Is Competent Crew needed before Day Skipper?

[wipe_out]

Hi,

Just looking for some clarification.. We will soon be making the switch from motor to sail and since the plan is a bigger boat and some longer cruises, certainly from a time on the water perspective, I thought getting the Day Skipper would be a good grounding prior to getting the sail boat and would get me the ICC as well to be able to cross the channel later down the line when I have enough experience..

I have a number of years on the water but all in motor boats so I am wondering if I have to do Competent Crew first and then the Day Skipper or if I can jump straight into Day Skipper?

Thanks..

 

[Heckler]

Hi,

Just looking for some clarification.. We will soon be making the switch from motor to sail and since the plan is a bigger boat and some longer cruises, certainly from a time on the water perspective, I thought getting the Day Skipper would be a good grounding prior to getting the sail boat and would get me the ICC as well to be able to cross the channel later down the line when I have enough experience..

I have a number of years on the water but all in motor boats so I am wondering if I have to do Competent Crew first and then the Day Skipper or if I can jump straight into Day Skipper?

Thanks..

You obviously ha e experience, go straight to DS Practical, this gives you your ICC. The theory doesnt.
S

 

[Kwik Decision]

You don't have to do comp crew before day skipper, but you should be at comp crew level - have a look at the syllabus, and if you're happy you can do everything, then go directly into day skipper:

https://www.hamble.co.uk/competent-crew-syllabus

As you're moving from power to sail, the biggest difference will obviously be the sails. I'm firmly of the opinion that the best way to learn to sail - as in use the sails to move the boat effectively - is to do some dinghy sailing, so a weekend dinghy sailing course could be useful, and then go into day skipper.

Finally, please ensure your theory knowledge is up to day skipper standard before doing the practical course - the instructor will then not have to spend significant time revising the theory stuff and you'll have more time to go sailing.......

 

[alant]

Hi,

Just looking for some clarification.. We will soon be making the switch from motor to sail and since the plan is a bigger boat and some longer cruises, certainly from a time on the water perspective, I thought getting the Day Skipper would be a good grounding prior to getting the sail boat and would get me the ICC as well to be able to cross the channel later down the line when I have enough experience..

I have a number of years on the water but all in motor boats so I am wondering if I have to do Competent Crew first and then the Day Skipper or if I can jump straight into Day Skipper?

Thanks..

You already know how to handle yourself in a boat, so really all you need to know, is how to use those sails.
Assuming you know all about tides/navigation, so don't need to do that theory, a DS practical course is the next step. If however, you have no theory knowledge (being a MoBo ) then do the theory first, you'll enjoy it.

 

[Bobc]

You don't need comp crew. You already know that stuff.

Straight to DS.

 

[stevebrassett]

I can confirm the other posts - I went straight to Day Skipper. If I remember correctly, the theory course is the same for Comp Crew and Day Skipper.

 

[wipe_out]

Thanks for the replies..

I had intended to do the theory anyway as part of the Day Skipper course, I would never claim to know it all when it comes to navigation and in a motorboat as much as I am always aware of the tide it never really played a big part in passage planning so I think the theory course would be very useful.

Looking at the syllabus posted by Kwik Decision I am pretty happy with most of it.. As suggested it's just the sail handling that would be new to me.. I guess things like man overboard procedures are a little different on sail boats as well because you can't just turn around and pick the person up..

Is Competent Crew stuff covered again (maybe in less detail) on the Day Skipper practical course?

 

[Dab]

If you are happy with the theory to the level of the Day Skipper Shorebased course, which is the same syllabus for power and sail, then all you need to add to your existing understanding is how to sail a sailing boat. If there any any gaps in either of those you may not be ready for the Day Skipper practical course as it is designed as mixture of teaching and continuous assessment to teach someone who understands how to sail and can do the theory to skipper a boat in familiar waters. There is not enough time on the course to teach much missing theory or to teach some one how to sail. From your second post it sounds like you may need to do some sailing first. Funnily enough man overboard will be quite similar, because you will usually be expected to do it under power, although you will have to tell the crew what to do with the sails first.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

I'd do some sailing and the day skipper theory and then think about whether or not you are ready for Coastal. Day Skipper is not much more than showing you can sail a boat and know your own limitations. If you've already been skippering a MoBo for some years you won't get much out of Day Skipper. The minimum criteria are here http://www.rya.org.uk/courses-training/courses/sail-cruising/Pages/day-skipper.aspx

 

[Sandy]

Personally, I'd do the theory and the DS. Try and get some trips out in some sailing boats before the course, the RYA suggest 10 days is right. I would not faf about in dinghys unless you want a wet arse, while many say its the only way to understand wind you need to understand the wind from a yachts perspective not from a fast tippy thing.

Once you are confident in anything up to a F6/7 under sail then is the time to go for YM Coastal.

 

[Babylon]

I think the OP is asking a very pertinent question. What he needs is a specific 'conversion-course' which doesn't really exist as standard.

The problem with standard CC and DS practical courses is that a good proportion of time will be spent covering basics like safety, knots, mooring, anchoring, pilotage, weather forecasts, engine checks, etc, etc, which the OP will already be very familiar with.

Whereas the training he'll mainly need is:
+ how to make a sailing vessel work - properly, efficiently and safely in different conditions.
+ how to passage plan and navigate a slow-moving vessel in tidal waters.

So, if the choice is just between CC and DS, I'd go with DS and ask the instructor to focus a bit more on yacht sailing stuff for him.

Otherwise, if he has the time/money and can get a couple of mobo mates to join him, then just approach a school with a request for a weekend or five-day sail conversion course!

The other thing is that 3/4 of the YM Theory is a repeat of the DS Theory, much of which he should already know off by heart, so he might as well go all the way in the classroom at least.

 

[ex-Gladys]

Apart from the mileage pre-requisites for some practical exams or First Aid and VHF for YM, there is no requirement to have done one before another... My first practical was YM...

 

[capnsensible]

Hi,

Just looking for some clarification.. We will soon be making the switch from motor to sail and since the plan is a bigger boat and some longer cruises, certainly from a time on the water perspective, I thought getting the Day Skipper would be a good grounding prior to getting the sail boat and would get me the ICC as well to be able to cross the channel later down the line when I have enough experience..

I have a number of years on the water but all in motor boats so I am wondering if I have to do Competent Crew first and then the Day Skipper or if I can jump straight into Day Skipper?

Thanks..

If you phoned my Sailing School with that question, I would first of all advise you to get a trip out on a yacht first before spending money. Are you in a marina with your motorboat? Mebbe you could blag a day or two out on a neighbours boat and find out a bit about sailing? Do you like it? Will your regular partners enjoy it? Have you already got some sailing experience?

If you are not sure, lots of UK schools offer weekend courses. Perhaps try that and the Instructor can discuss with you how to advance from there.

Good luck with your plans!

 

[wipe_out]

If you phoned my Sailing School with that question, I would first of all advise you to get a trip out on a yacht first before spending money. Are you in a marina with your motorboat? Mebbe you could blag a day or two out on a neighbours boat and find out a bit about sailing? Do you like it? Will your regular partners enjoy it? Have you already got some sailing experience?

If you are not sure, lots of UK schools offer weekend courses. Perhaps try that and the Instructor can discuss with you how to advance from there.

Good luck with your plans!

Good advice and I have already had an overnight trip from Poole to IOW and a few hour trip with my Wife and Dad to see if they enjoyed it and the verdict was to go for it.. The motorboat is now up for sale and as soon as it is sold the hunt will be on for the sail boat..

 

[alant]

If you are happy with the theory to the level of the Day Skipper Shorebased course, which is the same syllabus for power and sail, then all you need to add to your existing understanding is how to sail a sailing boat. If there any any gaps in either of those you may not be ready for the Day Skipper practical course as it is designed as mixture of teaching and continuous assessment to teach someone who understands how to sail and can do the theory to skipper a boat in familiar waters. There is not enough time on the course to teach much missing theory or to teach some one how to sail. From your second post it sounds like you may need to do some sailing first. Funnily enough man overboard will be quite similar, because you will usually be expected to do it under power, although you will have to tell the crew what to do with the sails first.

I used to teach MoB under sail, even for DS.
If nothing else, it gives some confidence in sailing manouvers.

 

[jimi]

I'd do some sailing and the day skipper theory and then think about whether or not you are ready for Coastal. Day Skipper is not much more than showing you can sail a boat and know your own limitations. If you've already been skippering a MoBo for some years you won't get much out of Day Skipper. The minimum criteria are here http://www.rya.org.uk/courses-training/courses/sail-cruising/Pages/day-skipper.aspx

+1 spot on

 

[EugeneR]

I did my day skipper for sailing without any sailing experience, only power experience. Can be done, yes.

In my case, the competent crew and day skipper course was the same - those who showed the necessary skills got the latter. Never having been on a sailing boat, it was quite a learning curve e.g. it needed something like 15 steps to hoist the main sail and I had no idea what sheets or halyards were before then. On the first evening I borrowed a sailing book and studied the lot... doing that beforehand - or doing the theory course - would have been much better.

The non-practical elements are the same i.e. navigation, etc.

 

[capnsensible]

+1 spot on

Sorry, that is very wrong. If you are familiar with boats but havent sailed much, there is heaps you can learn on a Day Skipper Sail.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Sorry, that is very wrong. If you are familiar with boats but havent sailed much, there is heaps you can learn on a Day Skipper Sail.

Hence the opening remark "I'd do some sailing..." Whilst a MoBo person who has never sailed before would undoubtedly learn loads on a day skipperhe'd spend a lot of time going over stuff he already knew too.

 

[capnsensible]

If you've already been skippering a MoBo for some years you won't get much out of Day Skipper.

That is the bit that is not so. Any Day Skipper course has a mix of students of varying backgrounds and experience. Everyone will learn plenty.