Day skipper course

J

joeirish

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 Oct 2002
Messages
83
Location
Ireland
Visit site
Going on a day skipper practical course at the end of January. Now should I also do the theory? (I have a bit of dinghy sailing experience and four years motor boating experience on the Irish Inland waterways). I was thinking of doing some studying over the next couple of months.

I live in a remote part of Ireland so I would have to do it either as a correspondence course or could I get one of these teach yourself CDs and just do the exams? Can I do just the exams via correspondence?

Recommendations including names addresses etc greatfully recieved.


<hr width=100% size=1>Joe Griffin
 
waste of time doing the practical without the theory behind it. you'd have a good time but would come out of it with serious holes in your knowledge.

a good way to get up to speed is the 'Complete Course' CD from <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.longbow-uk.com/>Longbow Sail Training</A>. (i know them from when i did my yachtmaster on board Longbow).

the CD will take you all the way from competent crew to yachtmaster. it's not full of flashy graphics but there's no substitute for sitting down and actually doing the chartwork if you want to learn the skills.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
I'd have to disagree with Snowleopard about the practical being a waste of time without the theory. I did my DS with no more experience than you, alongside some Coastal Skipper candidates. The only reason I didn't get a Coastal was because I couldn't show the necessary experience.

Having said that, doing the theory will make the learning curve less steep, and what else is there to do in winter?

IMHO, you don't have to do a formal course unless you want to, but if the CD Snowleopard suggested suits your learning style, it'd be a big help. If you prefer books, my local library has Tom Cunliffe's Complete Yachtmaster, and and a couple of others, Yours may well too.



<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Yes you should definitely do the theory before the practical then you can strengthen you knowlede by applying it

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Yes you should definitely do the theory before the practical then you can strengthen you knowledge by applying it

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Thanks for the reply. I had thought that some knowledge of theory would be a good thing and I have decided to do some study over the next two months. Question is do I have to take a formal course? Do I have to sit the exams? I was thinking of the Longbow CD, I looked at their website before I posted earlier. That was what prompted me but I don't think they do the exams. I'm waiting to hear back from them. What do you reckon?

<hr width=100% size=1>Joe Griffin
 
Re: Depends on what your Navs like

Do you thik I need to do a full DS theory course to get that knowledge? Do I need to do the exams? Are there people out there actually sailing and navigating without DS?

Joe


<hr width=100% size=1>Joe Griffin
 
You don't HAVE to do the exam, but by knowing the theory, you'll get FAR more out of the practical.

Just depends on what you want, really. Do you want all the bits of paper, or do you want just enough knowledge to go out and enjoy yourself. Either way, you'll only get out what you put in.

Personally, I would try and get as much as I could out of the CD, go on the practical, meet other people and get a few different viewpoints - Most of them will be there for different reasons - then if I felt I wanted to go further, then see what the best way would be to suit MY requirements. On the other hand, I might be happy where I was at the end of the practical

What I'm really saying I suppose, It's entirely up to you as to how far (or not as the case may be), YOU want to go.


Good luck ! !

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
IMHO, no - you don't need the piece of paper to do the DS practical. and if you want to charter, it's the practical they'll want to see, so I can see no advantage to taking the exam other than personal satisfaction. £400 sounds like a lot of money for personal satisfaction.

I may do a YM theory one winter before I do the practical, but it'll be more for the pleasure of studying in company than to get the piece of paper. There again, I may not. I tend to do better with a book than a taught course anyway.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Hi Joe well you will get much more out of the practical side if you swot up on the theory, take a look at RYA website, you can purchase the DS book a lot of easy to folow information for not a lot of money, you could also pick up a practice chart, I started my DS at 45 ish, I live 2 hours from the sea found a local RYA chap for theory lessons.

good luck

<hr width=100% size=1>Wishbone
Rolling, rolling, rolling keep them doggies moving!
Where’s me chuck wagon gone?
 
Can't recommend he theory before practical side enough - essential IMHO.

Would recommend <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.harbourlights.nu/onlinesub/index_courses.htm> ISN </A> - as a distance learning cousrce of DS theory - very helpful - very good theory paperwork.

<hr width=100% size=1>Nickel

Being paranoid simply means - having all the facts.
 
As an ex instructor I would say you should definitely do the theory or have the equivalent knowledge before doing the practical.
I would get plenty of candidates doing day skipper without the theory and it would make my job very hard. You cannot teach a theory course and a practical course concurrently and if the students don't know how to work a course to steer or EP or have reasonable knowledge of the rules of the road then they will not get the full benefit from the practical.
Believe it or not we would get Yachtmaster candidates who had little or no theory knowledge either, it amazes me that people can begin the YM prep with no idea of lights, shapes and sound signals.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Re: Depends on what your Navs like

>>>Are there people out there actually sailing and navigating without DS?

Absolutely! There's no need to take a theory course, and pass an exam, in order to learn the information covered by the Day Skipper theory course. There's lots of good literature covering this area, including Tom Cunliffe's excellent books as already mentioned.

I've no problem with people who prefer to learn on a course, but it seems a bit extreme to insist that it's the "one, true way".


<hr width=100% size=1>Rich

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.marineinteriors.co.uk>Marine Interiors - Beautiful Marine Upholstery</A>
 
Stevie, if I remember correctly, it is possible to fail a Day Skipper course.

So if your instructor sensed that you were unaware about tides, weather, safety etc. and probed further, they could fail you despite how a good you were at boat handling. Am I correct?

If that is the case, then I'd say you definitely need to learn some theory, even if it isn't a formal RYA course.

<hr width=100% size=1>It could have been worse - it could have been me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

P
Bringing my new boat from Netherlands to Ireland next year
2
Replies
33
Views
1K
xyachtdave
xyachtdave

Share this page

Top