How 'difficult' is powerboating?

[stiknstring1]

Yours is the Botnia with the largest D6 sterndrive known to mankind I think?

Yes, on the Hamble, I'm at Swanwick, but we like PH for an overnight to enjoy the Hamble red light district pubs. So when they're open again we'll be there I expect.

Yup Scala that's the one. Fantastic at over 40 kts in open water but the chickens come home to roost at close quarters. Hope your initiation is going well. Hope to catch up with you during the season, Alan

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Be delighted to do that.

 

[PlanB]

My partner and I bought our first boat, a Princess 435, with no experience, at the age of 52. We immediately had RYA Dayskipper Practical as own boat training, and did RYA Dayskipper theory over four weekends the first winter. And we practised and practised going through the marina lock and berthing at all angles in all weathers. And we read everything on here and in the boating mags.
After three years we felt ready, and set off for the Med via Biscay, taking the whole summer. We got there without incident and with only minor anxiety (although sometimes it seemed less than minor at the time).
Then we lived aboard for the next 12 years, having the time of our lives.
A boat that size, both of you really need to know how to do everything to do with handling, nav etc.
And you do need to be aware in advance how much everything can cost (lots).
We had twin shafts, and if you learn properly at the outset, handling is fine. Even better with bow (an stern) thruster. IPS drives (joysticks) still have pitfalls.
PM me if you have queries.

 

[Chris H]

I jumped straight in @ 52ft.......and Arneson drives, lived on it for a week whilst we did our day skipper course(on a different boat) and only had 2 hours at sea, so far so good !

Check out Ocean pro for the license.

 

[Murv]

Why don't you have a go and see how you get on? A friend of mine instructs on a 46' flybridge cruiser, pm if you want any details and I'll put you in touch. (SE England)

 

[Rocksteadee]

To the OP, I think I saw that you had done the Power Boat 2. If not it is worth doing one as for 2 days it gives a very basic start point and there some I have taught on the even people from large cruisers find usefuel.
Day skipper is (preferable first) 5 days theory then 5 (4?) days practical. But these course do assume prior knowledge and experience.

Motor Cruising | Courses | Courses & Training | RYA - Royal Yachting Association

 

[PlanB]

Per my previous post, it is perfectly feasible to do day skipper practical followed by theory with no prior knowledge or experience if you are prepared to put the work in.

 

[DreJ]

Would you recommend doing the theory or practical first? On the RYA site it says doing the theory is a must before doing the practical is it uses knowledge from the theory.

Per my previous post, it is perfectly feasible to do day skipper practical followed by theory with no prior knowledge or experience if you are prepared to put the work in.

 

[Rocksteadee]

Per my previous post, it is perfectly feasible to do day skipper practical followed by theory with no prior knowledge or experience if you are prepared to put the work in.

By sating the theory first is preferred, I understand where the RYA is coming from as having to teach the theory required whilst on a practical course detracts from the course

 

[scottie]

Strange that if this were sailboat related the majority advise would be start in a dinghy
What would powerboat equivalent be

 

[Kawasaki]

There isn't really
The answer would do and has done taken a thread of its own to many pages!
RIBS are popular, especially with the RYA
A few Schools use hard boats too
Any 'seaworthy' vessel up to 25ft would be a good start
Although I aint a sailor
I get why dinghys are used
I suppose the nearest boat (with engine) to relate to other power boats/motorboats
Is a RIB or a 'Merry Fisher' type
With a dinghy I suppose the 'sailing' part or sail handling or understanding thereof, will relate to most all sailing types or rigs?
Although the basic principles of handling a motor powered craft are the same from a 16ft Dory to a Gin Palace
There are diffent types of propulsion to consider
IE , outboard, outdrive, shaft etc etc and then twin set ups too
Then some sailing types tell me a dinghy is harder than a 40 foot coastal cruising yacht !!!
I suppose, just by comparison
I'd say a 5/6 metre RIB
But I would be wrong!

 

[BruceK]

You cant compare power boats and sailing and you cant say sub 25 foot start either. A cruiser is as different to a RIB as chalk to cheese. I did my PB2 before buying a sports cruiser and the basic handling part was a doddle and a complete and utter waste of time and money when it came to handling a 8 ton sports cruiser. Of course I have zero interest in running around in a RIB for an hour or two getting wet cold and exhausted and probably wouldnt have persued the hobby if I didn't have a boat that was fit for my own purpose. There is nothing imo wrong in learning on a 50 like the OP said. The question was IIRC about easier. No it's not easier and little will prep you adequately for it except something slightly smaller that is just as difficult, what 35 foot? May as well stick to the 50. I do think own boat tuition to reasonable profficiency on top of a solid grounding with RYA or whichever structured courses and experience is the way to go.

 

[PlanB]

I suppose it depends at what stage in the ownership process you are going to do your training. We bought our boat, did DS practical immediately so that we could actually handle the thing safely and then did the theory a while later. I can see that if you don't actually have a boat yet, the other way round makes sense. What I would emphasise though, once you have your boat, is the need to practice your boat handling ad nauseam - particularly with regards to mooring.

 

[Kawasaki]

The question was
‘What would equivalent power boat be
See / re read scottie’s post/question
Nothing to do with the OP’s post
No mention or cruisers etc etc etc

 

[BruceK]

You need to read the whole thread, not just bits while looking for pictures

Hello, I'm looking to getting into boating and am looking at the 40-50 foot flybridge range.

I wanted to get some opinions on the level of proficiency/skill required when first starting out. Is piloting such a boat difficult? I understand these boats will have joysticks that make the ease of use much higher, but is it something that can be learnt in your own boat without any prior practice?

Do the majority of first-time boat owners just learn by doing? Or are courses common?

Continuing the question of difficulty, how difficult is it for example to cross the English Channel into Europe? How does a first-timer learn about navigation, traffic, GPS, radio, wind, tide etc. Is this something simply picked up from learning by doing and practice?

Essentially I'd just like to get some advice on how difficult it is for a first-timer to pilot a a 50 foot yacht. Initially I thought it would be advised against but it seems it's common for first-timers to jump into such boats without having owned a smaller boat. I'd also like some information on how first-timers learn the ropes.

Thanks for all the help

 

[Kawasaki]

Irrelevant
I was only replying to scotties question

 

[t21]

Hi. The plan at the moment is to berth in the South of France. This is all in theory though as I haven't looked into marina costs. I'm assuming the French theory and practical can be done in English?

Yikes your qualifications run through RYA, ICC Yachtmaster unless you are native fluent French. Brit flag =Brit qualifications. And Chicago Convention requires English on vhf pip pip.
In answer to yr OQ you’ll be fine with some helpful bloke along first week or so. I bought 48ft powerboat straight off. Yeehah! But I hired helpful boaty bod all fine. First day out I had wassusnane along and we’re going! I had said I wanted to get familiar with as many s coast coast ports as poss. So favourable wind he opened it to 28kts reached Torquay day one.
If you utterly green it will be easiest to have significant show/tell along. But after max 2 weeks of him you’ll be fine and be lots more savvy than most.
There’s fifty or so things you gotta know and the guy you find or get pointed towards will know it all and pass it on, their passion.
I would suggest start the boat as near as poss to where you buy it perhaps in uk, for runback fixes and plentiful English advice training , then fling it on a truck and they ask which marina?
If med is a must, then ask again for name checks cos every port has heroes and not too many villains. But do try Keep boat in the same place as dealer from whom you bought it, and make getting a berth in The Right Marina a condition of purchase - they can make it happen.
Oh and take no notice of any OMG 50feet!! Nonsense. Bigger is safer easier ... and bigger boats have more stability/inertia (increases as cube of length) less proportional windage (increases as square of length) so big boats better and roomier but tons more expensive.
I like doing transat trips hence catamaran now with mast-effected eco sail thing in addition 1 or better 2x motors needed by eg lifeboats so yerknow,
Big deal is the Motors so crissakes get something reliable. Ask ask ask. I got ace spots for years announced big ourselves newbies, uk south coast handy for frequent year 1, before getting slick at NCE and ezjet.

 

[Portofino]

@t21
“Brit flag = Brit qualifications “
The Op talks of basing his boat in the CdA France .

This “ British flag = British qualifications , “ and rules debate regularly crops up. I think you need to read Uncloss 11 and other international agreements. The coastal State can impose whatever conditions it wants on vessels NOT on innocent passage. Portugal for instance requires pleasure craft there for more that 6 months to carry the same safety equipment as Portuguese registered ones although unlike a few years ago Portugal where foreign flagged boats that are deemed resident are required to comply with local rules on equipment. New Zealand also applies local rules to foreign boats that are resident, although like Portugal it exempts genuine visitors or boats on "innocent passage".

Innocent passage is an important concept in international law as that is when coastal states apply the principle of "comity" and respect the state flags rules. However once a boat starts cruising within the waters of the coastal state, and that time exceeds 6 months then “innocent passage “no longer applies and with it comity, although in practice most states do extend comity, at least for private leisure craft. That’s the current position within the Med .

What iam saying qualifications could be next post brexit for vessels NOT on innocent passage .
That’s all .
Can’t you see that risk ........peek over the horizon and see the post brexit landscape ?

How ever having said that lets hope as long as Bozo and Macron Continue to have love ins together theses technicality's will probably be airbrushed away once Britain becomes a independent coastal state .

 

[TonyR123]

I started less than 5 years ago. Decided I wanted a boat and decided it had to be in mallorca. Placed an order for a 36ft boat and then did my day skipper theory in uk and practical in Spain (sitges). We did a lot of docking - both for fuel and reversing to med moor as well as with one engine. ICC is the certificate required in Europe and for insurance.

Year after first boat then bought a 50ft. As has been said before bigger boats are easier to handle and this is very much the case. For me the key is slower the better when manoeuvring in port. After that a lot is common sense.

as for boat maintenance I tend not to do any. Have some English guys look after it for me. I will only do emergency stuff if needed.

 

[Momac]

I leaned in a 25ft single engine stern drive sports cruiser . Had minimal training prior to buying , RYA Helmsman, and had hired narrow boats previously .
Lots of mistakes were made in the first year , sometimes embarrassing but didn't hurt anyone , and in the second year it was like starting from scratch. I can't say I ever though myself good at boat handling in the marina in a wind. Boats don't handle like a car - more like a shopping trolley .

When I changed to a 33ft twin engined boat I realised my boat handling was a lot better than I had thought . The bigger boat and twin engines was much easier to handle and I adapted to it in no time at all.

I think 50 ft is a bit on the large side as a first boat but I would say start with basic training on a smaller single engined boat even if its just for a day .