Day Skipper!!

[studgies]

Well I have taken the plunge and I have booked my Day Skipper course for the eater weekend, we are doing it on our boat so we are busy getting her to look respectible. I am not totaly sure what to expect but I am sure we will have a good couple of days afloat in the solent and learn loads!! Have any of you done it recently, what were your thoughts, did you have fun, what did you get ups to....oops sorry now you know what a couple of glasses of wine do to me!! We have a weekend of cleaning and study ahead so wish us luck andlets hope the instructor does not condem us as idiots that should be confined to dry land!!

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[powerskipper]

Its a good course , just enjoy it and have fun learning!


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IMOSHO of course,/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[studgies]

We plan to, just a little nervous but I am sure we will be fine. I am also sure we do everything wrong but we seem to get there in the end, it is just a strange thought, inviting a stranger on board and getting them to show you what you should be doing. We will be on our best behaviour though, honest and will try not to scare them too much. If nothing else it has prompted us to complete the winter work and get the boat fully kitted out, also made us look in the flare locker and notice they were gone!!

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[whisper]

Yes, don't worry, it's not hard. If the examiner is human it is also both good fun and educational.

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[powerskipper]

Best advise relax, the instructor is aware of your nerves and will do his best to alleviate them, Make him a cup of coffee on arrival and choc biscuits go down well. They are human too! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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IMOSHO of course,/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[PRH]

Can you let us know how it goes. I am just doing the theory and intend doing the practical on the Solent soon so have a vested interest.

Thanks

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[Renegade_Master]

Hi as Powerskipper says try to relax and, if the instructor is as cool as Philcool he'll get you to relax anyway. I like the coffee and biscuits bit Jules.

We have to a large extent couples who have practically no experience at all taking Day Skipper, the last three weeks being no exception, and they end up enjoying and learning.
Just a techie point sorry, the instructor requires certain safety equipment to be on board, just ask him for a list so tha you can comply Good luck and stay cool CGN



<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.suncoastmarine.co.uk>Sun Coast Sea School & Charter</A>

 

[Talon]

Who is training you out of interest?

I did the theory then the practical. I think that made the practical a lot easier as I had all the chart knowledge from my theory course.

I was very nervous on my practical course as it was my boat we were using and they were 4 very long days. Especially the day where we did the night cruise.... /forums/images/icons/frown.gif

However, over all it was enjoyable and I have come away a lot more confident in my abilities.

I fell out with our instructor a little, some days were a little stressful and we did not meet eye to eye on certain things. Maybe that was an error in using my own boat?

We did a night cruise from Portsmouth on a very low tide and left via the War Memorial transit line. On occasions my depth guage was screaming at me to stop what we were doing, all I kept thinking is "please don't hit the props....", even the instructor looked nervous which did not enspire confidence in me so I started taking over. Maybe this was a test and he was pretending to look like he had f&^*d up.

Anyway, we lived, we passed, we now enjoy the boat.... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Alex

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mad-als.com>http://www.mad-als.com</A>

 

[RIN]

Studgies - Enjoy it - the only nerve racking bit we had was, like Talon, the night cruise. OK when you have sea room and depth but coming back into Poole, trying to spot lights and rember where they are and to judge distance was difficult - make a detailed passage plan for this bit with diagrams and bearings and lights and do this as big as you can so its easy to read

Good luck

<hr width=100% size=1>No! No! - I mean the other Starboard

 

[Talon]

Yes, agreed.

We came into the hamble where there are two transits you have to follow with the lights, finding them amongst all the other lights on the land was quite tricky, especially the second set. Also finding where the two transit lines cross was hard.

Not something I would like to do every day, but that was not the idea anyway, our instructor said it shows you what to do and should get you out of trouble, but the qualification does not mean I can go off night cruising everywhere.

Another aspect of night cruising I was not too happy about was not being able to see the surface ahead of me, I have so many times during the day avoided large lumps of wood, that at speed, if hit, would do considerable damage. At night, how the hell can you avoid that? It is like speeding round a blind corner on the road, a total gamble. /forums/images/icons/frown.gif I suppose going slowly gives you more of a chance.

<hr width=100% size=1>Alex

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mad-als.com>http://www.mad-als.com</A>

 

[[2574]]

Talon,

Noticed from your profile that you are now sharing your boat to reduce costs. Nice idea but I find the concept a little scary because a boat is such a personal thing, just like a house. I can't imagine that it would be a successful arrangement for us. How are you finding it having done 100% and now 50% owenership?

rob

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[studgies]

all good advice ta, we thought doing it on our own boat would help with our future adventures as it will help up gain fonfidence in its abilities. I think we have all the relavent kit for the course now...oops except the 2B pencils, will get them in the week. I need to call em on monday to clear a few things up I am not sure they were listening when I told them I was on a drying mooring which could make things a little difficult, I was thinking of getting a visitors mooring in OV or somewhere for a duration but I have my doublts about avaliability now!!

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[Talon]

Rob,

It is working well as I have split the boat with my father. Obviously there is complete trust financially and Dad's boating experience far exceeds mine. We are both pratically minded and hands on people. So it works very well indeed as we do all the work together on the boat once we and the wives have agreed on any changes or updates to the boat.

I must confess, I would not do this with a friend, only family.

Al

<hr width=100% size=1>Alex

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mad-als.com>http://www.mad-als.com</A>

 

[Talon]

If you do get one in OV, pop over and see us on B39. We always have wine chilled. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Best of luck with your course.

<hr width=100% size=1>Alex

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mad-als.com>http://www.mad-als.com</A>

 

[studgies]

ah now chilled wine sounds good to me!! Will let yo know if we are gonna be there!

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[whisper]

Two of us share our current boat having had two smaller ones separately. Have done this for about 18 months and yes we are still friends. We both trust each other implicitly so don't have a problem there and our "arrangement" is based on a very simple signed agreement. This refers to how ownership and running costs are shared and how if either party wants to drop out then their share can be bought out by the other party at surveyor's valuation or else the boat has to be sold.
It has been such a success that we are now actively considering the joint purchase of something larger.
Ummmm, well I think we are - we've not spoken lately /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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