Day Skipper/Comp Crew

[Stemar]

I suspect we grew up in different times. From age of about 14, we used to hitch hike with tents on our backs, sometimes solo, sometimes in pairs. At seventeen, I was lucky enough to have a car and often used to find girls hitching out of Manchester after they/we had been to an all nighter at Twisted Wheel or another club. I went to S Africa in 1969 and one of the girls I shared a house with had hitched all the way from UK to S Aftrica on her own.

That sound like the same sort of time as me, certainly similar experiences. Even 10 years ago, my daughter did sponsored hitch hikes, though never alone.

My point is that the instructor is in a position of power should he choose to abuse it and, unfortunately, those who would abuse it look for such positions, though sailing on a relatively crowded boat wouldn't be my choice of hunting ground were I that way inclined.

 

[lustyd]

My post was written based upon my experience of being an active Shorebased and Cruising Instructor.

Well thank goodness you don't have any bias or skin in the game then ?

 

[Skylark]

Well thank goodness you don't have any bias or skin in the game then ?

Not quite the response I was expecting but, hey, it tells me a lot about you. I’m sorry if my questions embarrassed you.

Whenever you assert what I believe to be falsehoods I’ll continue to challenge. I was trying to be polite and courteous and always happy to discuss the points that you raised in post 38. Duly noted that @Gixer gave a suitable robust response in post 39, too.

 

[lustyd]

Having recently done my day skipper practical I disagree with this. Learning rules of the road, lights, shapes, buoyage, basic passage planning takes up a lot of time and (for me anyway) was not easy to remember. I would never have got the best out of the practical course if I hadn't studied before and probably pissed off the other people on the course if the skipper had spend more time with me going though the 'basics'.

I don't disagree that to get the best out of the practical course it's best to learn in advance. To suggest it's too hard to learn in a week while actually sailing though is absurd. At this level it's not a requirement to know the rules of the road in the level of detail that a yachtmaster candidate would, just to be aware of your obligations. Lights and shapes are far easier to learn while out there in the real world anyway, and navigation at this level is very simple.

 

[Gixer]

I don't disagree that to get the best out of the practical course it's best to learn in advance. To suggest it's too hard to learn in a week while actually sailing though is absurd. At this level it's not a requirement to know the rules of the road in the level of detail that a yachtmaster candidate would, just to be aware of your obligations. Lights and shapes are far easier to learn while out there in the real world anyway, and navigation at this level is very simple.

This would explain why I aced the Day Skipper and was told to go straight for Yacht Master .

 

[lustyd]

This would explain why I aced the Day Skipper and was told to go straight for Yacht Master .

I had a similar experience on comp crew and day skipper, I was met with surprise that I knew the theory so well despite having only really read two books and practiced some knots. Personally I think there are too many levels in the RYA scheme. Crew, skipper and yachtmaster are more than sufficient to cover experience levels. Those that need more practice can just as easily retake day skipper as do coastal skipper.