How to pass the RYA Yachtmaster practical exam

[Mister E]

Maybe another course could be added for those that don't sail with a crew?

 

[lustyd]

Occasionally I toy with the idea of getting some more formal structured tuition. Threads like this are very useful for reminding me that it would be a colossal waste of time and money. Thank you.

I think that's a little unfair. I think there's a lot of room for improvement in the RYA sylabus, but the instruction is often excellent and there's always value in having a pro give some tips. You only have to look at cleats on a marina pontoon to see how many people desperately need some tuition with or without crew!

 

[capnsensible]

You’ve not addressed the crux of the mater. Would Concerto fail the practical if his team talk was weak and he missed when trying to high five someone after a tack?

That's not the crux of the matter.

 

[capnsensible]

Too right, the RYA has been very successful but does that make it perfect?

I was showing someone the other day how to spring off a pontoon (he was having a goodly bit of trouble) and as he was going off he said, "oh, yes. Now I remember - I did that for my day skipper .."

There is no requirement to attend refresher courses. Like cars....

 

[Chiara’s slave]

The success of the YM scheme is surely down to the fact that it’s fun, for most people. It doesn’t preclude people from sailing short and single handed, it’s just not what the exam is about. Being a skipper on your own is a different game. No less skilled at handling the boat and sails, quite possibly the reverse. But in the definition of skipper somewhere, it infers you’re the boss, the head honcho. How do you do that with no crew? Reminds me of Blackadder, and Tom Baker. I’m a YM qualified 2 crew sailor, btw. Just me and the wife, 34 years my dedicated crew. Crew management doesn’t normally exist for me.

 

[john_morris_uk]

And there we have it. If you don't sail the way that the RYA want you to (in a fully crewed boat) then, according to an RYA accredited YM instructor, you're a "piss poor skipper". Way to go there, abusing a whole cohort of competent sailors. Teamwork much?

So YM is nothing to do with sailing or seamanship. All to do with crew management. Totally useless for us singlehanders.

Occasionally I toy with the idea of getting some more formal structured tuition. Threads like this are very useful for reminding me that it would be a colossal waste of time and money. Thank you.

Where did I say it was nothing to do with sailing and seamanship? I said that ability to sail should be a given. That and seamanship is most certainly examined.
Lots of single handed sailors would walk their YM exam because they can sail, have excellent seamanship skills AND can manage crew when necessary.

 

[capnsensible]

And there we have it. If you don't sail the way that the RYA want you to (in a fully crewed boat) then, according to an RYA accredited YM instructor, you're a "piss poor skipper". Way to go there, abusing a whole cohort of competent sailors. Teamwork much?

So YM is nothing to do with sailing or seamanship. All to do with crew management. Totally useless for us singlehanders.

Occasionally I toy with the idea of getting some more formal structured tuition. Threads like this are very useful for reminding me that it would be a colossal waste of time and money. Thank you.

Are you basing your opinion on the syllabus for the exam, its pre requisites and the type of yacht that qualifies to be us3d in the exam?

 

[dgadee]

If you spent the exam giving one word commands to crew who were familiar with your boat you’d struggle to pass your YM exam.
I know of a famous round the world sailor who subsequently failed his YM exam. He was tough as old boots and could sail but useless at crew management. (His sailing wasn’t that good either.)

Well, maybe his sailing wasn't good enough for the RYA, is what you mean?

 

[Adios]

That's not the crux of the matter.

Avoiding again? Come on skipper, address the concerns of the mutinous crew here. How can highly competent sailors not be yachtmasters if they don't do crew? Many times we're in boats that hardly have space for more than one extra.

I'll help you out. I think the qualification of "yachtmaster" should mean you are able to skipper any boat you come across whether crewed or solo. You agree? If so don't you think they should add a part to the exam for solo skippering? Seems weak of the RYA to not test that higher level skill set.

 

[capnsensible]

Avoiding again? Come on skipper, address the concerns of the mutinous crew here. How can highly competent sailors not be yachtmasters if they don't do crew? Many times we're in boats that hardly have space for more than one extra.

I'll help you out. I think the qualification of "yachtmaster" should mean you are able to skipper any boat you come across whether crewed or solo. You agree? If so don't you think they should add a part to the exam for solo skippering? Seems weak of the RYA to not test that higher level skill set.

You can be as competent as an intergalactic starship commander. You can roam the blue bits of the planet to your hearts content. The freedom of the seas is yours.

The avoidance tactic here however is avoiding the real crux. There is an examination of seamanship available to those who wish. Administered by a Government appointed organisation. If you are unwilling or unable to reach the requiredstandard, the answer is very simple.....don't do it.

Not only that, the organisation, the RYA, is completely approachable.....remembering that when you ask a question, you may not get the answer you want.

So if you feel you have a well founded suggestion that would help improve the Yachtmaster scheme, you input is always valued. A great deal of time and effort is put into reviewing and updating all the courses and feedback is vital.

So my suggestion is that if you want to help, email, phone, visit, whatever.

If you simply wanna drain down, flap gums and moan, then 5his is the ideal place. But you still might not get the answers you were wanting to hear.

Excuse the lecture.

 

[jaminb]

Why would Singlehander's need a qualification? You dont need to prove your competenance to anyone .

 

[Major_Clanger]

How do you examine the management of boat and crew with no crew?
Even people who sail singlehanded take friends sailing sometimes.
Also my experience is that many people who sail singlehanded might be excellent sailors but they’re piss poor skippers. In simple terms, people don’t enjoy sailing with them because they’re useless at communicating what they want to happen. They often then get grumpy with their crew for things not happening. (Perhaps they sometimes suggest their crew aren’t very good at listening?)
The YM qualification is a SKIPPERING qualification. It’s a given (or should be) that you can sail the boat when you present yourself to be examined.

100% spot-on.

We've all been witness to the yacht coming alongside, poor wife/gf on the foredeck being bellowed at by the incompetent twit at the helm. A well-skippered boat is no place for raised voices.

 

[dgadee]

Administered by a Government appointed organisation.

Since when? I know it likes to think it is sailing, but that's really going a bit further surely?

 

[mm42]

Why would Singlehander's need a qualification? You dont need to prove your competenance to anyone .

Exactly. YM is usually, though not always, used in order to gain a useful commercial qualification, which, if used commercially will nearly always be with crew (due to coding requirements). If you don't like sailing with crew then commercial work isn't for you, and as such you can merrily save your money.

Don't forget YM is really a test, you're meant to be at the level before you get there, the last couple of days are meant to be polishing rather than teaching, so you'll miss very little by not taking it if you're already a highly competent sailor and don't need it for commercial work.

 

[dgadee]

100% spot-on.

We've all been witness to the yacht coming alongside, poor wife/gf on the foredeck being bellowed at by the incompetent twit at the helm. A well-skippered boat is no place for raised voices.

Did you check his RYA qualifications?

 

[mm42]

Since when? I know it likes to think it is sailing, but that's really going a bit further surely?

Yachtmaster exams are run by the RYA and its examiners on behalf of the MCA.

 

[dgadee]

Yachtmaster exams are run by the RYA and its examiners on behalf of the MCA.

Apologies. Didn't know that.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Yachtmaster exams are run by the RYA and its examiners on behalf of the MCA.

Exactly.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Apologies. Didn't know that.

Perhaps you also didn’t realise I’m one of the examiners?

 

[dgadee]

Perhaps you also didn’t realise I’m one of the examiners?

Why would that be relevant?