competence. A diligent student on a 1 day course with a good instructor could learn more than someone on a 1 week charter with someone who scraped through their own day skipper 10yrs ago.

I imagine that a good student could do DS Theory then 1:1 with a good instructor do DS Practical with no previous practice and get on ok. But if everyone on the course was more experienced they would grudge the time spent on teaching tying fenders on, outside of the lifelines for the dock lines, how to use the windlass works etc. on a mixed CC/DS course it’s fine because managing the inexperienced crew is part of the learning and DS candidates can be set a DS task whilst the newbies learn to tie a clove hitch.

I’ve been on non-beginner courses for other activities when someone turns up having exaggerated their experience and they either need sent away (bad for business) or the people with the correct experience miss out (bad for business). This is why various instructor courses (dinghy, pb2 etc) have a pre course assessment - and they have an entry requirement that you actually have the certificate to even get on the pre-assessment.

 

[barry56]

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm going to take the Day Skipper Theory course first and see how I get on.

 

[barry56]

Where are you based? The North Devon coast including Lundy can be a pretty unforgiving place.

South Wales.

I can't envisage myself going out in other than good or very good conditions.

 

[PlanB]

That was our approach too, and by and large it worked.
There was, however, the odd occasion when the weather changed unexpectedly.
So it pays to prepare accordingly.